There's always a star and a hoodie
by EVAunit42
Summary: A series of Alternate Universes (AU with a few in the canon universe) mostly one shots with a few multi-parters all about that Starco.
1. Marco Diaz Vs the World (Scott Pilgrim)

Hello everyone and welcome to my second story. This story is actually a series of AU's (and maybe the canon universe)that are oneshots or maybe a two shot on occasion. This was the original idea behind If i say I miss you but i loved the journal idea so, i decided to make it it's own story. This story will be less likely to updated as often as If I say I miss you. Still I hope you enjoy these stories and maybe down the line, I'll be open to requests. Everyone has their own perfect Starco after all. So enjoy and I own nothing!

I also forgot to put this as a Scott Pilgrim AU. Sorry, i finished this last night and totally forgot

* * *

Marco let out a sigh as he checked his watch for the 15th time in the last 20 minutes. As he rolled his eyes in annoyance, he briefly wondered if this person was even going to show up. She was already 30 minutes late and Marco had other things to do. If this wasn't for Jackie, he wouldn't have even been caught in this stupid coffee place.

"Things I do for Jackie" Marco muttered as he rose from his seat. Everyone and their mothers knew Marco had a thing for Jackie. What people couldn't figure out is why he hadn't asked her out. Marco had quite the dedicated fanbase with most girls finding his dorky behavior more endearing than off putting. That, combined with his black belt, his his intelligence and the fact he was a good looking guy, most girls would easily say yes to dating Marco.

However, Marco suffered from one critical flaw, one common among numerous people.

Low Self esteem.

Marco didn't see himself as highly as the others. In fact Marco thought himself average. He didn't break the rules. He didn't go out on adventures. He just was here, being Marco. Being boring.

As Marco gathered his trash, the door of the corporate money trap was thrown open. "Sorry everyone!" A cheerful rang out throughout the store "Go back to you to whatever you were doing!" There was barely a murmur as the incident was forgotten.

As Marco turned to finally leave, he found himself face to face with an eager eyed, bouncing blonde staring intently at him. With her blue blouse/dress outfit, devil horns headband and painted on hearts on each cheek, she didn't see like the type of person that knew Jackie. Still, Marco wasn't the type of person who was friends with Ferguson

"Umm...Can I help you miss?" Marco cautiously asked, afraid this girl was going to lunge at him in an attempt to get his table.

She looked confused before eyeing his outfit carefully. "Red hoodie, black pants, cute mole. You're Marco right? Jackie's friend?"

Marco could feel his face flushing as the girl began to poke at his mole as if trying to see that it was really on his face "Yes! I mean it isn't cute." Marco groaned in frustration "Ugh, I mean I am Marco, are you Star?"

"Huh? Oh yes! Star Butterfly" She bowed quickly, smashing her head against Marco's and nearly sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Oww, geez you got a thick head" Marco grumbled as he tried to stop the pain "Are you okay?"

Star nodded happily as she mirrored his actions "Yep! Sorry about that and that I was late. I'm still getting used to place! I mean this nothing like back home."

Marco looked at her quizzically "Getting used to California?"

"No Earth." she replied with the straightest poker face Marco ever saw.

"Riiiiight" Marco was unsure what was going on but he was quickly regretting agreeing to help out Star "Well take a seat and umm...I'll see what I can do to help you."

As Star reached for her chair, Marco help out his hand and pulled the chair for her, motioning for her to take a seat. "Thanks Marco! That's really sweet" Marco coughed as he pushed in her chair gently and took his seat across from her.

"So...Miss Butterfly..." "Please" She cut him off with a pearly white smile "Just Star." "Star, Jackie said you needed help with something. I mean I'm not sure what I can do but I'll be happy to help."

For the first time since meeting this strange, weird, perky girl, Star's face fell and she slipped into a silence even Marco could tell was abnormal for her.

"Well you see...Jackie mentioned you were a black belt, which apparently means you are an excellent fighter." Marco nodded, still not quite seeing why his fighting skills would be needed in any way. "And I really need someone to help me out with something. There's this guy, Oskar..."

"Wait, you want me to beat up this Oskar guy? Cuz I don't really do..."

"! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH OSKAR!" Star screamed, her hearts somehow turning into flaming skulls. Marco backed away as Star shot him a glare that seemed to pierce his very soul.

"Sorry, sorry! I mean that's what it sounded like what you wanted. Especially since you mentioned my black belt." Marco desperately tried to pacify the terrifying blonde.

Suddenly, with wide eyes, Star's hearts returned to her face and just giggled as if he told a funny joke. "Oh my bad. I guess I put it in the wrong way. Sorry Marco"

Marco slowly peered at her from under the table, making his way back to his chair slowly to make sure to trigger this girls' mood swings. "So...Oskar?"

"OH! Right! Oskar. So I like Oskar. Like a lot...but we can 't date. Not yet anyway."

"Does he even know you two want to be a thing? Because you kinda have to tell the other person you two should date. Just saying" Marco couldn't help but add a subtle layer of sarcasm to his observation

Star nodded "Obviously. The problem is this little rule. You see in Mewni, that's where I'm from by the way, the royal princess cannot date any suitor until the suitor defeats the previous suitors. I know right!" she added noticing Marco's confusion "Anyway, as much as I love Oskar, he's a musician. Not a fighter. I'm scared he'll get seriously hurt."

"Wait. You're princess Butterfly? Of Mewni? The main trading partner of the Terra dimension?" "Yeah, I thought I made that clear." "Crystal" Marco slumped into his chair before shooting up once more "Wait, so where do I fit in?"

"Oh that's easy. You are my new boyfriend."

Marco blinked, unsure he heard her correctly. This pretty, if a little strange, princess wanted to date him? Him? But didn't she just finish saying she loved this Oskar guy. This was spiraling out of control in ways Marco never could've guessed.

"You see" Star began to explain in a soft and vulnerable voice "I've got 7 exes. They're all selfish, greedy jerks. They refuse to let me be happy. My latest ex, Tom, is the their leader and makes the rules that the other six have to follow. If someone could beat Tom, they could disband the stupid group and I can finally get my happy ending. Or at least try to. I'm tired of being so alone...I just want someone to be happy with. Someone who'll take care of me and just wants to be with me...I just..."

Marco could see a tear drop from her eye and Marco could see how alone and lost this girl really was. He was overcome with the sudden urge to beat the shit out of this Tom guy. How dare he do this to someone! It wasn't right and Marco wasn't let this going to happen.

"I know what you mean about wanting your happy ending" Marco told her in a tender voice. Star couldn't help but look deep into his brown eyes. They were a pretty shade.

"So, basically, I pretend to be your boyfriend, beat your evil ex-boyfriends..." "Exes" Star cut in softly "Exes, and disband the group? Am I getting this right?"

Star nodded slowly, suddenly realizing how ridiculous this entire plan sounded. Was she honestly expecting this random guy she just met like 10 minutes ago to agree to pretend to her boyfriend and beat Tom? Marco seemed like a nice guy but he was so much more smaller than Tom, especially when he was in his demon form. This was a bad idea.

"Okay, I'm in" Star blinked, taking a second moment to make sure she heard him right. "Marco, wait, are you sure?"

Marco nodded "But after we're done, you need to help me get my happy ending." As he gave her a small smile, Star could see the traces loneliness and deep sense of self-loathing etched in that smile.

"Okay Marco. Thank you so much! I...I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me!" Star wiped her tears with the back of hand. As Marco pulled out a napkin and handed to Star, she couldn't help but wonder why he was single. He seemed like a nice guy and was willing to put up with her antics just to help her despite the worst first impression ever.

"S-so Star Butterfly, will you be my girlfriend?" Marco said with a shy smile and small red tint on his face.

Star couldn't help it "Are you sure Marco? These guys are tough and they aren't going to play fair...and youjustmetmeandthisissoweirdand..."

Marco grasped her hands tightly, cutting off the runaway train of thought.

"I'm sure Star."

Star's smile was small but some how more endearing than any other Marco has seen in the short time he's known her.

"Yes Marco, I will be your girlfriend"

As Marco smiled at Star, his fake girlfriend he was trying to help hook up with another guy, he briefly wondered if other Marco's ever got into situations' as crazy as this.

'All I have to do is pretend to be her boyfriend, beat up her ex-boyfriends, disband them and have her help me finally ask Jackie out.' Marco thought to himself 'how hard could it be?"


	2. Solar Star (Sol AU)

Thank you to everyone who Favorited, reviewed and followed this story. It makes me happy to see so many of you liking the story. As a huge fan Scott Pilgrim, I just had to write SVTFOE AU of that. Though to be honest, it was originally going to be a one shot, didn't realize so many of you would like it so I'm extending it. It won't be a full story but we'll drop in here and then to check out Starco as Marco fights Star's exes and maybe falls in love with his fake girlfriend.

But for now, we have a new AU. This one is based on Daron Nefey's original idea for Star. In the beginning, Star was a grade school student who was a little too depth with her imagination and took normal situations like the mall or finding her cat and made them into grand adventures with herself playing the role of a magical princess. Nefey actually has comics of this original concept on her website. While I love the show as is, I had to admit the original idea intrigued me alot, so i decided to write about it.

So while Star is a grade school student with a slightly delusional, overactive imagination, Marco was originally named Sol, a boy who loved Dragon Ball Z and took up karate because of it. He also was more enemy than friend to Star.

and here is my version of the original concept. I own nothing and sorry this isn't Scott but I hope you enjoy anyway.

* * *

To say Sol and Star didn't like each other would be an understatement. It would also be highly inaccurate as Star wasn't the one with the problem. Most of the animosity between the two was fueled by Sol. Star was usually unaware and unconcerned with Sol's dislike of her though she accidentally angered him further the few times that she deemed Sol her eternal enemy and the villain to many of her delusions.

If their fellow students were a bit older, they could see the subtle signs that Sol's dislike of the girl was the exact opposite. But 5th grade is hardly the time one can truly scrutinize the secret means of ones behavior.

Most were more concerned with cooties.

So, today began as any other day as the girl too involved with Sailor Moon to be considered healthy and the boy who loved Dragon Ball Z with a religious fervor meeting each other at the school gates.

"Hello Star Butterface" Sol's face tried to sneer but as Star stared intently into his eyes, he could feel his face flushing in response to her unusually high attention on him "W-what is? Your staring is creeping me out"

Star turned her head quizzically as if she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly "I'm sorry evil Emperor Solar but for a moment I thought you were talking to me. Clearly I was mistaken."

Sol scoffed "It's Sol and Spanish Star, you know that. Or you would if ever came back to Earth to check on your body once in a while."

Star's face scowled in disbelief as she marched straight up to Sol, causing his heart to race ever faster. He had just realized she was really good at painting those hearts on her cheeks.

"You can change your name all you want Emperor Solar but I know it's you! You can't trick me! For I am..." With speed far quicker than Sol would've gave her credit for, she pulled out her bright red wand with the crescent moon atop it and began spinning in a dramatic fashion "STAAAAAAAR BUTTERFLY! Princess of Mewni!"

and with a flick of her wrist, she had gently bobbed him on the nose with her plastic wand, not enough to hurt but enough to be annoying.

"Ugh! What is your problem?" Sol snapped at her, causing her to take a step back while slipping into a fighting stance. Sol couldn't stop his eyebrow from rising if he tried "Please Star. You have no idea how to fight while I just got my yellow belt!"

Star's eyes widened in horror "Oh no! You managed to find your solar belt of evil? This will be harder than I thought! But Princess Butterfly always wins against evil!"

Sol rolled his eyes at the girl "Could you at least use other words than evil? Evil Sol, evil solar belt, evil, evil, evil. How about that new word we just learned? Umm" Sol gently placed his finger on his chin, scratching it as his face scrunched in concentration

" **He's pretty cute"** Star thought to herself as her eyes landed on the little mole that existed on only half of his face. Star shook her head as hard as she could **"What are you thinking Star! This is Evil Emperor Solar! It doesn't matter how cute he is! He is the ENEMY!"**

"Doom!" he finally managed to exclaim "Solar belt of doom!"

Star bit her lip before nodded in agreement "While I don't like how you name your own items, that's my job thank you very much, I will agree solar belt of doom sounds much...well...different."

Sol smacked himself "Ugh, you just dragged me into your silly little game." Sol sighed as Star twirled around once more "would you just stop doing that!"

Star stopped just in time to face him "No" she said simply before bopping him once more and breaking into a run "You will never defeat me Solar! This I swear!"

Sol rubbed the temples of his head as hard as he could "Why do I even bother with her?"

"Why do you keep lying to yourself?" a voice called from behind him

As Sol screamed and flailed his arms wildly before settling into the basic fighting stance he just learned before realizing it was just his oldest friends Ferguson and Alfonso

"Gah, you guys shouldn't sneak up on me!" Sol shouted, trying to shake the fear from his face "I could kill you know! I'm a yellow belt now!"

Alfonso muttered an "oh dear" before hiding behind Ferguson. "Alfonso, relax buddy. Sol here can't actually fight until he's a green belt, so we are gooooood."

Sol's lost focused "I can't wait till I'm a green belt. I bet I'm gonna kick so many butts! I bet I could even take out a bear unicorn thing!." Sol sighed contently as he slipped back into his daydream.

"Bear Unicorn? Careful Sol, that sounds like Star talk."

Sol flushed as he gave his friends glare that would've sent a teacher running "It isn't my fault that her weirdness is catchable!"

Ferguson let out a snort "No but it is your fault you like her."

Sol stayed quiet as he pulled his hood over his head and the two could hear him mumbling "I don't like her." before walking towards the school gate.

Before he could get far, however, he was blocked by a large crowd of students. As he opened his mouth to ask people to get out of his way he could hear someone practically in tears.

"Give it back Tom! Please!" Before Sol could help himself, he was roughly shoving kids left and right as he made his way to the front. When he finally reached the front, he couldn't believe what he saw.

There was Star, tears running down her cheeks as she desperately jumped up and down attempting to get her wand from Tom. Tom was a red hair, 6th grade bully that Star called the demon and Sol had to admit that he totally agreed.

Tom was holding Star's wand high above her head, which wasn't too hard since he was at least a head taller than everyone else. "Come on magic girl, use your powers" "But I need my wand!" Tom simply chuckled "So no wand, no powers?" "Yes!" Star cried out. Sol knew that was the wrong to say.

With one fluent motion Tom raised the wand over his head and threw to the floor as hard as he could. Before Star could reach for her precious wand, Tom raised his foot and crushed the wand into shards of useless plastic.

There was a moment of silence as Star stared, wide eyed and tears pooling in her eyes as she stared at her now broken toy. As Tom started laughing as loud as he could, Star growled before punching him in the face. As Tom staggered back, Star lost it and ran off, crying loudly as she tried her hardest not to look back.

"That little..." Tom got to his feet but Sol had already shoved him off his feet once more. "Oi! What's your problem Sol? I just took care of the Star problem, you should be thanking me!"

Sol simply gripped Tom by his shirt and with a dangerous whisper simply said "No one torments Star but me" letting go of his shirt, Sol began chasing after Star.

As Sol made his way to the playground, the sky had shifted from clear blue to a stormy gray. Sol wanted to call out to Star but he also felt very embarrassed of his actions with Tom. He had done all that with entire crowd of kids watching. He was going to hear it for the rest of the day but that was something to worry about later.

As the raining began to quietly and softly pour onto the boy, Sol picked up his pace to find Star. Before he was too discouraged, he spotted her, head tucked between her legs and bobbing up and down, clearly sobbing.

Sol stood there, unsure what to do before deciding to sit next to the girl.

"Go away Sol" her voice was muffled "I don't want to deal with you right now."

"I don't want to deal with you either Star but here we are."

Without warning, Star leapt to her feet and roughly shoved Sol onto the sand. Sol had to admit he was pretty impressed how strong this seemingly fragile girl was. No wonder Tom was in pain.

"You don't have to deal with me Sol!" Star shouted at him "You don't like me so just go! You can make fun of me later but if you do it right now, I will deck you"

Sol was confused, what did deck mean? As Sol got his feet, the rain began to pick up, soaking the children but Sol wasn't too bother by it. He had his red hoodie.

"Look Star I may not like you but what Tom did was stupid" Star looked mortified but Sol couldn't put together why "What Star?"

"You said a bad word" Star murmured softly as if a teacher was going to appear to punish the two.

Sol shook his head "Look Star, it's just a wand. Does it really matter?"

It was amazing how quickly Star shifted from crying to pure anger "Of course it matters! It was gift for my birthday! My mommy gave it to me and mommy doesn't usually give me toys as presents..."

Sol remembered last week when Star brought her wand to school for the first time, replacing that random stick with duct tape she used to carry about. Despite not wishing her a happy birthday, Sol knew it was September 21st the previous monday.

Sol could see how important that wand was to this girl as her anger faded and sorrow began creeping back in. Looking around to ensure no other kid was nearby, Sol sighed as he placed his backpack on the floor. He had bought her something but he was never expecting to actually give to her. It would've been pointless if she had two.

Star was confused as Sol began rummaging through his bag, clearly looking for something. "Sol...what are you..." She hadn't even finished when Sol shoved something into her hand.

"Happy birthday Star" he muttered softly. She looked lost as she stared at Sol then back into her hand then at Sol once more. His face was bright red as he avoided her eyes, sealing his backpack up despite the fact the rain must've ruined his homework.

As she stared at her the object in her hand, turning it over to make sure she was seeing it clearly. "Sol..." he had handed her a purple wand with a bright yellow star in the middle and two white wings on the top "I don't understand."

Sol shrugged "I don't like you but that doesn't mean I don't don't like you."

Star gave him a little smile before clutching the wand close "I guess you're not so bad Sol."

Sol scoffed "It's Emperor Solar to you Princess. And don't think this means anything. No one torments you but me and you are no fun to torment if you don't have a wand."

Star grinned happily "Right Emperor Sol. Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you gave me a new wand."

"Fine, whatever" Sol tried to say with a veil of disinterest but failed.

"Come on Star, class just started and we're getting soaked." Star nodded as she wrapped her arms around herself. A blue dress and leggings may not have been a wise choice for a rainy day.

Sol turned back to see the freezing girl behind him. Biting his lips and rolling his eyes, he took off his hoodie and wrapped it around her "Don't think anything of this. I can't torment you if you get sick" he whispered as he helped Star put on his hoodie.

Star nodded before sliding her arms into the sleeves. As Star made sure the hoodie was on, Sol found himself staring at her face. The rain had washed away her pink hearts but only one had disappeared. On the right side of Star's face was a small heart shaped birth mark, the exact image of her painted on hearts. As Star's bright blue eyes refocused on him, he coughed loudly and told her "I want that back at the end of the day."

Star nodded agreement before the two began to walk back to class.

For most of the trip the pair was silent but just as Sol was about to pull open the door, Star stopped him. At first Sol was expecting a thank you, certainly not in kiss form or anything. Girls had cooties but instead she asked a question.

"What does Sol mean?"

Sol peered at her, unsure of what this had to do with anything "umm...It's Spanish for sun."

Star smiled once again "how fitting" And with a bop from her wand, raced inside the class.

Sol always told Star he didn't like her but from that day on, Star knew what that really meant. And for the next few years, Star waited for him to realize it too. While he did continue to torment her, each passing year it became less hostile and more flirty. Each passing year Star grew more excited. And when, in their freshmen year, Sol shyly asked her to a dance, there was nothing to do but say yes.


	3. The play (Random AU)

Hi there. thank you again for the support and reviews. Depending on how the next week goes, I might actually open this story up for requests. Still in the air but I shall let you know. I do plan do another Sol/Star chapter but not as much as the Scott Pilgrim one.

This one may be a weak chapter but I hope it still brings a grin to your face. I own nothing and enjoy.

* * *

Marco stared nervously at Star. Star's face was unreadable but even with a blank face, Marco couldn't help but be enamored by her. Her blue eyes with a mixture of eagerness and nervousness. Her normally blonde hair was twisted into a long, elegant braid that snaked across her shoulder, a little white bow sitting on one side of her hair. A long, sparkling blue dress that seemed to fit her perfectly. Marco hadn't meant to ruin her big moment on purpose but he would be lying if he said he didn't like this one either.

With a thousand pairs of curious eyes staring intently at the young teens basked in the glow in the spotlight, no one could've predicted this is how the night would've turned out.

Marco gripped Star's waist tightly and brought her in close as Star's gloved hands wrapped around his neck, sending a wave of chills down his spine. Star's face melted into a soft smile, so gentle and loving it made this moment seem impossibly like a dream. But as Star leaned forward just a bit, Marco knew this was really happening. This moment in time forever dreamt but never once thought possible.

Marco Diaz was about to kiss Star Butterfly

 _2 hours earlier._

"Okay places people!" Marco shouted into the headset, glancing over his check list one last time. Muttering himself, Marco felt his body tightening with tension. Today was the annual Echo Creek Academy school play and for the first time in the school's history, it was to be a completely original play.

The play itself was the standard plot. Boy and girl meet, boy and girl go through trying times together and boy and girl fall in love together. Bunch of subplots, some other pairings that are cute. The will they won't they playing on the audience that is clearly stalling for the ship everyone is waiting to set sail. Boom, bang and end of play.

Marco was not in the play. Marco decided early on that he was not an actor and did not think it would be fun to stumble through his lines. So he signed up for stage manger, a role thought best suited his strengths while still giving a little ego boost if the play goes well.

Of course, the play wasn't going to go well. Not because of horrible acting or shoddy props or even inept workers. In fact, if Marco was going to be completely honest, this might be the best play ever performed.

It wasn't going to go well because Star and Oskar were the girl and boy.

Marco should've known Star would've got the lead easy. After all she was easily the coolest girl he has ever known and the most gorgeous with her sky blue eyes that sparkled brighter than the ocean and her long blonde hair that seemed to fit her just right.

What he hadn't expected was Oskar getting the male lead. Oskar seemed look like an okay guy but Marco never really did forgive him for causing Star so much pain. The fact that he was Star's clear choice for affection maaaaaaybe had a hand in his opinion of the Gothic, wannabe vampire.

Marco shook the rage that was slowly building in his body and let out a calming breath. It didn't matter, he was stage manager, he was behind the scenes and probably wouldn't get a good view of anything. Surely this wasn't going to be so hard.

 _1 hour before_

Marco had not count on the fact that he could still _hear_ everything. Star's very real giggling, Oskar laid back yet somehow suave flirting. Marco snapped his clipboard about 45 minutes ago and he was running out of pencils to snap instead of Oskar's back.

"Marco, are you okay?" a voice called from behind him. He turned slowly to find Jackie Lynn Thomas looking at him with concern, prepping her accessories for her scene that was a few minutes away.

"Hey Jackie' Marco gave a nonchalant wave towards his former crush "Everything is fine"

Jackie smirked, knowing that wasn't the real answer to her question "It looks like you're on a great pencil massacre. Oskar?"

Marco turned away from her, turning red in her presence for the first time in a long time. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Oskar's saying his lines perfectly and everything is moving along like it should."

Jackie laughed "I have a feeling that is the problem especially since someone's favorite princess is just eating that up"

Marco opened his mouth just as Star's cheerful laughter echoed loudly throughout the hall. He glanced back to see Oskar holding Star's hand, twirling her as they reached the half way point dance.

"You should tell her" Jackie said softly as Marco's face fell and turned away from the stage.

"I don't know how" Marco admitted "I mean how do you tell someone that you lov...like them?"

Jackie punched his shoulder lightly "You just say the words dummy"

Marco looked unconvinced "I can't just tell Star that I lo...like her. I mean look!" He hesitantly turned back to the dance, the smile on Star's evident that this was probably best night of her life...and there was still the kiss at the end. "She likes Oskar"

Jackie stepped forward, standing next to the boy who once upon a time stared at her with those longingly doe light brown eyes. She knew she had lost him the moment Star Butterfly had entered his world but that was okay. She liked Marco but Star's feelings went much deeper than hers ever could.

"Buuuuut Marco, she loves you" Marco flushed red, gulping nervously as Star caught his eyes and flashed a grin towards him.

"I..." Marco wanted to believe that more than anything else but how could she? Star was a beautiful, fun loving, smart, amazing girl who was adored by everyone. And he...well was an Earth turd.

The band began holding last note of the dance and Marco could feel his stomach churn sickeningly at the sight of Star and Oskar's intertwined hands.

Marco shook his head and began looking at the list to see who was in the next scene. "You're up next Jackie. Now where is Janna..."

"MARCO!" Marco eyes shot up upon hearing Star's panicked cry.

Star was trapped in the grip of Buff Frog's arms, hands pinned as her legs flailed uselessly. Star had left her wand in her locker since there was no need for it during the play.

Marco sprung into action, leaping at Buff Frog. As Buff Frog tumbled backwards, Marco's fist smashing into him, Star rolled to her feet narrowly dodging Bearicorn's lunge.

Buff Frog normally had no problem fighting off the little karate boy but tonight he was fighting like a wild animal. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop the boy's seemingly limitless energy and his attacks felt like hot irons. Maybe this wasn't the right time to attack.

Star pulled out a loose iron rod from the set. Bearicorn came at her with his horn, narrowly skewering her with it. As Bearicorn came around, Star caught his horn. "En garde!" she shouted as she began sword fighting a bear unicorn with an iron rod.

Buff Frog couldn't stand much more Marco's attack but then he saw out of the corner of his eye a smaller, much weaker looking human attempting to sneak away. Knowing Star and Marco, they couldn't help but try to save anyone in danger. Marco pulled back to strike Buff Frog once more when he dropped onto floor and leapt high over Marco's attack. "Huh, I guess he is a part frog"

Buff Frog landed in front of Oskar stopping the boy in his tracks. Oskar couldn't stop the trembling of his body, muttering "umm...s'up?" Buff Frog grinned evilly as he reached for Oskar's throat. Oskar closed his eyes, hoping it would be over quickly. To his surprise, no throat choking came. Oskar peered upwards to find Buff Frog lifting Marco into the air, Marco urgently clutching at Buff Frog's hands but unable to break from his grip.

"Hey let him go buddy!" Oskar shouted, rushing towards the towering minion, punching Buff Frog. A valiant effort but Oskar was no Marco. Buff Frog simply chuckled, Oskar's attacks were having no effect and he could feel Marco's strength weakening each passing second. It was just a matter of time before Marco was defeated.

"NO ONE TOUCHES MY MARCO!" Buff Frog barely had time to react to the outburst when Star climbed onto his back and began pounding his head viciously. Marco slipped out of Buff Frog's grasp, wildly gasping for air. Buff Frog fell under Star's assault and as Star stood over him, flaming skulls on her cheeks and a killing instinct gleaming her air, he raised his hands in defeat.

"Where's Ludo?" "No Ludo, we wanted to impress him." Star growled "I swear if you two don't leave now, I'll will shove acid cupcakes down your throats" Buff Frog nodded fearfully, Bearicorn crawling towards him. Buff Frog and Bearicorn decided it might be time for a vacation.

Star didn't take her eyes off of the pair of monsters until they were engulfed by the portal. Star turned to Marco only to find Jackie and Janna tending to him, gently holding his shoulders. Star felt a twinge of jealous upon remembering how popular Marco was among the female population. Even Brittany Wong seemed at least a little interested in her Marco.

Star's pout switched to surprise as Marco's eyes caught hers and he raced forward to embrace her. Marco hugged her tightly and without warning, lifted her high into the sky, the warmth of knowing she was safe making smile brightly.

Marco put Star back down to the ground but Star refused to let the moment end so soon, She surged forward, warping her arms around her best friend while resisting the urge to sob in happiness. Seeing Buff Frog slowly choke the life out of Marco awaken a primal fear in Star. In that moment, she was terrified she was going to lose him and the thought alone made her realize what she had to do next.

Eventually, with some apologizes and a small break, the play went on without a hitch but there was a change in plan that the stage manager was unaware.

 _10 minutes ago_

Marco was utterly confused when Janna, Jackie and half of the entire cast shoved him into the costume room. "Umm...guys?" there was at least 12 dozen pairs of eyes staring at him eagerly like they were expecting to d a trick "I have a show to run...soooo."

The crowd refused to budge when Marco attempted to shove past them. "Guys, really. Miss Nefcy is going to be really angry if this play goes south after such a good performance."

"Actually Marco" Miss Nefcy called somewhere from behind the crowd "One of the props on stage isn't properly prepared for the final scene. So you'll be an extra for the final scene. Dress nice!"

Marco sighed. Now he was going to be forced to watch the one scene he was trying his hardest to avoid. He didn't know if he could watch Star kiss Oskar but damnit he'll try because she deserves to be happy.

Marco began shifting through the various left over costumes. Marco could hear the shuffling of the crowd disappearing and for a fleeting moment, Marco was tempted to run for it. Just run and head home where he did not not have to watch Star kiss someone else.

Marco let out a sigh and turned around to find Janna, Jackie and a sizable amount of girls just staring at him with a deep focus. "Umm...girls...I need to change so could you...": As one the girls flushed a bright red and rushed out of the room. "Okay that was weird" Marco muttered, searching for a decent costume.

"So I'm sorry Oskar but..." Oskar held out his hand, stopping Star for continuing on. "It's cool." Star nodded and hugged him, thanking him for understanding.

Jackie mentioned Star over and Star couldn't help but excitedly skip over to her. "He's all ready" Jackie told Star as she tabbed Marco's headset to enough it was working in good order "Right now the scene is being set up. Just give the crew a few minutes and we'll send Marco first."

Star bounced happily before the reality of the situation began setting in. What if he didn't like her? What if he becomes too embarrassed and stops being friends with her? What if he leaves her?

Star began trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't do this. She couldn't risk this. She couldn't lose Marco. It was just too much.

Star felt a hand gently squeezed her shoulder and found Jackie smiling knowingly. "He loves you. You know he does."

Star didn't know that which is the problem. She didn't know anything. Star was ungraceful, too silly, crazy and in general too much for people to handle. Marco couldn't love her. It was impossible.

But, Star thought to herself as glanced towards the stage, she wanted to find out. She couldn't keep this in anymore. She didn't want too! She needed to take chance or she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Jackie tapped Star and motioned for her to step onto the stage.

Star took a deep breath and stepped out onto the darken stage.

Even shrouded in darkness, the set was incredibly beautiful. The scene took place on a balcony. The backdrop was filled with dozens of stars and cloudy sky. The crescent moon hung over high in the sky. If Star hadn't seen it, she would've guessed it was some kind of window to the outside world.

Star walked quietly onto the stage in hopes that the nervously shuffling silhouette of Marco wouldn't notice her. Not yet anyway. She was still trying to calm her racing her heart. Star could not not believe what she was about to do.

Without warning, the lights flooded the stage startling the two teens. Marco whirled around catching Star off guard. Her eyes widen as she took in the sight of him.

His black hair was well combed and gelled. His vest was the exact same shade his eyes. His suit made him seem bigger than he was and Star couldn't help but wonder if she was seeing the future. She couldn't contain the giggle upon seeing a bowtie wrapped around his collar. It was so cute.

"Star?" Marco's voice sent a chill down her spine and a warm flush to her face "I'm confused. What's going on?" Star slowly approached him, arms shyly behind her back. Star was 100% sure Marco could hear the hammering of heart. Maybe even the yearning for him. Well it was too late now. Miss Nefcy was willing to sacrifice the ending to the play she worked so hard to help Star out.

Star stood across from Marco, the thousands pairs of eyes watching the two teens completely forgotten. Marco was unsure what to do so Star decided to nudge him in the right direction.

"Marco" Star muttered softly, inching closer and closer to her best friend "I wanted to thank you...for saving me. For always saving me." Marco shook his head "Then I should be thanking you too! You saved me more times than I ever saved you." Star smiled. He walked right into it. "Then show me Marco. How would you thank me?"

Marco stammered, twiddling his thumbs as the red tint on his face was without a doubt the cutest thing Star had ever seen. And, without warning, Marco placed his hands on her waist, drawing her closer giving which gave her the perfect excuse to wrap her arms around his neck.

" **Here we go"** Star thought, leaning in just a bit to send Marco a clear message: If you have anything you want to do, do it now.

Marco paused only for a moment. As Star looked at him with those pleading eyes, he couldn't hold back anymore.

Marco cupped Star's cheek gently and because he couldn't stand not knowing anymore, softly pressed his lips against hers. Star let out a squeal of delight before deepening the kiss. Marco hooked his free arm around Star's waist and dipped her as Star ran her hands through his hair, giggling as the two refused to stop this moment for anything.

And, when finally forced to, Star and Marco pressed their foreheads together, staring deeply and utterly lost as the crowd roared around them, they hadn't noticed anything but what the other had just said

"I love you"


	4. Too much sweets is unhealthy for you

Hello and welcome! Another thanks for all you people out there reading these stories. I really appreciate the encouragement and critiques you give. to answerH H Mae yes Marco's hair is indeed brown. I use various images and the wiki site to double check to ensure I am writing as accurately as possible but I was up late last night trying to finish the story because darn it it was 90% done and i totally forgot to check. That being said, since this is an AU story, Marco's hair was black in that universe :p

Now a fun fact about this story. This story was actually written before the play story. However, I was not feeling it at the time and began work on the play story as a way to reboot my systems. So if you are wondering how i have another story up so quickly, i actually have 4 half finished stories that i bounce around, making notes and changes until it feels like something worth posting.

Now about this story. I won't tell you the AU but i instead challenge to figure what is going before the big reveal. I'm curious to see how long it takes to figure this one out and i urge you not to ruin the surprise in the reviews. This is my crowning jewel so far and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Now an author's warning, if the last chapter was too sweet for you, do not read this one. This is infinitely more sweet than the last. This is mind numbing, aww cooing, my god i want this to be canon sweet. Even I'm tempting to email the creator and be like MAKE THIS THE ENDING

Now an author's note. At the end of the chapter, if you need some help and are too lazy to open another tab, I will translate the few Spanish words floating around in this giant mess of sweetness. I own nothing and enjoy the story!

* * *

As the day shifted into night, the outside world becoming colder, there was a sense of peace and tranquility that fell upon the Diaz household. The four members well tucked into their nightly dreams and fictional escapades that it seems hardly worth mentioning that the one of them was about to be awoken from a horrible nightmare.

The youngest female of the house cried out without a sound, waking up to a cold sweat and slithering shadows dancing outside her Mewnai style bed room. She took a moment to catch her breath and a moment more to stop her racing heart. "It was a bad dream" she told herself as she glanced towards the vast, imposing world that was Earth outside her window "Just a dream."

She chanted the words as if they would somehow become true, laying back down in hopes that sleep would soon follow. It hadn't for at the moment a large, monstrous figure darted by window startling the girl once more.

With a tumble and thud, she had fallen to the floor, blowing away a hair that had fallen loose from atop her head. She huffed angrily at her ungraceful exit from bed. She had never been graceful or proper, more whimsical and silly like her mother rather than like serious and elegant her grandmother, a fact she was incredibly proud of.

Still it was clear she was never going to get to sleep and Marco had such a long day at school, it seemed unfair to wake him at this hour though it would make them even for the time he had woken her with a Super Soaker to the face.

She stood there, pondering the solution to her problem before realizing the answer was simple.

She snuck out of her room quietly as not to wake Marco despite the sudden urge to do so just to annoy him. She felt drafty in her long blue sleep gown and stripped socks but it wasn't as cold as she perceived: It was just the switch from her warm comfy bed to the outside hall air.

She stood outside their bedroom door, their little cute handmade sign scrawled out "The Diaz's" with a happy and unnecessary flourish. She sighed blissfully. One day she hoped to find someone who loved her as much as the two people sleeping peacefully within did with each other.

She felt a little guilty upon noticing the lateness of the hour but she knew they would understand. They loved her and Marco so much, they would do anything for them. Of course that didn't mean they had to but they would.

She opened the door carefully and as quietly as she could, the loud snores that had been completely blocked by a simple wooden door though which of the two was causing the noise was a mystery.

She tried to sneak quietly through the room but she hadn't noticed where she was stepping and tripped over a mallet or something. She stumbled forward, letting out a hush cry of surprise that turned to a sigh of relief upon realizing she was not about to kiss the floor.

However, one of the bundled figures began stirring which caused the other to stir awake as well.

"Posa?" a husky, dried voice called to her. She nods despite the fact they can't see her "Y-yea" She mutters so quietly it was like she said nothing at all.

But they heard, they always did and the couple stumbles across their various items on their respective sides of the bed to flick on the lamps on to get a better look of the girl.

As the lights brighten the room and she notices their weary bodies began to shake off the drowsiness of their lost sleep, she could feel the guilt gnawing at her again. But when they both appear wide eyed, smiling brightly at her with no malice in their eyes, she can help but smile at how amazing they were.

"I had a bad dream" she admitted after a moment, hoping they they wouldn't make fun of her for it. At her age, bad dreams? Embarrassing, more so if Marco ever found out.

Mr. Diaz rose from the bed, his brown hair a wild mess as he walked over to the young girl and dropped down to eye level, his brown eyes warm with compassion and love.

"Don't worry Posa. Your mother and I are right here" he turned back to his wife only to find her kneeling down next to him, her long blonde just as messy as his and her bright blue eyes shining lovingly at the two people sharing this room "Isn't that right Star?"

"That's right Marco." Star smiled as she gently played with her daughter's hair with one hand and gripped her husband's hand with the other "We're right here."

10 year old Nova Melodía Diaz was the near perfect mirror image of her mother. Fair skinned, large expressive eyes and the cutest little devil headband that once belonged to Star graced her long dirty blonde hair Her eyes were the same shade as her father's though her irises were heart shaped and while there was no pink hearts were upon her adorable little cheeks, two blue spades instead. Still cute though.

"I'm sorry dad, mom. I just got scared." Marco chuckled softly as he wrapped his large frame around his daughter, gently stroking her hair in attempt to calm her down.

The 29 year old Marco was now a successful and well respected lawyer at his best friends firm Ferg and Al's Allies of Justice, successfully defending those who could not do so themselves. Often he would refuse payment for his work, instead asking for them to pass on the kindness he had shown to his clients to others though he was far from a poor man as he had successfully created the Earth's version of dimension scissors the dimension hot rod and was savvy business man.

Star quickly joined in, squealing loudly "Hugs!" and ever the mistress of the art of the hug, she embraced her husband as tight as she could while granting her daughter immunity with a simple squeeze.

28 year old Star (Whose birthday was just few days away) had gone on to become the Queen of Mewni. While she did not physically live in Mewni anymore, she visited everyday and worked together with her father and mother to run the kingdom. While the king's relationship with Star remained as loving and fun as ever, her motherly issues had long since become extinct. Her mother admitted she was only hard on Star because she wanted the best for her and apologized endlessly. Star, having matured (but not grown up) realized her mother never meant any harm and promptly forgave her. The bond between daughter and mother was so strong that Star called her mother everyday just to talk whenever the day's events prevented them from speaking freely.

"Remember Posa" Marco told his daughter "never be afraid to come to us for whenever you need us"

"Except when your father's singing" Star giggled "Then run quickly"

Nova felt her father's grip slackening as he turned to his with an evil gleam in his eye. Nova untangled herself from her parents loving grasp as Marco rushed towards Stars, loudly singing a Spanish song she had no way of understanding at the top of his lungs as he lifted her off the ground, twirling her around as if they were dancing.

Star flushed a bright red and began giggling like a teenage school girl. She begged for Marco to put her down but her pleas only encouraged him to sing even louder and loving.

Nova smiled at her parents child like antics and was immensely proud to be their daughter.

"Whazz going on?" a small voice called from the doorway.

The trio turned back to see the sleepy fourth member of the family glaring grouchily at the others.

8 year old Marco Sol Diaz Junior was as much Marco as his sister was Star. He had his father's light brown hair but a strain of his mother's hair color still snaked across his bangs. His mole rested on the left side of his face, just above one of the two blue clover birthmarks on his cheeks. His dark blue eyes seemed vastly annoyed at his family but they knew it was waking up to find there were having happy family fun time without him.

Marco pecked Star's nose gently before placing her back on solid ground, the red flush not quite disappearing from her face.

"I wake up to find giggling, singing and parents being silly at 2 a.m. In the morning!" Marco Jr shouted "AND NO ONE WOKE ME UP!"

Marco chuckled at his son's pouting face "Your sister had a bad dream was all"

"Shh! DAD!" Nova cried out loud but Marco Jr. had already heard everything he needed to hear.

"Psst, a nightmare? Come on Nova grow up! Mom and dad are like the best fighters in the world. Nothing is going to happen to us"

"It isn't that! I just..."

"did your stuff teddy bear get ripped up?"

"No! I..."

"It wasn't about the time we went to the Forest of Certain Death, was it?"

"Ugh, you are so dead!" Nova shouted as she lunged directly at her brother.

Marco and Star just laughed, hands intertwined as their children chased each other around the intent to kill not really being an issue.

Star nudged Marco who pouted quietly towards her. She glanced at her children, Nova attempting to pull Star's magic wand from its hiding place and shook her head. Marco sighed in an overly dramatic fashion as he disentangled himself from her, already missing her soft hands in his.

"Okay kids, no killing each other. Tomorrow we're having lunch with the grandparents and I suspect all four of them are expecting their grandchildren be there and well, alive."

Nova promptly dropped her brother to the floor, glaring daggers at him while she sat cross-legged and facing her parents. Marco Jr. followed the suit.

Marco was about to tell them to go to back when he noticed their bright, active eyes tracing his every movement. There was no way they were going to go to sleep now.

Star noticed this as well and as she took a seat on the bed, Marco quickly following after, she leaned forward at her children and muttered softly "How about we listen to a story instead?"

The cheer from the two little ones was all she needed to hear. They scooted eagerly forward to catch every word of their parents story telling. They spoke in such detail and fondness it was almost as if they had actually been there, living out these amazing tales of love, adventure and danger.

Star began with her favorite line ever "Far, far away, in a magical land called Mewni, lived a princess. Star Butterfly."

Hours passed and between the thrilling stories and their parents seemingly endless energy, the children soon succumbed to blissful sleep. As Star and Marco laid on their bed, their child in between them wrapped in their loving embrace, they couldn't help but share a smile.

"Night Sol, night Posa" Marco murmured as he gently kissed the tops of their heads. Star quickly did the same but before either of them could fall asleep, Posa had one last thing on her mind.

"Daddy?" Nova sleepily called out to him.

"Yes Posa?"

"What _does_ Posa mean?"

It was Marco's turn to flush as Star gave him a smirking, sly grin "Yeah Marco, why don't you tell her what Posa means?"

Nova stood up a little straighter in bed. She knew that tone. It meant the daddy was in trouble tone and frankly, she was a little terrified what it meant in this case. Had daddy been making fun of her?

"Well" Marco began nervously, catching Star's knowing eye and grin "Posa is short for mariposa."

Nova nodded in understanding before confusion crashed over her like a wave "And what does mariposa mean?"

"It means butterfly" Star cut in, pressing her lips against her daughter's forehead "Your father used to call me that all the time. He used it as a term of endearment but never told me what he was saying. When I finally found out, he was so embarrassed I thought he was going to pass out on me. He still gets red about it, don't you Marco?"

Marco nervously chuckled but Nova had already nodded in agreement before slipping off into sleep once more.

Marco and Star smiled brightly at their children, at the their home and each other before saying together "I am the luckiest person ever"

As Marco gently kissed Star, the rush of love and affection still as strong as it had been all those years ago and beating loudly in their hearts, Star heard him whisper in her ear as he drew his family into his arms "Good night my estrella mariposa"

* * *

Melodía means melody

Sol means sun though if you read chapter 2 you would know that

Estrella means Star

and Mariposa is butterfly.


	5. Starco Academy (Gotham AU)

Hello everyone. Happy late fourth of July! Hope you all had fun. I'm not sure if I'll be writing a fourth of july Au but we shall see. Thank you for all the reviews, especially H. Mae I'm very glad you all liked it. The other story is still being written. I went out of town for the fourth so i did not get a chance to write anything before i left.

This AU is based off the comic Gotham Academy. It takes place in the batman universe but instead of taking place in the city, it takes place in a private school and deals with the students reactions and lives living in Gotham. More Harry Potter than Batman, it is still a great story and idea. It follows a girl name Olive who is the daughter of a supervillian Batman thwarted. She is able to go to the school on the Bruce Wayne scholarship and despite its school background, it is clear even the school is not immune to the mystery and insanity that is Gotham. What i love most is that it is clear quite a few staff members are clearly aware of some of the supernatural side of the school. Most of the mysteries are grounded in comic reality but one in a while, there is one that just isn't explained and the students aren't aware of. I highly recommend this if you love all things batman or maybe want a less brooding, more whimsical batman story. Don't let the cover fool you, it is good though you might want to wait for the collection volume. the older issues copies are hard to find and pricey.

As always thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows, I own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

"Leave my loneliness unbroken! quit the bust above my door!  
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'  
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'"

Star couldn't help but being bored despite her love for all things Edgar Allan Poe. Miss Lockheart was a good person but she was quite literally boring whenever reenacting any classical English literature. There was no tension, no quiet brooding voices. Just reading through it with none of the fun.

Star let our a dramatic sigh as she kept drawing her star spider butterfly creature.

As she began putting the finishing touches on the drawing she had spent the entire class drawing, a hair fell loose and dangled just in front of her eyes causing an unwanted distraction. She blew the strain out of her face, she couldn't help but follow the loose hair upward until a much more wanted distraction caught her eye.

Echo Creek was a massive metropolis that seemed impossibly huge and had unusually strange relationship with crime. While there was a good chunk of crime, it usually boiled down to several strange and powerful humans battling the superhero that defended the town, the Echo.

Of course Star wouldn't know anything about that. Echo Creek Academy was far away from the city, a privatized school across the river where only the best of the best (or the richest) kids came to get a great education. This naturally meant all sense of individuality was squashed and swept under the blue blazer, red tie and a black skirt/pants uniforms with those shiny loafers that were way too much shiny for Star's taste.

Most of the staff couldn't care less about what the students wore but Principal Skeeves was adamant about order which forced the teachers to punish those rare sparks of humanity who dared to stand out. Star defied them with a little butterfly pin she had hidden under her tie but even Star Butterfly did not have the courage to openly fight the stuffy system. Only one person could get away with such an act.

Her eyes landed on one Marco Diaz whose bright red hoodie jacket was wrapped over his uniform, a bright red lighthouse in a sea of blue.

Star was fascinated by the new student. Marco had arrived a few months prior under a wave of rumors and secrets. No matter who Star asked, each person had a different excuse why Marco had joined 2 months into the semester.

One stated the school had made a rare mistake and he was simply late to the party. Another had claimed Marco had to battle royale his way into the school and they had no planned on the competition to run so long. One had go as far as to claim that Marco was the child of a supervillian and had faced a long court case to be legally allowed to enter the school.

Whatever the case, Star couldn't help but keep tabs on Marco. He was a quiet, not in the shy way but just not talkative. He kept to himself but found friends among the outcasts and most importantly, he was the roommate of Oskar.

Star smiled brightly as the miss Lockheart called upon Marco who easily answered a rather complex question about the representation of raven.

Marco was also absolutely brilliant. Perfect grades that he seemed to get with such little effort. These grades were the only way Marco was able to keep his red hoodie, a piece of clothing he seemed oddly attached to. One day Principal Skeeves had called the young man into his office to talk about this little quirk he refused to surrender. An hour had passed and to everyone's surprise, Marco was still wearing his beloved jacket as he made his way back to his dorm room.

Everyone tried to get Marco to reveal how exactly he had forced Skeeves to let him express his individuality. Marco always replied "I just did" Before walking off to his little hide out in a little niche in the library.

Star hadn't approached Marco yet. His status of new kid made him a popular subject right away. Add in the fact his strange arrival and his obsession with his jacket, he was probably deeply annoyed by the constant questions that he clearly did not want to answer.

Recently, however, the novelty of Marco's existence finally sunk into the population of the students daily life and he was finally able to slink into obscurity. Now was Star's chance.

As the bell rang, mentally freeing the students (If not physically) from the school, Star took a deep calming breath, reminding herself not to come on too strong in case Marco was shyer than he let on.

Star bounced her way Marco's desk, waiting patiently while Marco quietly put his stuff away. Star was surprised when Marco faced her, not a single trace of surprise evident in his face.

"Hello Miss Butterfly, how may I help you?" Marco said in a polite but still friendly tone.

If Star was surprised before, she was absolutely gobsmacked now. That was the most amount of words she had ever heard come out of his lips that wasn't related to a school question and he even knew her name. She was hardly called on in class and she waited to talk to him.

"umm...hi Marco! Just call me Star btw" she cringed internally despite the smile on her face. Star was so worried about closing off Marco that she hadn't expected to be thrown off herself. Star wondered for a moment how to approach him and decided the direct approach would work best.

"So Marco, would you like to hang out? You're new here and I figured I could show you some cool spots I know"

Marco peered at her quizzically and Star realized how stupid that sounded. He had been here for a whole 2 months. Everyone dropped every secret in effort to leech off his coolness. He must've known about all the spots, all the really pretty flowers and sunset views.

Marco shook his head "Sorry Star. I'm afraid I have something to do today." Star's face fell. She was so energetic that many people just couldn't keep up and often turned her down despite her best intentions. "But maybe tomorrow we can do something."

Star couldn't believe her ears. Not only had Marco agreed to hang out with her, he agreed to hang out with her willingly! Marco gave her a small smile that she had never seen before and Star felt her heart beat a bit faster.

Then he turned to leave and suddenly tomorrow seemed too far away. As he began inching away from her, Star quickly shoved her stuff into her backpack and chased after him.

"Are you hungry Marco? We can go get something to eat at the food court"

"Thank you but I'm afraid I'll have to pass"

"Umm how about the game room? I can kick your butt at pool!"

"I don't doubt that but I'm afraid I really can't."

"Did you want to go monster hunting tonight!?" The words echoed all around her, causing her to cover her mouth with her hands. Star was also suddenly was aware that she was the in middle of the grand hall and there were countless eyes staring directly at the pair but that wasn't why she was suddenly so nervous.

She had promised the girls that she wasn't going to mention anything to anyone about their secret night time hobbies but she was so determined to hang out with Marco it just came tumbling out.

And apparently it worked as Marco peered closely at her, his eyes questioning.

"Monster hunting?" He asked cautiously.

Star nodded shyly, shifting uncomfortably under Marco's intense gaze "My friends and I heard a rumor about some kind of bat creature thing that can be seen at the old clocktower the first Friday of every month. So I was thinking..."

"Don't" Marco cut her off, his eyes serious and full of concern "Don't go. Stay away from the clocktower"

Star opened her mouth to question him when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see Jackie and Janna making their way towards her which was the last thing she wanted. She turned to finish up the warning only to find Marco nowhere in sight.

Star couldn't stop the "Huh" from escaping her lips as the girls caught up.

"Hey Star, whatcha doing?" Janna asked

"Umm...I was talking to someone" Star muttered quietly, her eyes still scanning for Marco but unable to spot his red jacket in the sea of blue.

"Okay, cool. Anyway we're going to go over the plan for tonight, come on!" Jackie whispered, pulling Star's sleeve to lead her to their dorm room.

For a moment Star wanted to cancel the adventure. Marco's warning seemed dire and serious, so much that Star felt like heed his warning was the right choice. But as Star stared into her friends eager eyes, she knew she couldn't cancel it. Nothing ever happened in this school. It was just a little time killer, a search that wouldn't actually find anything. Would could possibly go wrong?

"Many things" Star muttered to herself upon seeing the actual condition of the clocktower.

It was midnight and the clocktower stretched high above Star's sight. It was old, having been on the island far longer than anything. The color of the wood that the clocktower was composed of had long since faded away and in some places, cracked under the weight of age and weather. Each passing wind made the tower creak in a harsh groan and Star could swear she could see the tower sway back and forth in the wind ever so slightly.

Jackie and Janna paid no attention to any of this and happily made their way inside, ignoring the caution tape as they pushed open the anicent door.

Star was tempted to just leave before the tower just decided to collapse on them or worse, a prefect caught them out at night wearing a beanie, a shell necklace and Star's own devil horn headband.

But the excited gasps of the girls drew Star in and her thirst for adventure was unquenchable.

"It's a big island" Star reasoned "And this is far from any school building. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Star entered the tower, years of decay wafting through the air and assaulting her nose. Despite the pitch darkness outside, the moon's rays shone through the various cracks and holes in the building, giving Star enough light to avoid tripping over the scattered debris and dust.

No one had been in here for years, clear by the two sets of footprints freshly made by the girls ahead of her that were surrounded by dust. Star glanced around, waiting for the quiet sounds of gears grinding against each other but all she heard was giggling of Jackie and Janna echoing far above her.

Star began climbing the spiral staircase, careful to avoid the occasional hole caused by a broken step. "This a real work out" Star told herself as she climbed higher and higher, the wear and tear of the building becoming more visibly prominent the more she gained on her friends.

Star reached a door left ajar. She was a little worried that the constant stream of laughter her friends had been supplying was suddenly cut off. Star knew Janna was a big wuss, so if something happened, she would have been screaming her head off.

Still, something wasn't right here but Star couldn't figure it out. This whole tower was giving off a very strange vibe but even if she wanted to leave, Star couldn't leave with her two friends.

She entered the room with a held breath but released it with a sigh when she spotted the girls in the middle of what appeared to be a living quarters, cell phones drawn and bathing the room in a dim light. Star wanted to know who in their right mind would live in a clocktower but that was a question best asked back in the dorm room.

"Hey girls, I think it's time we head back. It is getting..." Star's eyes took in the sight of large, claw like marks that had been craved into the walls. Not just the walls Star realized but the entire room. The bed had been torn to shreds, claw marks graced every inch of the room, even the ceiling. An iron pot had been viciously chewed on. And this room seemed like someone had been in here, recently as there was no trace of dust anywhere.

Star wanted to cry out to them to get the hell out but before a single murmur could let out, she heard a sound. A sound she knew the others had heard too.

It was a deep growl, filled with the sounds of mouth full of saliva and the grinding of sharp, menacing fangs against one another. She could fear the peeling of wood as claws scrapped it off from where ever it was embedded in.

A thud echoed behind them, shaking the tower subtly and causing the wood to groan. The girls glanced at each other and came to the silent agreement to all look at once. They turned slowly, eyes on the ground in hopes that perhaps it was just their imaginations at work. But as their saw a thick, muscular pair of legs with webbed feet and razor sharp claws piercing the wooden floor, they knew it to be real.

Star was the first to take in the full sight of this creature. Despite the sounds it was making, it was only a head higher than the girls. That still didn't stop the scary look of said creature.

Its skin was a light brown color, oddly muscular. While it was no bigger than the average teenage boy, it was not human. It had two bat-like wings with claws. Its face was some sort of hybrid of man and wolf with two large pointed ears atop its head. It twisted its head curiously at the girls before bearing its fangs threateningly.

Star couldn't breath. Star couldn't think. Star briefly wondered if she was going to do as the creature took a step closer to her.

The creature was just a few inches away, fangs still bared and its brown eyes staring directly at her, hunger in its irises. Star had said only one word, a prayer more than an actual belief "Help"

Suddenly, a bright light flooded into the room along with a pair of screaming voices. The bat whirled around, its wing knocking the girls off their feet as it snarled at the interlopers. Whoever it was had no fear because they just ran straight at the beast with a bright light. The creature reared backwards before launching into the air, crashing through the ceiling and climbing higher into the clocktower.

Star tried to get her bearings as her saviors began helping Jackie and Janna to their feet. A hand appeared before Star and she grabbed it and tightly held on to it, incredibly happy to still be in one peace. AS Star dusted off herself and checked to make sure she was already, she caught the sight of a red piece of clothing out of the corner of her eye.

She looked up and found herself staring right into Marco's eyes. His scowl told her he wasn't happy with her but she couldn't care as she embraced him in a tight hug. She could feel him tense under her touch and his voice came out a little shaky "S-Star? You can let go." Star refused and instead hugged him tighter.

"We got to go now" A second, younger voice called the group. Star finally let go and turned to her second savior, one she was surprised at. Dipper Pines was about 2 years younger than Star. While she knew nothing about him aside that his great uncle worked at the school, his fanatic obsession with the paranormal (One that only increased upon finding a red book with a hand on it) and that his twin sister Mabel was a kindred spirit to Star, she was surprised that he was helping Marco.

Marco nodded grimly "We'll just hope he decides to stay inside the tower for now. We can fix up the damage later."

Dipper nodded but the girls couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"What a minute dude" Jackie cut in "You knew about this creature and you decided not tell anyone!"

"We could've died Marco!" Janna cried out to him while simultaneously getting closer. Marco took a step back, remembering when Janna had taken his dorm keys out of his pocket.

"That doesn't matter right now!" Marco shouted, stunning everyone "We need to go now before he decides to come back!"

A thud echoed just beyond the ceiling. Star could hear it cracking under the weight of the creature as it began to pace back and forth.

"Now, very quietly" Dipper whispered, motioning to everyone.

Star crept through the room as quietly as she could but her foot landed on a piece of wood too far gone to support her weight. The floor cracked under her weight and she found herself screaming, falling towards the endless darkness below.

The creature howled angrily as it crashed through the ceiling, blindly lunging at the group. Star opened her eyes to find herself hovering in place, swinging back and forth. She glimpsed upwards to find Marco holding tightly to her arm.

"Don't worry Star I got you!" Star couldn't help but smile. Then the creature reminded them of its existence.

It let out a loud shriek that rocked the tower violent before lunging straight towards Marco. Marco glared at the beast but there was nothing he could do to defend himself.

Dipper rushed towards the best, electricity sparking from a taser he held in his hand. The creature reared back in pain before swiping at the boy. Dipper let out a yell and ducked under the attack, just in time for Jackie and Janna to toss a crate directly into the creatures face. The creaute snarled once more before swiping the second projectile from the air.

"Oh man, that's not fair! Yours hit it" "Move Janna!"

The creaure swiped wildly at Dipper and the girls, backing them into a corner before looking eyes upon Marco who was desperately trying to lift Star, something he could've done if he had more time but time was about to run out.

The creature broke into a run, far too quickly for anyone to stop it. Star was so angry at being useless. She could fight off anyone stupid enough to attack her but here she was hanging like some useless bait.

An idea formed in her head and she called out to Marco "SWING ME!" Marco looked at her, confusion all over his face but she just beamed back at him, hoping he would trust her.

Marco wasn't sure what Star had in mind but the creature was getting closer and he had no other plan. So with all his strength Marco rocked Star back and forth, building momentum as the creature inched closer and closer.

"Now right at the thing!" Star shouted.

Marco nodded in agreement and with one last might swing, launched Star towards the creature. Star's foot connected with the beast's snout, knocking it back as Star landed safely on the ground. The creature flailed wildly before Dipper jabbed it with his taser one last time. The creature snarled weakly before succumbing to the attack.

The group took a deep breath. The beast groaned in its sleep but seemed a lot less beastly each moment passed. The group watched in quite awe as the beast changed into a face Star was very familiar.

"Oskar" Star muttered while the boy's groaned in pain.

"Oskar...is a bat?" Jackie muttered, disbelieving the sight before.

"Not really. He was cursed by someone" Dipper explained "he came to me a few months ago begging that I help him. I tried everything I could to stop him but no matter what he kept escaping."

"That's when Dipper came to me and asked me for help" Marco went on "I figured if we locked him in the clock tower, we could lock the door and he would have enough space to fly so he wouldn't get wild trying to escape from a cramped space."

"So this is why you told me not to come in here?" Star muttered outloud.

Jackie and Janna glared at their roommate but they also couldn't be too angry about this new piece of info. No doubt they would've just shrugged off Star's warning.

Marco nodded "We're close to a cure but we still are missing the identity of the witch that cursed him."

Star peered questioningly at Marco "Witch?"

Dipper took over for Marco "For this curse to keep activating, my book says a witch has to be nearby. Her presence triggers the curse. So she has to be on the island."

"What if it is a dude and not a girl?" Janna asked haughtily "why does it have to be a witch and not like a warlock?"

"Because males can't be warlocks. Guys don't have the magic gene in them."

Jackie and Janna opened their mouth for more questions but Marco rose his hand "I know you are all curious, but I remind you it is 2 in the morning and we still need to sneak back into the dorms with Mr. sunshine down here."

Oskar let out another groan in case anyone had forgotten about him.

Quietly nodding, the group traveled as one down the stairs while Marco was in charge of carrying Oskar back to their room.

Star felt like she wanted to say a million things but nothing seemed enough. Marco did just save her life and while she returned the favor, she didn't feel like she did much.

"You don't have to apologize" Marco spoke up "You had no idea and I was being vague."

"Still" Star admitted "I should've listened to you. I"m sorry for causing you so much trouble."

Marco stared at her before shrugging his shoulders "No trouble Star, Thanks for the save"

Star rose her eyebrow, confused at his thanks "I didn't do anything. You're the one who caught me as I fell."

"And you protected us from Oskar before he could harm anyone" Marco countered "Seems like a save to me"

Star nodded in agreement and the pair fell into an awkward silence.

Finally Marco spoke up upon reaching the bottom of the staircase "Since tonight has been very eventful, I'd like to request that when we hang out today, we not have an adventure like this so soon"

Star looked at him like he was mad "We...hang out?"

"Yes, I believe you wanted to hang out yesterday. I couldn't because I had to watch Oskar. But since I promised you we hang out tomorrow and tomorrow is now today, today we are hanging out. Right?"

Star nodded, her happiness spilling over "You know it!"

Marco gave her the biggest smile she had ever seen and she couldn't stop from flushing if she tried "Cool."

Star returned the smile and missed how red Marco got upon seeing it "Cool"


	6. A long time ago, in a starco far away

Hello fanfiction! Thanks for all the reviews. They really help me stay motivated. A special thanks to H Mae for your kind words and praise and Hyper-Blossom z. I recommend you find a scan of Gotham academy's first comic to see if you like it before dropping money on it. If you do find it, let me know what you think of it. and Also Hyper, i think we all fan out when Dipper solves a mystery, or grunkle stan makes a joke, or when soos says something or when Mabel does anything Mabel. or when the show is on in general. I am very happy you all enjoyed what was basically a shot in a dark. I may go back to Gotham academy AU but for now I have no plans to. But rest assured there will be more Gravity falls cross overs *Among others*

Now to this AU. I swear i was writing the other story's chapter when this popped into my head. I wrote it down the basic idea in hopes i could get to it later but after seeing a picture of Marco as Han and Star as Leia, it got me. It got me good. So here is a Star Wars AU. I apologize for the delay if you are waiting for the other story but i swear I am working on it. One shots are easier to get out because most of them are small frame of a story as opposed the If i say i miss you which is a overarching story. So i hope you enjoy this one shot while i try not to work on the next Scott Pilgrim one shot or the indiana jones AU. Seriously it is amazing how many AU's you can plug Starco into. I hope you enjoy, drop a review if you like the story or have any critiques and i own nothing.

* * *

A long time ago, in a galaxy much closer than you expect, two people from completely different lives met in a dark, shady bar. One has something the other needs but each hides their true intents from one another. As the deal was struck, the truth was dragged into light and forced onto the pair whose survival now depended on the other.

The bar was the no different than any bar you would find on some backwater planet. The universal smell of scum and villainy lingered in every inch of the location. What was different about this bar was the fact this place was quiet, nearly abandon when it should have been packed with the vile, broken and lost of society. Those tossed away once their usefulness or dreams had ceased to exist.

There was but a moment when the doors opened unexpectedly were flung open and the faceless mask of the Imperial troopers stared at the duo. Raising their blaster rifles, the paired leapt up from their chairs and bolted across the room to the only cover able to withstand the incoming assault.

"Ahhhhhhh!" The pair yelled at the tops of their voices as they raced again the whine of the blasters powering up, vaulting over the thick bar counter just in time as a dozen shots let loose, narrowly missing their heads.

"They found me!" The two cried out loud before turning to each other "They found you?!"

"Ugh, I knew you were going to cause me trouble!" Marco cried out, glaring deeply at the blonde haired, blue eye beauty next to him.

Marco Diaz had one rule: Never deal with girls. The more beautiful they were, they more likely you were going to find yourself in ditch with your money gone and a liver missing And the girl next to him was hands down the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Even now, anger written all over her face with a frown that caused those heart covered cheeks to pout, Marco could barely take his eyes off of her. There was something different about her. At first, Marco believed it was believed it was because she was naive. She wore a simple white robe and cover her face with a hood in a bar. Seriously the only other color that screamed "LOOK AT ME!" that wasn't white was red.

But as they got talking, her sharing her desperate story about her dying father and how all she wanted to do was get home, Marco felt an electrifying presence about her. Just sitting near was setting his senses ablaze with...something. He should've said no to Star Butterfly but all he found himself doing was flirting and agreeing to her demands.

A blaster bolt smashed against the wall above him, showering him with wall tile and dust.

"Star, can you fight?" Star peered him nervously like she wanted to say something but instead shook her head.

Marco couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes "Fine stay down and stay out of trouble!"

Marco stood up, quickly drawing his pistol and returning fire, clipping two of the troopers in the arm before retreating back into cover as the another storm of bolts came sailing his way.

Star bit her lip as Marco began playing whack a mole with the troopers, somehow out drawing the expertly trained troopers. She had to admit she wasn't expecting this good looking smuggler to be as kind as he had been. Sure he was a little rough and easily frustrated with her but he wasn't completely rude, just venting some annoyances. And she had to admit he was rather handsom with his white long sleeved shirt, black vest. Total bad boy image right there.

Marco groaned in frustration as more troopers piled into the increasing crowded bar. He avoided kill shots as much as he could but they were beginning to test their limits. It was clear he was going to have to teach them a lesson soon.

Marco glanced briefly at Star, tempted to leave her to fend on her own. But as she turned to him, fear dancing in those sparkling blue eyes, he knew she had him hook, line and sinker. He couldn't leave her. Not here and not yet.

Marco fished out his comlink, a small round device that allowed him to call anyone else who had one. "Call Ferguson!" Marco shouted as he popped his head out once more, firing directly into a trooper was just entering the building. The solider clutched at where the bolt had pierced his armor and fell to the ground in pain, tripping a trooper who had been following close behind.

"RRRRAAAAAWRAH" Ferguson's figured appeared as ghostly blue image in the middle of the comlink. Ferguson was Marco's smuggling partner and a Possokie, some sort possum man hybrid. While much taller than Marco, Ferguson looked more like a man in a possum suit than a mix of the two species.

"RRRRRAWAHA!" Ferguson called out again but Marco was too busy blasting a trooper who peered over the bar counter.

"Ferguson, did you take a nap!?" Marco scolded his partner who looked sheepish and smiled tensely

"Raahwanooo Marco. O-of course I...I didn't I mean...ha ha...ha."

Marco shook his head, raising his gun over his head and firing blindly into the bar "Not now! You know that princes we made a deal with?" Before Ferguson could answer Marco cut him off "Did her droid make it aboard?"

Ferguson looked into the air thoughtfully A trooper leapt over the counter, a knife in his hands and catching Marco off guard sending him sprawling to the floor with the trooper on top.

"MARCO!" Star cried, reaching for something behind her but Marco had already gotten the sitution under control.

Without missing a beat, Marco broke the man's gloved hand, catching the knife with his free hand and jabbing it directly into his attacker's thigh, easily bypassing the seemingly sturdy armor. As the trooper screamed out in pain, Marco gripped each side of his helmet tightly and bashed him against the increasingly useful bar. The man fell limp but Marco was already tossing him to the side.

Marco reached for the comlink before noticing Star's shocked stare. "He's knocked out" Marco breathless answered "So calm down"

Star nodded slowly, still shocked at what she witnessed but Marco already moving along.

"Ferguson!"

Ferguson shook out of his thought, completely lost and confused "Oh sorry Marco I was..."

"Did Alfonso made it aboard or not?"

"The droid? Oh yeah, he's been here..."

"Good." Marco said quickly "Get the ship ready. Me and the princess will be there shortly"

Before Ferguson could voice his concern or even why Marco was being such a jerk, Marco cut off the transmission before slipping the comlink back into his pocket.

"So what's the plan Marco?" Star asked speedily, her heartbeat quicken at the sound of boots and blaster fire inching closer and closer.

Marco emptied his pistol, twirling another clip into his hand before loading it with a flourish. "Stop showing off Diaz" he muttered to himself, unaware that Star was listening carefully.

"What was that?" Star questioned. The bright red look on Marco's face was endearing and it was clear he hadn't expected her to hear.

"We run for it" he tried to steady his voice from his embarrassment but between Star's legs touching his, the troopers gaining ground and the fact he had only one clip left, well he couldn't stop his racing heart even if he wanted to.

Star looked like she was about to protest. She opened her mouth to voice her opinion about Marco's suicidal plan when he leapt to his feet and with reckless abandon, blasted a few shots onto the top of the bar.

The troopers actually stopped their barrage, completely baffled why anyone would waste ammo when they clearly needed every shot. Marco's grinned infuriated them but before they could wipe that smirk off his face, the blaster fire reached perfect temperature and the entire counter burst into flames. The troopers had forgotten they had been firing at a bar and all the flammable liquids had mixed together once their containers were broken. The sprinklers rained foam throughout the bar, completely blinding the imperial soldiers and restricting their movements.

Marco kicked open the back door as hard as he could, his hand gripping Star's tightly as he began leading her through the twisting and winding alleyways of the desert town. Night had fallen and the stars twinkled brightly at the two young adults holding hands.

"Did we lose them?" Star asked cautiously, turning around to see if there were any pursuers.

"We lost those idiots. But no doubt this town is overrun with them. We need to get off this planet before they lock it down." Marco answered, diving into a small doorway and holding Star tightly against him as a patrol made their way around the corner and passed their hiding spot without a second thought

Star felt her cheeks flush when she felt Marco's chest under her fingers. This was the closest she had even been next to a boy in her entire life. Her training and sheltered existence didn't let her interact with a lot of people.

Marco turned to her only to see Star's eyes winking brightly at him. A swirl of emotions within them: Fear, doubt mixed in with confidence and a bit of joy. It was very distracting and made the distance between more evident.

"So, why are they chasing you?" Marco asked bluntly, pulling away from her and looking around for a better vantage point.

"Psst, they're not after me" Star tried to wave off Marco's accusing glance.

"Back in the bar you said they were after you" Marco pointed aggressively towards her

"No, you said they were after you!" Star counted, getting too close into his personal space. If Marco leaned forward just a bit, he would be able to steal a kiss from the girl.

Marco shook his head "I did not! This is your fault princess"

Star scoffed at that "My fault? I haven't done anything in my life! You're the one they're after. You're a smuggler!"

Marco growled, annoyed by Star's dancing around the subject. Never take a job from a girl. That was the one rule.

"Fine, we'll discuss this at the ship. Right now we're sitting ducks and any moment..."

"There they are! Blast them!"

Marco whirled around to see five or six troopers raising their guns in their direction. Cursing loudly, Marco opened fire, forcing the superior numbers to retreat.

"Marco! What are we going to do? we're trapped here." Star motioned to shadows dancing against the far wall, another group of soldiers who had heard the exchange.

Both exits were now blocked but Marco wasted no time. Without warning, Marco placed his hands on Star's waist and lifted her as high as he could. "Grab the ledge and pull yourself up!" Marco told her quickly as the boots echoed closer.

Star took a moment to get over her confusion, quickly lifting herself to the roof. "Marco!" she cried as she laid on her stomach and reached her hand out to him.

Marco stared uneasily at her hand. There was no way this girl could lift someone like him in such a short amount of time. She was going to drop him, leaving at the mercy of the empire or worse, fall herself and they'd both be in trouble. But as Marco her gaze once more, her eyes begging him to trust her, his hesitation crumpled. He really needed to stop staring into her eyes.

He reached for her hand, grabbing it as tight as he could. With much more strength than he could ever attribute to the girl, Star easily lifted him onto the roof. Marco regained his footing, staring in shock at Star. Star gave him a little smile and Marco smiled back.

A bolt narrowly missed Marco's, ruining the moment. Marco gripped Star's hand once more and bolted across the rooftops.

"Where are we going!" Star yelled, unaware being high did not mean people could not hear you.

"Stop shouting, there the space port! The dome thing straight ahead!" Marco pointed to a tall, imposing building that must've been 3 blocks wide. But the building was across various gaps, some looking too broad to leap over

"Wait, Marco!" Star pulled away from him when they reached the first jump. Marco couldn't stop and leapt across the 4 foot gap, tucking into a roll for an easier land.

Marco stared at her in disbelief while he rose to his feet "What are you doing?!"

Star bit her lip "I don't think I can do this. It's too far!"

Marco shook his head "You can. This is the largest jump here. Make this and you can make the others easy. Come on Star!"

Star shook her head "I don't think I can. What if I just go back down to street level and..."

"NO!" Marco shouted "there's no way you can make through the streets right now and soon, rooftops are going to be full of troopers too."

Star turned back, the sound of the troopers various orders coming at her from every direction. Star took a calming breath but still couldn't bring herself to clear the gap.

"Star!" Marco pleaded with her "I'll catch you! I promise."

Star wanted to believe him. Star wanted to believe he wasn't as mean and gruff as he appeared but if she was wrong, she would be at the mercy of the empire. She nearly paid for trusting the wrong boy once. Was it really worth it a second time?

"I _will_ catch you"

Star stared at Marco and for the first time since she met him, saw a new look on his face. There was no guarded look or rough glare. It was legitimate concern. He wanted to get her to safety, he wanted to help her. Star knew if he really wanted to, he could've left her back in the bar, trapped in all that foam. He would get a new protocol droid and be rid of her nuisance.

But he didn't. He warned her about his plan and told her to grip his arm tightly when the time came to run (She may or may not have accidentally grabbed his hand inside.) Star could trust the bad boy. For now anyway.

Star took another calming breath and ran as fast as she could. She leapt high into the air, eyes closed and the sound of silence all around her. For a brief second she was scared she was about to fall and break something. But then she collided with something warm and began tumbling wildly onto the rooftop. When Star opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Marco's face.

Star had indeed easily made the jump. However, with all her momentum, she went too far and crashed into Marco. Star couldn't breath when she realized Marco was pinned under her, her hips straddling his.

Star leapt off Marco and began chuckling nervously. Marco got to his feet and shook off the dust from his clothes. He had no idea why Star was going insane but he didn't have time.

"See, told you you could make it. Now let's go!" Marco grabbed her hand instinctively and the pair began racing across the rooftops once more.

"It's too quiet" Marco muttered, the deserted street far more empty than he had ever seen in all his years operating out of this town.

Star knew something was wrong. She could feel a familiar, dark thickness in the air. But her training wasn't complete yet and she had no idea if it was a warning or just her frayed nerves.

Marco shook his head, he was just being paranoid that's all. Marco made his way to the garage where the Red Hood was docked. "Okay, past these doors is the way out Star."

Star nodded, unable to shake the feeling something terrible was going to happen.

Marco began sliding the garage door open "Let me just open the doors and we'll be..."

Marco felt his throat tighten, an invisible hand choking the life out of him. At first he thought he was just imagine the loss of the breath. That's when his feet began to lift from the ground and he knew that they were in trouble.

"Marco!" Star cried upon seeing the smuggler lift off the ground all by himself. Her danger senses were tingling and she knew why the sensation had felt familiar.

"Well, well, well" A deep, unnatural voice called from the darkness of the garage "It appears I have found the Hood."

Star's eyes widen. The Hood was a legendary rebel spy. No one knew who The Hood was but it was well known he often risked his life to steal well protected imperial secrets making him a high value target. No wonder Marco thought the imperials were after him.

"L-Ludo" Marco struggled to fill his lungs with fresh air but he was no force sensitive. He could barely clear his thoughts from force probes let alone defend himself from force attacks.

"It is Lord Ludo to you rebel scum" The deep voice mocked as he stepped out of the darkness.

Ludo was exactly how Star remembered him. Tall, taller than her or Marco. Cloaked in all black with a bird skull for a mask, his frame far too wide to be human. Black gloves, black cape, electronic chest plate. Everything was just as she remembered.

"You have given the Emperor far too much trouble Diaz" Ludo told him, tighten his grip on Marco's throat "Your punishment has been made clear. Death. Any last words?"

Marco blazed, refusing to let the fear show in his eyes "T-tell him he is a no good, s-stinking nerf herder!"

Ludo shook his head in disappointment "Poor choice of words from a child who has made poor decisions" Ludo closed his fist, completely cutting Marco from any air.

Marco's vision began to darken, his brain swimming with wild and loose thoughts freed from the subconscious. 'I wish I kissed Star 'Marco admitted to himself as the world slowed to a crawl.

"NO!" A blast of pure energy staggered Ludo, forcing him to release Marco from his grip.

Marco greedily gulped as much air as he could, happy to still be alive somehow. Marco's began to steady once more, the darkness receding from them but when his eyes fell upon Star, he thought he was in thrall of Ludo's death grip.

Star's hand was outstretched towards Ludo, a fierce determination and finality etched on her face. But what had really shocked Marco was the bright sky blue beam emitting from a lightsaber at her side.

Ludo focused his attention onto Star, a wave of pure dark energy washing over her "Star Butterfly, the last Jedi." Ludo muttered in a soft voice "It appears this is my lucky day."

Star rose her lightsaber, pointing it directly at his heart "I'm not scared of you Ludo"

Ludo chuckled as he drew his blood red saber from his belt "You should be"

Ludo seemed to disappear in a blur of black. Star yelped in surprise before managing a block that would've sliced her down the middle. Star pushed his blade away before attempting stab at him. Ludo whirled around, her blade narrowly missing his shoulder. Ludo swung at her head but Star managed to duck in time before moving her blade upwards. Ludo leapt back before thrusting at her as her arms arched upwards. Star twirled around, catching Ludo's blade and forcing it towards the ground

"Impressive" Ludo admitted before striking with his fist, sending her tumbling backwards "Most impressive." Star tried to regain her footing but Ludo began pressing his attack. He swung fast and wildly and Star was having a hard time keeping up. Block left, right, duck, dodge, downward strike. Star tried to keep track of his attacks but Ludo seemed everywhere and nowhere at once and she could feel fatigue setting in. Ludo swung downward as hard as he could, missing Star by a mere inch but giving her the opening she needed. Star pulled her blade back, ready to put everything she had into one final swing.

"NO!" The air exploded with a force of a bomb as Star was launched into the garage. Her back hit the sandy floor with enough force she might've broken something. She struggled to get to her feet but the adrenaline had worn off and she had no endurance left to fight the sith lord. Ludo made his way over to Star slowly, confident that the rebellious little Jedi had no fight left in her.

Star tried to find her lightsaber but it slipped out of her grasp and into the darkness when she was launched through the air. She attempted to push Ludo away but with a flick of his wrist, her attack was completely deflected.

"A good fight. With time, you may have been able to defeat me" Ludo raised his blade high into the sky "But you are out of time princess Butterfly." Star stared defiantly at Ludo. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of begging for her life.

Before Ludo could deal the final blow, there was a loud whirling noise coming from behind Star. A shiny, sliver disc raced towards Ludo who caught it effortlessly in his hands. He turned the object in his palm, the familiar yet foreign design distracting him for a moment.

The whine of a blaster echoed loudly through the empty garage and instinctively, Ludo raised his hand to deflect the bolt. The bolt connected with the object in his hand and before anyone realized what happened, Ludo was blown back, engulfed in flames and tumbling through the air.

"Come on Star" Marco muttered lifting Star to her feet and supporting her weight "We got to go now!" Star opened her mouth to find a still smoking blaster in one hand and her lightsaber in the other.

Marco lifted her up the ramp before sealing it behind him. He gently lay her on the couch in the middle of the ship before racing to the cockpit. Luckily before Ferguson had been knocked out by the dark lord, he did managed to start and warm up the ship.

The ship blasted out of the spaceport as quickly as possible and as Ludo stood up, recovering from the attack, none of his soldiers could hazard a guess what he was thinking as the Red Hood disappeared into the bright, starry sky.

"S-should we pursue?" one trooper asked fearfully.

Ludo simply closed his fist and a loud crack could be heard from the trooper's chest.

The trooper fell to the floor, huff and wheezing in pain.

"No. Do not bother. We will find the Red Hood. Contact Jeremy Fett right away. I suspect he has a score to settle with Marco Diaz."

Ludo walked over the fallen trooper, taunting as he went "It is just internal bleeding. No need to be a baby about it."

The Red Hood floated silently in space, the ship at peace despite the long and tiring day that had just occurred.

Marco was sitting in the cockpit, unable to catch any rest as the events of the day began to catch up to him. He let out a sigh, unsure how he was feeling at the moment. He had been properly identified as The Hood and harboring Star just brought a massive bounty on his head. He didn't regret it of course but lamented the loss of freedom that came with such a price.

He made no indication he felt Star sit next to him. His emotions frayed and everywhere. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he saw her right now but she made no motion to leave, so he steeled himself.

When he turned to Star, her bright blue eyes were staring intently at him and he could feel his cheeks heating up. "I never got to say thank you" Star admitted Marco waved her off "No thanks needed. Anything to help the last Jedi."

Star frowned at that statement and Marco knew she had something she wanted to talk about "You aren't the last Jedi are you?" Star shrugged in defeat before leaning back in the co-pilot's seat "Everyone keeps telling me I am the last Jedi but I don't think I am. I think there a few Jedi's left and they are in terrible danger. I wish I could help them but I barley know how to do anything myself."

Marco nodded in agreement "Can you feel any Jedi?" Star slowly nodded "When I was stowed away on a ship, we passed my home planet of Mewni. For a brief second I felt a powerful presence in the force before it disappeared. It felt like my brother Sky but...he disappeared a long time ago."

Marco nodded before flipping some switches, the engines of the ship roaring to life. Star looked at him "What are you doing?" "We're going to find your brother" "But I only agreed to pay you if you got me to Hoth." Marco shrugged "It's a favor for a friend." Star smiled brightly and Marco wanted nothing more than to protect her. Whatever the cost.

"Friends" Star repeated, determined to stick with Marco as long as she could. He was a misunderstood bad boy and she couldn't help but want to be by his side.

And as the Red Hood disappeared in a streak of light, amongst the silent beauty of the stars, planets and galaxy, a thrilling adventure and beautiful friendship began and one day, that friendship became something more.

But that is a story for another time.


	7. Marco Diaz vs Star 1st Ex (Scott pilgrim

Hello Fanfiction! You guys asked for it and here it is! The second chapter of the Scott Pilgrim AU! Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I appreciate it greatly. It means alot that you people love it so much and honestly all these stories are for my fellow fans.

H mae thank you for gentle yet critical critiques and praise. I appreciate it and please continue to critique me if I need to work on something i also feel all you great fans and readers deserve to know why there are mistakes in my story. This isn't a put down or that I'm insulted or I'm calling someone out. I'm actually very grateful people point that out to me. Helps me grow as a writer.

The reason I don't have a beta is simply because I am actually very shy about my work. For years I've only written stories as a hobby and for my best friend whenever she was down or needed something to keep her busy. She's told me for years to post my work online but I never thought it was good enough. To be honest, i only expected this story and the other one to get a handful of reviews but I am pleasantly surprised that you love it so, mistakes and all. It's taken a lot of time to come to this conclusion but I'd like to share with everyone who reads this story.

If you love doing something, just do it to the best of your ability. It doesn't matter how good or bad you think it is, just do it if it makes you happy. That is all that matters. Don't compare yourself to others though do look to others for inspiration. Don't look for original ideas, take something and make it your own regardless how many others do the same. If others enjoy it, awesome. if not, aim for the next time and keep moving forward.

Okay random speeches are over, now onto this AU that many of you wanted. Honestly, i keep making oneshots that could easily become full stories. I will go on with Gotham academy Au because that playground is way too much fun to play in (and i have gravity falls crossover set up perfectly for it), I am not sure about the Star Wars one, Scott pilgrim will have a few more and a couple in the Sol/Star universe.

Now as a warning, this is the first fight scene I have written in a looooong time. If it gets too confusing or something, please tell me in the reviews and if enough people agree, i'll rewrite this chapter. Now this is deep in video game turf so remember that Scott Pilgrim is based on video games. Just a heads up if it gets too crazy for you.

There will be an author's note at the end for those who do not know who Star's Ex is. So please enjoy part 2 of Marco Diaz vs the world, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy. I own nothing!

* * *

Marco rubbed his hands together in an effort to stay warm from the snowy night. Normally he would take a deep calming breath to keep himself warm but when the air itself seemed frozen still in mid-air from the cold, Marco kept his breathing to a minimum.

It was almost 9 o'clock in the evening. Marco could feel his nerves on edge and fingers twitching against his best efforts to keep still. He knew he would be nervous, it was expected given what he was about to do. It was one thing to be expect nervousness, it was another to feel it coursing through your body.

Marco felt a warm gloved hand gingerly touch his shoulder and turned to his fellow freezing friend who was waiting with him through the winter night.

Scratch that, not friend, girlfriend.

It had been 2 weeks since Marco Diaz asked Star Butterfly to be his girlfriend. It hadn't been easy at first. Star was energetic and extremely reckless and it seemed they were too opposite ends of the spectrum to convincingly be dating. But as seconds turned to minutes, minutes into hours and hours into days, Marco started to become fascinated by Star.

She was a dreamer, head so far up in the clouds it was amazing she did not float away. She was highly creative and adventurous, dragging Marco out of his stuffy dorm room to see the sights had to offer, many of which Marco had no idea existed. She loved randomly hugging him. And recently, whenever they held hands, she would skip forward, tugging him around with a grin on her face as they raced to wherever they were heading. It was hard to not to be infected with her lively energy and even harder to believe that this girl was tormented by her exes. Everyone she met loved her and she loved everyone in equal measure. Who could possible want to ruin Star's life?

Marco turned to Star, worry in her eyes and a fake confident smile on her face. When her first ex contacted her about facing her new boyfriend, she practically boasted that Marco could easily defeat him. Of course, that was a week when the day seemed so far away. But as she began spending time with Marco, seeing peeks and glimpses of a fun loving, caring, adventure craving if slightly cynical soul hidden under his nonchalant, jaded exterior, she began worrying for her fake boyfriend.

It was unfair of her to ask him to risk so much for a relationship that wasn't going to go anywhere. She constantly asked him if he was sure he wanted to go through with this, if he understood the risks. As long as he walked away from her and the first fight, the exes could not challenge him whenever they wished. She would've put more effort into dissuading him from this insane task, but each time he would stare at her with those chocolate brown eyes brimming with a confidence she only saw whenever she was projecting her fear and comforted her.

Star briefly wondered how come Marco did not have a girlfriend. He was a good looking guy, apparently incredibly strong and loyal, good looking, and smart. Did no one else see what Star saw or maybe Marco was the one unable to see?

She shook her head as she stared at her phone, the minutes slowly counting down to the showdown from where there was no return. While she couldn't tear her eyes away from the phone which had quickly become the most despised thing she ever owned, she still could see out of the corner of them.

Marco was wearing something he called a karate gi. When Marco had discovered her ex was also a black belt in karate, he insisted on wearing it when the two faced off. It was considered honorable or something like that. Star had to admit when she first sawMarco in his white karate gi, she had thought he had mixed it up with pajamas. But Marco replied in a defensive, and rather adorable squeak, that no the gi was not his "Jam Jams" Star couldn't help but giggling at both his face and dorkyness. Serious, how did Marco not see how amazing he was?

Somewhere, far in the distance, a bell rang once. Twice. Five. Nine times. Right at the ninth ring, the wind shifted and swirled around violently as if someone's presence had disturbed the peace. Marco could make out the silhouette of a man slowly approaching the pair, a knack sack slung over his broad shoulders.

"That must be him" Star muttered fearfully. Marco turned to her and let a small smile grace his face despite the serious situation he was about to partake in. Star was bundled up in his red hoodie, hood pulled over her blonde hair and her hands covered in a matching pair of red mittens she currently had buried deep in the hoodie's pockets. She hadn't believed him when he said it was going to be cold to night but he was relived she decided to wear jeans and thick snow boots.

"I'll be back in a flash." he told her gently, gripping her shoulders tightly and comforting. Before he could turn around to face Star's ex, Star leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek.

"Good luck" she said with a smile, her face bright red, probably from the cold. Marco nodded, attempting to ignore the effect the cold had on his own cheeks and how soft Star's lips were.

Marco made his way over to the only area of the park that wasn't frozen solid with ice: the basketball court. As the ex approached closer, he could began seeing his physical features.

He was shorter than expected, 5'9 or so. Marco might've been an inch or two taller. He had jet black medium length hair caked with falling snow. There was a red headband with bright red sparring gloves. His gi arm sleeves were ripped off and Marco had admired the man's bravery for walking barefoot through the snow. His black belt somehow seem to hang proudly from his waist and each step he took closer, Marco could see the mass of muscles that this man was composed of.

The man stopped just a few feet from Marco, bowing respectfully as he placed his belongings to the side. Marco returned the bow as the stranger approached.

"You are Marco Diaz yes?"

Marco nodded "are you Ryu?"

The stranger nodded "I apologize for this. Star is a wonderful girl and if I were allowed, I would've simply let her be. But Tom rules the league and I must obey his rules."

Marco frowned slightly as a thought came to his head "Then you don't you forfeit? Let me win so you don't have to have a hand in this?"

Ryu shook his head "I am still a warrior. I am the weakest of the exes. I will be the only one that wishes Star's happiness but I still must test you. I must see if you have the strength to free Star from Tom's grasp."

Marco nodded in understanding "I will free Star."

Ryu crouched into a fighting stance "Then prove it. Words mean nothing on the field of battle! Only the strength of your body and the strength of your spirit will give your claims substance"

Marco bowed respectfully once more before taking his own stance. He vowed not to go easy on Ryu despite how much he was liking the warrior.

There was a moment of serenity, as the wind blew softly across the two fighters.

Ryu lunged forward, jabbing straight for Marco. Marco raised his arm to defend himself. Marco winced in pain when Ryu's attack connected with Marco's forearm. It felt like Ryu's arm was dipped in molten lead and Marco could feel tears building from the impact.

Marco shoved Ryu's arm away before striking at his chest with an open palm. Ryu bit his lip in pain but was already counterattacking, coming at Marco with his elbow. Marco blocked with his shoulder, jabbing with his free hand at Ryu. Ryu pulled back, twisting in a circle as his leg struck Marco in the jaw. Marco stumbled for a bit and narrowly missed being struck by Ryu's other leg. Marco gripped Ryu's leg that missed and flipped him to the floor.

Ryu hit the floor with a thud but spun into a kneeling position before uppercutting upwards like a rocket, shouting at the top of his lungs "Shoryuken!" Marco could feel the force of Ryu's fist, missing him by a mere inch but still staggering the boy. Ryu rose to an incredible height before gently falling to the ground into Marco's waiting foot. Ryu stumbled backwards but Marco lunged at his dizzy opponent with a flying kick. Ryu backed away causing Marco to completely miss him. Ryu swung his leg at Marco's head but Marco fell to the floor, his leg rising up to catch Ryu's chin.

Marco got to his feet and whirled around, striking Ryu's waiting bicep. Ryu's leaned back with the force of Marco's as he arched his hand backwards. Ryu's punch caught Marco square in the shoulder but Marco refused to acknowledge the pain. Marco grabbed onto Ryu's arm, pulling him forward as Marco dove his knee into his opponent's stomach. Ryu's face burst out in a shocked expression but Marco wasn't done yet

Lifting his knee as high as possible, Marco placed his foot onto Ryu's chest, kicking him as far back as he could. Ryu tumbled across the icy court before grinding to a halt, his body in a sprinter's position, heels dug firmly into the ground. Ryu dashed directly at Marco weaving left and right as Marco focused on where his attack was coming from.

Ryu flew at Marco, leg extended. Marco took a step back but quickly realized that was the wrong move as Ryu flew past him, landing onto the floor and using the momentum from his leg to spiral around in a circle before launching in the air with a "Tatsumaki Senpukyaku"

Ryu whirled around in mid-air like a tornado, a single leg sticking out, striking the defending Marco repeatedly before sending him flying with a harsh thud. Marco got his feet, Ryu landing calmly

"A worthy opponent. You may be able to defeat the league. But first, the final test."

Marco took deep breaths but his eyes shone in determination "I'm ready"

Ryu nodded in agreement before putting his hands together behind his back. Suddenly the air was thick with unknown power. The wind blew directly in Ryu's direction as his hands held a small, blusih flame that grew bigger and bigger with each passing moment.

Marco's eyes widen. What was going on?!

Ryu began shouting, the energy in his hand growing and growing more and more powerful "Metsu" Ryu's hands were forced further apart as a ball of swirling blue fire became bigger "Hadoken!"

Ryu lunged forward, launching the attack directly at Marco. The bright blue fireball turned into a purplish flame. It was larger than Marco's head, wrapped in swirling purple fire that seemed melted the snow all around the court. The very air began to heat up and turn into steam as the attack inched closer to him.

Marco wanted to dodge the attack but Ryu's words echoed at him. Ryu was the only honorable one among Star's exes. He alone wanted her to be happy but he was also the weakest among them. This was the final test. This was Ryu's greatest attack. If Marco wanted to truly be ready for the others, he must be able to withstand this blow.

Marco closed his eyes as he prepared for the incoming attack. He tried to hardest to ignore the unbearable heat approaching him, the near quiet sizzling as the flames evaporated the cold night air. Marco a deep breath just as the fireball exploded against his body.

Star screamed Marco's name, rushing toward where the flames had engulfed his entire body. She couldn't see anything amongst the thick smoke bellowing from where Marco once stood. She glanced all around the park to see that every inch of snow in a 4 foot radius had liquefied into water. Even the few nearby trees were set upon by tiny flames that slowly died in the cold air.

She began to sob quietly. She knew this was a horrible idea. Marco was such a nice guy. Why did she let him convince him he could defeat the league. It was hopeless. She was going to die alone and she couldn't live with the idea she had just murdered a completely innocent man.

"Marco!" She cried, tears wildly off her face as she fell to her knees, staring at the ground unable to see what remained of Marco "I'm so sorry!"

The crunching snow told her Ryu was approaching but she did not care how much he supposedly wanted her happy. He just murdered an amazing person.

A hand gripped her shoulder tightly but Star refused to look up at Marco's murderer. "Leave me alone Ryu! I...I...how could you?" Star screamed angrily.

"I have been defeated" Ryu's told her quietly, somewhere far to the left of her.

Star glanced upwards into the tired but smiling face of Marco. "MARCO!" Star shouted as she leapt to her feet, embracing him as tight as she could. She tried to ignore the fact his body slumped with fatigue or that he was incredibly warm to the touch. Marco was alive! That was the only thing that mattered.

Marco turned to Ryu who simply gave him a bow. "You are strong Marco Diaz. I believe you can defeat the league. But your battles will only become more difficult. Do not trust the others, especially Tom. They have no honor. Farewell and may you be successful on your journey for Star's heart."

Two weary fighters bowed to each other with the greatest respect they each could give. Ryu limped off into the darkness, swallowed by the night as if he had never been there.

Marco turned to see Star burying herself in his chest, nuzzling him gently while tiny, cold tears soaked into his gi. Marco wrapped around his arms around Star and embraced her tightly "Come on Star."

She pulled away in understanding and gripped his hand tightly. While she pulled in the direction of his dorm room, he pulled her in the direction of the middle of town.

"Marco, aren't you tired and sore and kinda like dying from that fight?" Star asked quizzically.

Marco shook his head "I'll be fine. I'm gonna be dead asleep tomorrow but right now I'm okay. Come on, don't you remember what I promised you?"

Star shook her head. Seeing someone engulfed in flames so hot that the snow itself turned to rain was a bit jarring and mind numbing.

Marco gave her a fake pout which brought a smile to her face "I can't believe my _girlfriend_ forgot that I promised to take her to see a movie after I kicked her ex's ass."

Star wanted to say no, that Marco needed to rest after such a fierce battle but between his goofy grin and his puppy eyes, she found herself nodding "Yeah you did promise"

"So let's go!" Marco cried out cheerfully, walking at a nice pace, holding Star's hand snugly.

And if Star Butterfly squeezed his hand tightly, happy that he was still breathing with the spark of hoping beginning to burn brightly that Marco Diaz could set her free from her lonely prison, well couldn't blame her for giving Marco another peck on the cheek. Or two. Or five.

* * *

A/N Ryu is the considered the main character for the street figther games. A warrior always looking out to improve himself. Likes to shoot fire and stuff like that


	8. It's all Starco to me (Greek AU)

Hello fanfiction. Thank you K2lover2226, h mae, my various guest reviewers, bigmike, SVTFOEfanatic, hyper. All you fans. I know i keep saying it but I am can not tell you how happy it makes me feel to know so many people enjoy these stories. I write for your enjoyment. If you have any questions regarding anything, feel free to message me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Now this is my first ever request AU. No I haven't opened up requests, i will let you know by the beginning of next week depending on my schedule. I only have given 2 AU's as thank yous. This one comes from H. Mae as a thank you for the very helpful reviews. This AU is a greek mythology one. A mix between classic greek stories and the silliness of Disney's Hercules. I am a huge greek mythology fan so i may have gone a little crazy with the plot. So much this will be broken up into a two parter. I mean this thing is 5,00 words long. Largest chapter so far. H. Mae also wanted some Hiccup Astrid type snippy flirting. The subtle but so obviously charged kind of flirting, so hopefully i managed to portray that. So without further ado, i hope you enjoy this story. I own nothing and have a good read. I am now off to rewatch Gravity falls and blood moon ball for the next 3 hours.

* * *

Long ago, when man and myths coexisted beside each other, a grudge hidden beneath the calm facade of peace was about to consume the world in a war that even the gods would wage.

The goddess of lightning was staring up into the starry sky upon Mount Olympus. Well she wasn't the actual goddess of lightning yet. Her father Zeus lived and thus was still king of the gods and ruler of the sky and all its creations. But even the gods can't not exist forever and one day Zeus would fade from this world. His eventual death, whenever it finally occurs, would cause a massive power vacuum amongst the gods and also would cause the sky itself to fail into disrepair dooming the mortals around the world.

Luckily, Zeus had already named Star his successor. When he dies, Star will automatically ascend into his position of power and become Queen of the gods. But Star was a mere 200 years old, so young for a goddess and her father was still young and powerful. Childish even, she dared to whisper on the days his attitude was a bit too much. No, such an event would not happen for many more centuries. Which is exactly as Star liked it.

Zeus and Hera loved their daughter Star, much to the dislike of Ares and Hephaestus her two older brothers. Star would often ask her parents to recount the event of her birth, something they did so gleefully.

Zeus had gone to see the sisters of fate, beings far old than any Olympian, Titan, even older than Gaia the earth and Uranus the sky. They controlled the lives of all who existed even the gods. To fight them was to fight inevitability. The sisters told Zeus that far in the future, when Zeus had long since passed, a great evil would arise. Without a child bearing his power, the Earth would fall to ruins and with it the gods. The sisters told Zeus to wait till night fall and when the stars came up to shine upon the Earth, pluck the brightest star and feed it to his wife Hera.

Zeus was a bit nervous about telling his wife about having another child. Zeus had a record of being unfaithful to Hera (A record still kept to this day) and Hera was not pleased with the two children she had already given birth to. But the fates had decreed this was to be done and thus Zeus had done exactly as they told him.

When Star was born, she had let out a great sneeze and a bolt of lightning was pulled from the heavens and struck a nearby tree. Zeus was proud that his daughter had inherited his power and Hera was happy that Star was a beautiful goddess.

While Hera attempted to teach her daughter the ways to be a proper maiden goddess, Zeus had encouraged her wild and reckless nature. Often they would wrestle causing the sky to darken and shower the mortals below with rain and thunder. She would routinely go down to Earth and hunt monsters for sport, using only weapons she would purchase at mortal marketplaces as a way to keep it fair. She was future ruler of the gods after all.

All in all life was good

Star kept staring out into the vast cosmos above her. She often stared at the sky in an attempt to find an inky dark void that was left behind when her father plucked her star out of the sky.

"Well hello Starshine" a suave voice called from behind her. Without warning, a ring of flames surrounded her and began twisting her in a circle, forcing her to face the last person she wanted to see. She couldn't help but glare at the 3 eye god in front of her.

"Tom" She spat out distastefully "I see your father brought you to tonight's meeting.

"naturally, we aren't often invited to mount Olympus "Tom gave her a cheeky smile, his mouth full of fangs breaking into a rather gruesome sight. His black chiton was moving about as if it was made out of shadows. Given that his father was Hades, lord of the underworld, that wasn't too far of a stretch.

"Leave me alone Tom. We broke up 150 years ago." Star muttered under her breath, unwilling to forgive him about all the trouble he caused her those many years ago.

Tom shook his head in mock disappointed as he swept Star off her feet, long tendrils of shadows lifting the pair high into the air. "Oh Starshine, I'm a much better god. I swear!"

Star let out a loud scoff and gracefully flipped out of his grasp, landing on her feet with no problem "Keep this up and I'll blast you with lightning Tom."

Tom held his hands in defeat as he lowered himself to eye level with his Ex "No need to be hostile Starshine. But" Tom quickly went on noticing the arcs of lightning dancing across Star's fingers "I am just trying to have a nice talk with my favorite goddess."

"You mean trying to butter me up when you take over Lord Hades's job you mean." Star knew this was just a ploy for Tom to get in her good graces when she came into power. It was so obvious and annoying, Star was tempted just to blast him and be done with it. But a future queen could not just simply blast her problems away. She would have to solve the issues diplomatically.

Tom took a step forward and Star let a sneeze, flicking her fingers forward and launching Tom off his feet with a flash of lightning. "Oh" Star said in a tone that made it clear she was lying through her teeth "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do that." She wasn't queen yet.

Tom clumsily climbed to his feet and for a moment, his pupils turned pure white as a wall of flames rose from behind him, his fist clenched in anger.

But the moment passed and Tom let out a calming, deep breath. "It's quite alright Star." he said with a strained grin.

Star was actually impressed. He did seem much calmer than usual or at least was making an effort at it.

"Come on. I was about to go for a walk" Star motioned for him to follow "No funny business Tom or I'll chuck you off of the mountain. Hephaestus told me it took a whole day to fall into the ocean and he's had a permanent limp ever since."

Tom, like the others, had heard how Zeus had tossed Hephaestus off the mountain for some reason. And Tom was now left alone with his favorite daughter whose heart he once broke.

"O-of course Star." he replied, making sure to give Star as much space as she wanted.

Eventually Tom had slinked off to do whatever a sleaze ball like him did and Star was back staring into the atmosphere where she came.

The meeting would be over soon and Apollo would be dragging the sun chariot across the sky, bringing day to the little mortals below.

A loud burst of energy rocked the palace and knocked Star off her feet. She was dizzy for a moment before realizing the roof of the meeting chamber had been blown right off. Such power. She had never felt anything like it before.

"Dad" she whispered as she leapt to her feet, rushing down the beautiful marble hallways as fast as she could.

As she inched closer and closer to where the 12 gods of Olympus sat and determined where the fate of the entire planet, she could feel the powers of the gods radiating throughout the palace, their might spiraling out of control. Once in a while there was a spike of the combined powers echoing through the hall, one that made Star's skin tingle at the thought of such power. It felt like none of the gods had any self restrain left.

Before Star could the doorway to the council room, a large flame blocked her path, circling her as if it was trying warn her not make any sudden movements. "Whoa, whoa Starshine. What's the rush?" Tom's voice called from a nearby pillar.

Star slowly turned to face just in case the fire decided to see how tasty a godling's flesh tasted. It was clear the little flames from before were just Tom teasing. Now he was serious.

"Tom, what is going on?"

Tom gave a small laugh and Star felt like he was mocking her in some way "Apparently the great Olympian stone has been stolen. You know the one thing that keeps all the gods happy. A symbol of unity and all that jazz? Yep, lifted right from the vault."

Star let out a gasp of surprise that turned into a gasp of pain when the flame took a small lick of her arm. "That's impossible! The vault can't be broken into!"

Tom shrugged nonchalantly "Well it did and your dad, the paranoid nutjob, has blamed my poor old father for the theft. He demands Hades stole in an attempt for revenge for forcing him to work the underworld. You know the job that causes all the humans to hate and fear him? One he performs tirelessly. Naturally my proud father suspects your father has hidden it from him and is demanding not only possession of the stone to safeguard in the underworld but also a formal apology from your father."

Star let out a nervous gulp in her throat. She loved her father but he didn't do formal apologies. Pats on the back to make sure you were cool. Yeah. Physically admitting he was wrong and saying he was sorry he made a mistake. Never going to happen.

"But that isn't going to happen! There's no way one of them stole the stone!" Star cried out loud, ignoring the flames lightly charring her skin.

Tom shook his head "It doesn't matter Starshine. Soon our little family is going to war and knowing how powerful they are, only their kids will remain."

Star's eyes widen in horror but Tom looked like it was the perfect dream come true.

"Wait a minute" Star's gaze narrowed towards Tom "You took the stone didn't you! Under your father's orders?"

Tom gave her a mock look of hurt but deep in his eyes, his glee was crystal clear "Moi? Steal for my father? Bah!" Tom waved his hand and the flames grew taller around Star "My father is a cowardly old fool. He could easily overthrow Zeus but alas chooses to stay in the world below, hated by his wife, hated by men and shunned by the other gods. I refuse to let that be my fate. When the war's over, little Starshine, and our family vanish from this world, I will take the throne of the underworld and then I will take you as my bride."

Star glared at Tom. As much as Tom was a jerk, Tom was a jerk with power and no doubt some sort of alliance set up with the other chosen children of the gods. He caused this war and it was up to Star to stop it.

"You won't get away with this Tom." Star muttered under her breath.

Tom gave a chilling laugh "I already have"

Star's face broke into a grin and she began giggling loudly at Tom's comment.

Tom's hand closed into fists. He tried to stay calm but Star's constant giggling was beginning to get on his nerves. She even snorted! She only snorts when something is really funny.

"WHAT IS SO DAMN FUNNY!" Tom roared, the flames surrounding Star rising high into the air before they accidentally blew themselves out.

Tom stood in shock when he realized Star was now free from his trap "Umm..."

Star cracked her knuckles in a threatening tone "Because when the bad guy says I already have, it means they are going to lose."

Even facing an angry and now enlightened Star, Tom couldn't resist mocking her "Oh please Star. This is not one of those childish puppet plays by Disn..."

A bolt of lightning caught Tom in the stomach, lifting him off his feet and hurling him against a wall with enough force to dent it.

Star rose her hand once more to keep up her attack but another surge of power knocked off her feet.

Star glanced up into the air to see a large shadow stretch across the sky, blocking out any stars as it fell down to Earth. Star turned to Tom, wounded but grinning as he evaporated into smoke, mingling in with the large shadow while it disappeared into the Earth.

Star wasted no time rushing into council room, stunned to find her father looking to the outside world, forlorn and defeated.

"Dad, I know what happened!" Star cried out to him as she rushed her way over to his side "Dad, I think Tom stole the stone! Let me just get the gods and we can go to the underworld and force him to give it up!"

Star turned to get the others but Zeus gripped her arm firmly but gently. "No Star, I am afraid my pride has severely complicated matters. Even if you knew for a fact Tom took the stone."

"I do dad!"

"Even, if you _knew_ " Zeus repeated firmly "Gods cannot cross into each other's territories at will. It would defeat the purpose of having many gods for many roles."

Star let out a sigh discontent "So there's nothing we can do..."

Zeus perked up, a glance of hope in his eyes as he turned to his daughter "No. There is nothing _I_ can do except prepare for war."

Star turned to her father, catching the subtle change in tone

"But you Star are a goddess of nothing. Your role has not yet been thrust upon you and thus..."

"I can break into the underworld and get back the stone!" Star cried excitedly

Zeus waved his hand in a sort of motion "You must go through the front gate of the underworld. That is not forbidden to you. But that is not all, there are still some rules you must abide by. You must choose a champion."

Star whined loudly "can't I just borrow one of yours?"

Zeus shook his head "Then I would be responsible for their actions against another god. They are my champions and I am a major figure here you know. But if you were to pick your own champion..."

"Then their actions would fall on me and since I am not a real goddess, I can't get into any real trouble yet!" Star caught on quickly.

Zeus nodded happily "Quite my daughter. Now there is only one mortal on earth at the moment worthy enough to be called champion of a god...er goddess in this case."

Zeus stared out into open sky as the dawn was approaching, waving his hands . Air shimmered into some sort of moving picture. Star was fascinated by the figure within. He had brown hair and light brow eyes, his traditional chiton painted bright red for some reason.

At first he did not seem like much. Skinny, not much taller than Star but as Star watched him work the flames of the blacksmith's furnace, eyes scrunched in a deep focus, she could see something inside his soul that made him special. Unique.

"His name is Marco Diaz. The son of a blacksmith. He lives alone in a small shack near the coast of the sea. He may not look like it but he is a powerful warrior."

"He's cute"

Zeus glared at his daughter before rolling his eyes in annoyance "Find Marco, guide him to the underworld and discover proof that Tom is behind all this."

Star turned fearfully to her father "How much time do I have?"

Zeus shrugged "A few days. You know how fickle the gods are. Even now alliances are made, grudges long since buried are brought to the surface, far more vile and rancid than when they were buried. I shall do all I can but you and Marco must succeed if you hope to save the world and the gods."

Star nodded in understanding before wrapping her arms around her father for what could be the last time. She wish she could say good byte to her mother as well but the sun had already risen and time was running out.

With a deep breath, Star's wings burst from out of her back and she took to the sky "I will succeed father!" She cried as she dove to Earth "I have to"

Zeus felt like it was a mistake sending Star on what could be a fools errand but as long as she was on the quest, she was not here and thus out of danger.

As Zeus spotted her retreating figure, he felt a rush of panic and quickly shouted after her "NO KISSING MORTAL BOYS! OR GODLY ONES FOR THAT MATTER!"

"I couldn't hear you dad, sorry!"

Zeus couldn't stop the face palm if he wanted to.

"You know dear" Hera called from behind "What the fates had decreed about Star's true love. About all the Stars true love"

Zeus sighed in defeat "Every Star has a Marco. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No but you should accept it."

Star reached Marco's shack in record time. As she gently knocked on the front door, she could hear the constant hammering of metal on metal and realized there was no way he could hear her.

Star took a deep breath as she pushed the door in gently, who knew how fragile mortal doors were to godly ones. She was greeted by a tiny shop. Various beautifully crafted swords, shields, armor and even dinnerware were hung throughout the room. Each looked study and masterful built. Items that could last ages.

Star could hear the gentle singing of a young man over the loud boom of the hammer and when loud boom had stopped, the singing had continued.

"Who puts the glad in gladiator? Herc..." he entered the room, arms full of various weapons when his eyes caught Star's "ules." He carefully placed the weapons onto a nearby bin and cautiously walked towards Star as if she were a wild animal.

"So" Marco began.

"So" Star answered.

"So what are you?" Marco asked, arms crossed defensively "a thief? A siren that somehow learned to walk on land? A witch going to turn me into a pig? Odysseus warned me not take cheese and wine from strange, pretty girls. Especially ones that just walk into people's home without permission. Extremely rude and suspicious you know?"

Star let out a scoff of disbelief "I thought this run down shack was a place of business, didn't know it was a home"

"What did you expect that I slept out back with the animals?"

"No because you would've smelled better"

Marco looked unimpressed "You still haven't answered my question."

"is this how you pick up girls?"

"Maybe I only use this on pretty girls"

"So you're saying you've seen prettier girls than me?" Star gave him a sly grin.

Marco flushed red. His face remained indifferent but Star caught a gleam of embarrassment in his eyes. No he hadn't.

"What do you want miss...?"

"Star"

Marco nodded slowly as if he didn't understood "Staaar? Right. Look, I'm actually closed right now and I am not in the mood to deal with thieves, witches or land walking sirens."

"I'm not..." Star took a step forward, barely realizing she was just an inch away from Marco's knife.

"Seriously, I am very tired and not in the mood." Marco stated matter of fact.

Star gave as small nod of approval, as much as she could at knife point "You are fast for a mortal."

Marco stared at her in confusion "For a mortal?"

Star snapped her fingers and a small jolt of lightning sprung from her fingers and across the blade of the knife. Instead of melting like she expected, it simply shrank in size before the blade popped off the handle and fell to the floor.

"You make excellent weapons" Star told him but Marco simply eyed her cautiously.

"Who are you?"

Star giggled before twirling around in a circle, raising one hand over her head and bringing it back down as arcs of lightning danced across both open palms "I'm a goddess, child of Zeus and future ruler of the sky, lightning and Olympus"

Marco nodded slowly "Take a seat. I think you have a lot to tell me"

Night fell as Marco locked up his shack, his bag full of supplies and some random bits of things he could work on. At his side was the finest sword he had ever made. It was suppose to be for a rich client but given that Zeus himself had tasked him with going straight into the underworld and bringing back a stone that would stop the gods from fighting, Marco figured it was an acceptable excuse.

As Marco walked calmly against the rising and falling hilltops of the land, Star was running around, chasing the various animals and rolling down the hills like some sort of child.

"You know you don't act like a goddess" Marco called after a giggling Star rolled down the hill ahead of him.

"Hey!" she rose to her feet, grass falling from her long blonde hair with some of it sticking to it "Have you met any godly beings before?"

Marco looked up thoughtfully before staring back towards her "Well no but you look like...well a normal teenage girl"

" **One that looks my age"** he thought to himself as he noticed her blue eyes full of glee.

"Well don't let looks fool you! I am 200 years old!" Star stated proudly, while sticking her tongue out at him.

Marco nodded "Looking good grandma"

Star's eyes flared with anger "I am not a grandma!"

Marco nodded once more, clearly not believing her "Whatever you say goddess of not lighting and sky."

"I will blast you full of lightning"

"Then I guess the world ends with me huh?"

Star pouted, clearly annoyed at Marco.

The two trudge next to each other in silence for a few more hours when Marco finally let out a small yawn.

"Man I am beat." Marco began staring for a nearby place to set up camp. He felt a pair of soft hands begin checking his arms, carefully and gently twisting his arms this way and that way.

"Star?" Marco said slowly, a flush spreading through his face upon seeing Star's face full of concern as she checked for nonexistent wounds.

"STAR!"

Star looked up at Marco only to find him staring directly at her. Star could feel her heart beat rapidly under his gaze.

"What? You said you were beat! Who beat you? Your hands look fine. Oooh did you mean your chest?"

Star began lifting his shirt. Marco wildly leapt back while clutching his clothes tightly against his body.

"I am beat means I'm tired" Marco told, gasping for air to calm himself down.

Star turned her to one side, clearly not understanding what Marco was saying.

"T-tired? What's tired?" Star asked quizzically.

"You gods don't get tired huh? Well mortals get tired. It means our bodies have to rest to regain energy and our strength"

"Sounds stupid" Star muttered after a moment.

Marco replied sarcastically "Well I am sorry I'm not a god. Just a puny mortal"

Star grinned happily at his comment "Me too. If you were a god I could keep tormenting you. It's fun."

Marco shook his head as he spotted a series of columns just past the next hill "We'll set up camp there. It should be a good place to defend ourselves in case we're attacked"

"Psst, I'm a goddess. Nothing can hurt you under my watch."

Marco turned to her with an evil grin "Oh good, that means you take the night shift"

"Night shift?" Star repeated, not sure she was going to like what night shift meant.

"Night shift" she pouted angrily as Marco lay fast asleep across from her. Now not only was she stuck with no one to torment, she had to watch out for nonexistent dangers in the darkness of the maze of columns. She had to admit it was beautiful in some sort of abstract art type of way but there was so many better things she could be doing. Running down those hills, rolling down the hills, pushing Marco down the hills...again.

Star let out a disappointed sigh as she blew a strain of her hair out of her face. Her gaze caught Marco breathing in and out slowly. It was rather cute how he took a quick gulp of air but released it in one long breath. It made his noise twitch in the most adorable way ever.

Star snuck her way closer to Marco and for the longest time, she just laid there, propping herself on her elbows, watching Marco in his sleep. She had to admit he was pretty handsome. She had never seen a shade of eyes like his before. And he was a good guy. Snarky, sarcastic but fun. He was also a master at verbal sparring. Star hadn't this much fun with someone in a long time.

She briefly wondered if she could visit him again after this was all said and done but sadly realized that wasn't going to happen. Dad would let her go down to Earth to hunt monsters but never to interact with mortals. She was barely allowed to talk to them to buy weapons for her hunts. Also was the sad truth that one day Marco would die. She would live on centuries after he passed and he would remain in the underworld for eternity.

Star frowned slightly and let out a sigh. Mortals thought the gods were incapable of understanding them, that they were powerful, emotionless beings. In truth, mortals and gods were very similar in many ways. Gods still felt joy, anger, betrayal, fear, sadness. Gods just live longer, were harder to kill, had bigger responsibilities and had supernatural powers.

Star rubbed her eyes gently when she heard it. A small scuffling somewhere nearby. She could tell it was big, a predator of some sort. It snuck quietly, the thickness of the columns muting its noise to almost inaudible levels. Star softly got to her feet as not to wake Marco. Whatever it was she could handle it, no need to wake up her sleeping hero.

" _the_ sleeping hero" she corrected herself, eyes dart glancing this way and that.

There a pause and the silence of the night was upon them. Star was not fooled. Crickets and smaller animals only stopped their chirping at the presence of a larger threat.

Then it pounced, out of the darkness across from her. It was a massive, golden lion that came at her with a speed far greater than she had ever seen. Star rose her hands and sent a wave of lightning towards the beast. Star smirked at the beast stopped in its tracks, eyes full of fear at the oncoming attack.

"Not so fast Starshine" Tom's voice echoed from the darkness. Suddenly the beast was surrounded by a wall of black flames. Floating just in front of the beast was a skull with 3 eye sockets laughing as the lightning struck directly onto the skull. The flames, electricity and skull all disappeared in a puff of smoke but before Star could put together what happened, the lion lunged directly at the still sleeping Marco.

Star opened her mouth but no sound came out as the lion was just inches away from Marco's throat.

Marco's eyes shot open and rolled towards the lion. Marco leapt to his feet, drawing his blade in one quick swoop as the lion uselessly chewed on Marco's sleeping mat.

"I thought you were going to watch out for me!" Marco shouted angrily as the lion's yellow eyes stared at him, hunger clear in its eyes.

"I can't hurt it! Tom's protecting it somehow"

The lion clawed at Marco but he stepped out of the way and brought his across its neck. The sword bounced harmlessly off the lion's fur as the lion tackled Marco in the stomach.

Marco's back hit a column and for a moment he saw 3 lions coming straight for him. Marco shook his head wildly and dove to the side causing the lion to collide with thick column. The column cracked a little and the lion shook his head, clearly in pain.

"STAR! Blast the column!" Marco shouted as he leapt onto the back of the lion, placing his blade into the middle of the snarling beast's jaws.

Star aimed carefully, trying to ignore Marco holding on for dear life while he attempted to keep the beast in one place.

Star pulled her arm back and throw a ball of pure electricity directly at the weakened column.

The column was silent as it cracked in half, slowly building up speed at Marco and the lion. Marco loosened his grip and let the lion chuck him off his back.

Marco tumbled, rolling across the ground completely helpless as the lion's eyes focused on his enemy, his back muscles flexing, ready to pounce.

The lion leapt forward only to land perfectly in range of the falling column. The sickening crack of the lion's skull breaking open echoed loudly throughout the night.

Marco got his feet and could see the stillness of the lion. He felt a pang of pity for it but quickly shook it off. It was trying to kill him after all.

Star raced over to Marco but he held his hand up to catch his breath.

Without a word, Marco began packing his stuff up as the sun rose to greet them.

"Marco, you should rest. That was a really intense fight."

Marco shook his head "I'm okay. A little beat up but no worse for wear. I didn't realize how serious this situation was."

Marco made his way over to Star and looked her straight in the eyes "Star, I promise you. I will find the stone and stop this war. No matter the cost."

And as Marco turned away, walking into the distance full of determination, Star couldn't help but muttered under her breath "I'm afraid of what the cost is."


	9. Greek Finale (Greek AU)

Hello fanfiction! Welcome the 2nd half of the requested Greek AU! Thank you for all the favorites, reviews and follows. Thank you to H mae, SVTFOEfanatic, fioleefan, bigmike,, all of you reviewers. I'm very happy you love this story. You readers rule!

So i'm going to be honest with you. This was tiring. this was epic. This was actually going to be even more story before i realized holy cow this is getting intensely big. it's current word count is 6,000. That's why i had to break it into 2 parts or you'll be reading a 11,000 word story. Yeah. if you are waiting for an update for If i say i miss you, this is why it got pushed back. I am very happy H. Mae loved the last chapter, so i hope she and all of you enjoy this one even more. I am not sure if i can do this epic grand scale on constant basis but that's for future me to worry about.

Now an author's warning, I'm sorry H mae, fanfiction. This is going to hurt. BAD. So enjoy the story, please review to let me know what you think or curse me. Thanks to all my readers. I appreciate every review, follow and favorite. I own nothing and enjoy!

And an author's side note, H mae has actually drew some scenes from this story. Check out her tumblr at hains-mae. they're pretty awesome

* * *

As the sky darkened, the blue sky replaced with what seemed like one massive long black cloud that signaled to all that something horrifying was rapidly approaching.

Star stood on a nearby cliff overlooking the ocean, carefully eyeing her surroundings. The more she took in the sights, the less time she knew she had.

The normally blue, clear ocean was now a sickly, pale green more like the color of acid than water. The nearby trees and grass were yellowing and slowly withering away despite looking much healthy the previous day when the pair had set camp.

The most concerning thing to Star, however, were the souls. There weren't many humans here in the wildness but every once in a while she could spot one that had passed far in the distance. Orbs containing the souls of decreased humans done in by nature, age or simple misfortune. The soul is a reflection of your life and thus your virtues or your sins paint the spirit a bright, pearly white or a dark, inky black.

Hermes, the messenger of the gods, had various jobs to perform. Along being the god of crossroads, travels, thieves among many more titles, his primary job was to guide the souls of the dead to the underworld. The world would be thrown completely out of balance if the gates of the underworld ever shut or, Olympus forbid, completely open. Life and death were connected far deeply than anything else on this Earth.

And as Star held a small tiny soul in her hands, lost and confused, she knew the war was far too close to erupting.

Star left the soul near the tree she found it, it was best not to move them, and raced back to Marco, the smell of freshly cooked fish demanding her attention.

3 days have passed since the lion's attack on Marco. While Star grew more nervous with each passing day, if the threat of an all out war between the gods wasn't looming over her head, she would have to admit this was the most fun she has had in decades.

Marco was an intoxicating mortal. The more time Star spent with him, the fonder she grew. Marco seemed impossibly skilled at many things. Hunting, fishing, tracking, he could even predict the weather by simply staring at the sky and feeling the wind, this particular skill became less useful as the gods began to neglect their duties. He could even repair clothing of various tears and rips that inevitable came when being hunted by monsters.

Star was unsure that the monsters were taking the advantage of the gods wandering gaze or if Tom had placed a mythological bounty on Marco's head but every day it seemed more and more monster attempted slow or stop the pair.

Vultures with steel tipped talons, massive wild boars, an elephant named Stampy, monsters were freely roaming the wild lands of Greece.

Not that Marco seemed to care. He slayed any monster that stood in his way with effortless ease. It was almost like he had done this before but Star laughed the idea away. He was the son of blacksmith.

When the sunset and night fell, Marco drifted off to sleep as Star kept watch. She would try as hard as she could but at some point during the night she would eventually fail, laying down on her stomach, elbows holding her head up as she contently watched Marco sleep.

It was illogical, it was silly, it was kind of stalkerish to be perfectly frank. She had only known him for 4 days! But she could not resist the lure of his face. His snarky grin or teasing smirk melted away into a contentment not found when he was awake. There was no guarded expression, thoughts hidden behind a mask of sarcasm. Just a small smile and a face free of worry. Along with his cute little snoring.

Star loved her parents but she knew not even the gods were perfect beings. Her father routinely cheated with other women. Demigods, goddesses but the one Star always questioned was mortals. Mortals were fragile, little things. They did not bite. They did not have a powerful nose to smell a predator approaching or razor sharp talons to defend themselves with. They were the lowest step on the food chain.

But the more time Star spent with Marco, the more she realized they had creative spark that could only be matched by the gods. Marco was smart, clever. Any monster he outwitted with ease and confidence. Sometimes, when they would take a small break, Marco would began to carve a tiny figure out of wood, each one he created in a different pose. Each was beautiful but Marco would toss them into the flames. "Offering for the gods" he had told her once.

Star was growing fond of a mortal who would one day die...

"Star!" Marco shouted to her, snapping Star from her thoughts. She shook her head wildly before gracefully accepting the cooked fish on a stick.

Marco looked at her warily before biting into his meal.

It was noon on the 4th day of their journey. The gates to the underworld were still 3 days away but the gods patience grew shorter each day. Star was beginning to think Tom's plan would succeed.

Marco, on the other hand, was plagued with a question that had been bothering him since the first day.

"Do you have to eat?" Marco asked Star, her mouth wide open as she prepared to take a bite.

"Food? Oh. Well not really. We still taste the flavor of the food but for the most part it is all acceptable to us. But no I don't have to eat. Oh! Did you want this..."

Marco waved her off "I wouldn't have gave you that fish if I was going to go hungry. It just spoil anyway."

Star let out a giggle as she took a big bite, surprising savoring the taste of her first fishy meal.

Marco glanced thoughtfully towards Star "So you eat for fun?"

Star nodded excitedly "Yeah just like we walk for fun!"

Marco stared at her in disbelief "You walk for fun?"

"Yeah I mean who has to walk?"

"I do. I have to walk to get anywhere"

Star let out a loud laugh "Oh right. Haha Sorry!"

Marco frowned at her "You're not sorry."

Star flashed him a mischievous grin "Nope. Not sorry."

Marco's face said he was vastly annoyed but the now severely chewed on inside of his cheek was saying he better stop staring at Star soon.

Marco rolled his eyes when he noticed something about Star he hadn't before. How could have he missed _that?_

"There's lightning bolts on your cheeks..." he muttered as if he was completely mesmerized by the fact.

Star gently pinched her own cheeks as if she wasn't aware of the fact that there were two bolts of lightning permanently etched into her skin "Oh these? Yeah a symbol of my divinity. Dad is Zeus after all."

"They're cute" Marco muttered, unaware of what he said until it was too late.

Star slyly grinned his way "Ooooh what's this? Marco Diaz just said I was cute?"

"Did not. I said your lightning bolts were cute" Marco willed his face to not change colors.

"Well they are on my cheeks and since my cheeks are a part of my body, you just called me cute."

"Whatever you say grandma. Come on we got to go" Marco hurriedly put out the campfire while avoiding eye contact with Star.

"Hey Marco? Why did you think I was a witch when we first met?"

Marco looked at her like she should know the answer. "Star. I am a mortal, traveling with a goddess to sneak into the underworld so I can prevent the gods from fighting and destroy my world."

Star wasn't following "sooooo?"

"This is modern day Greece! Everything nowadays wants to eat me, take my money or challenge me to prove my strength! Do you know how annoying it is to go walking to the marketplace only to be called upon to help stop a hydra? I just want food damnit!"

Star giggled before turning away from Marco towards a massive mountain.

"Star, where are you going?" Marco asked impatiently.

Star rolled her eyes while pointing at a nearby mountain "Over that mountain, obviously. I mean I can't fly us to the underworld or else Tom will know we're coming. The mountain is the fastest way across. If we keep going through land, it's going to take us too long!"

Marco shook his head "I got a way to get us there in 2 hours."

Star glared at Marco, unwilling to believe this mortal knew a faster way to the underworld than a goddess "How?"

"A boat" Star said, her voice echoing through the opening of the a large cave that a river cut directly into.

The pair were on a rather small yet study wooden boat. As Star sat on the bow, looking deep into the dark abyss, Marco was rowing them along through the near quiet river.

"Marco, are you sure? I'm feeling some powerful magic inside there." Star asked fearfully. She was a goddess so no amount of magic could harm her. Her squishy mortal however...

"I've done this plenty of times. Don't worry Star, just enjoy the ride."

Star turned to Marco, catching a glint of amusement in his eyes before the darkness of

the cave swallowed them whole.

The shadows seemed to stretch for miles and miles. How long had they been in this cave? Was it seconds? Minutes? Time seemed distorted within this rocky tunnel and Star still could not see through the pitch dark despite her godly vision.

"Don't worry" Marco's voice echoed from all around her, comforting her in more ways than she'd like to admit "We're going to have some light very soon."

Star could feel the boat turn around a bend but before she could question how Marco was able to maneuver through the darkness of the cave, a flash of light blinded Star for a moment before she let out a hush sigh of wonder.

The small tunnel had opened into a vast cavern but that wasn't what was catching Star's eye. Dripping from the ceiling, rising from the river, reaching from the walls, stretching in many impossible directions were clear, beautiful crystals. Each shone with a different hue. Blues, reds, pinks, greens. Every color Star had ever seen was present.

There were tiny holes in the cavern ceilings that let in small beams of light. When hit a crystal, the color beams would shoot off in other directions, mixing with other beams of light to make even more incredible colors. It was the most beautiful thing Star had ever seen.

"This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

Marco grinned like a dope at her comment as he took in the sight once more."Yeah. They're almost as pretty as you"

Star's brain jerked back to life. She slowly turned to face Marco who was staring all around him, glee clear in his eyes. Had he really just said...

She heard a splash from in front of them. Star leapt to her feet, lightning arching through her fingertips. Marco gently put his hand on her shoulder, surprise to feel how soft her skin felt under his touch. She really felt like a human.

Star calmed down immensely and let Marco pass to the front of the ship.

"Is that Marco? Marco Diaz?" a voice gurgled from under the water "back again?"

An inhumanly beautiful face rose from the water, her short blonde hair only made more distracting by a single strain of blue hair. Her aquatic blue eyes stared lovingly and intently at Marco.

"Hello Jackie" Marco politely nodded as Star made out more shapes beginning to circle the boat, giggling and seductively calling out to Marco.

"Sirens" Star muttered breathless, eyes focusing to see where the attack would come from. Various faces peered at her from the depths, friendly and giggling but Star wasn't fooled. Sirens were some of the most beautiful creatures but vicious and deceptive. Marco was in serious trouble.

"Still not even a little tempted Marco?" Jackie cooed softly before rising up, missing Marco's lips by mere inches.

Star's eyes flared with anger but Marco hadn't even flinched "No Jackie. I wasn't tempted back them. Not tempted now.

"Always on an adventure" Jackie pouted quietly "Hope this one ends better."

Marco's spine stiffened but before it could spread to the rest of his body, Star pulled roughly on his clothing

"Other adventure?" Marco was surprised that she seemed oddly jealous at the fact.

"Yeah. I've gone on other adventures" Marco stated calmly "I did have a life before I met you."

Star let out a scoff "And you met her before? She's a monster!"

Jackie shrugged "It isn't anything personal. We need to eat just like everything else does"

Star tried to ignore the nodding in agreement Marco's head was doing "So why haven't you eaten Marco?"

Jackie shrugged "He isn't tempted by anything"

Star stared all around her, the beautiful faces grinning happily, all focused on Marco "none of this tempts you?"

"Our temptations work on the heart's desire. It doesn't have to physical." Jackie explained, swimming around carefully

Star turned Marco but found him staring into the cave ahead "The only thing I want cannot be given to me by anyone."

Star reached for his shoulder but Marco had already pulled out a funny looking item from his bag and tossed it into the water.

"For Ariel. I know how much she likes those land thingamajigs"

Jackie nodded gleefully "We will make sure to..."

Jackie peered thoughtfully at Marco, the slits of her eyes switching from human to reptilian. "Ooooh. Something's changed. Sorry Marco..."

Marco peered fearfully at the surrounding sirens, eyes all alive with lust and hunger "This was a mistake."

Jackie bared her fangs as she lunged towards Marco but Marco was already prepared, lashing out at her with a powerful kick.

"Marco!" Star cried as her fingers lit up with power.

"NO! Star these crystal conduct lightning. You shock them, you fry everyone in this cave. Me included" he added hastily when she looked smugly at the sirens.

"what do I do?" Star shouted.

"Steer the boat! I don't know how long I can resist their song" Marco told her as a hauntingly beautiful song crept from the air itself.

" _My heart is pierced by cupid..."_

A slime, feathery hand tore through the floor of the boat, wildly grabbing at Marco's ankle's. Marco took a step back and plunged his blade down, the horrible shriek of pain doing nothing to dull the enticing song.

" _I disdain all glittering gold..."_

A siren leapt up from the side only to find Marco's waiting blade, piercing her stomach as Marco fought off the syrupy urge to simply dive in after the wounded creature.

" _There's nothing can console me..."_

The river began picking up rapidly, speeding the boat to breakneck speeds, the crystals becoming further and further in between the narrowing walls of the cave but Marco could still hear the song echoing within his skull, tempting him to sink beneath the furious river's surface.

Star peered behind them, the sirens chasing after them, nearly matching their speed. They weren't so cute now with their mouths now beak-like with rows of rotten yet still razor sharp teeth, reminds of their previous meals still stuck within them.

"At least I'm always cute!" Star taunted to them as the boat picked up more and more speed, the sirens disappearing further and further behind until they vanished from sight.

Star let out a cheer of excitement as the boat began slowing down, the sound of opening far ahead when she heard one last watery echo

" _But my jolly sailor bold"_

Jackie had managed to flop onto deck, her voicing lulling a defenseless Marco closer to her mouth as she tenderly held his head.

Star picked up the oar and swung it with all her might "Get your own mortal!"

A loud crack sounded through the tunnel as Jackie and half of the oar fell into the water, Marco nearly tumbling after her if not for Star catching him at the last second.

"Marco!" Star turned his head so he was facing her. Reflecting off his eyes, as if by some magic, was a bright blue star surrounded by gleaming yellowish gold waves of lightning. Before Star could understand what that meant, the image disappeared and Marco pulled away from her, scared and trembling.

"Marco..." Star reached out for him but he raised a hand to stop her.

"I...I...I'm fine" he managed to get out with a shaky voice "I'm fine..."

Marco covered his eyes with his hands "I'm fine."

Marco could feel something soft and warm wrap around him and he put his hands down to see Star embracing him tightly.

"You okay Marco..." she whispered into his ear.

Marco closed his eyes as his hands covered Star's, nodded in agreement while he let her warmth fill his body.

"Oi!" a deep, gruff voice called to them "You're gonna need a better boat if you wanna cross"

Marco and Star finally took notice where the river spit them out. If the other crystal cavern had been a room, this cavern was a city. Nothing but a dark, thick mist as far as the eye could see. Surrounded their tiny boat and a small amount of blue river water was a churning, seemingly alive black oily water.

The pair turned to the voice to find a pale, bald man in blue robes staring at them impatiently.

"You going to cross or are going to just sit there and make out?"

Star and Marco broke off their embrace as Marco cleared this throat and began pushing the boat with the stick that was once their oar towards the dock.

"You two ain't dead" the man told them as they approached his onyx, stone-like boat.

"You're Charon. Ferryman of the dead" Star let out a sigh of relief. They had made it to the entrance of the underworld.

Charon nodded agitatedly "Yeah and you're Zeus's brat and that Diaz kid."

Star was confused how Charon knew Marco.

Marco fished a small card from his now sopping wet bag and handed it to Charon.

Charon took it and pressed his finger against the middle of the card before handing it back to Marco.

"You're underworld mutli-visit pass has one more use left and it can't be for her. Not to mention I have to let Hades know she's in town."

Star opened her mouth to retort but Marco had already fished something else out from his bag. He handed Charon a small cooper boat he had made on the way here. It was the type of boat you would see fishermen use on the big oceans, the bottom painted a sky blue as if the ocean was reflecting waves off the bottom.

Charon turned it over, his eyes wide with memory and fondness.

"We're here to see Tom. No one needs to know we're here." Marco told him simply.

Charon looked at Marco before nodding slowly "Yeah I hear ya kid. Hop on."

"Marco, why do you have a multi-visit pass to the underworld?" Star questioned as the boat quietly and effortlessly sailed across the sea.

Marco's gaze became distance, his smile small but sad as he told her "I've been here before."

Star sensed this was a deeply personal matter, one that he did not wish to talk about. So as calmly as she could, she changed the subject.

"So how did you know the little boat thing would work?"

Marco shrugged "Rumor had it Charon was a fisherman before dying and working for Hades. I figured some nostalgia would help here."

Marco and Star waved goodbye to the quiet ferryman before turning their heads to the underworld. Or what they could see of it.

Massive skull like walls stretched into the ceiling, disappearing far from either's view. At the base of the walls were several openings that lead within as souls stood in long, mile wide lines that all funneled from a large crowd of them center in the middle.

"Luckily Tom's room is over here, away from the underworld" Star said cheerfully as the pair walked away from the front door of the underworld as a loud voice boomed through the air "Now serving number 8930023 at window number 8"

Marco shivered in fear "I hope I never have to deal with kind of waiting"

Star wanted to rush off ahead but each step she took, she felt heavier, less reactive as if someone was tying lead weights to her feet.

"Ugh, I feel so blah!" Star whined as Tom's rather modest room came into view.

"You're in another god's territory, your powers are weakened in accordance to the ancient laws." Marco explained, drawing his sword while keeping Star close

"I hate this! Is there any way I can not be like this?"

Marco thought for a moment as the pair entered the courtyard of Tom's place "If he accepts your challenge."

"Like I would ever do that Starshine" Tom's voice echoed from the darkness as large, spike fence trapped Star and Marco in the courtyard.

Tom casually strolled out onto his balacony, well groomed and clearly trying to impress Star.

"I have to admit Starshine, you are impressing more and more! Did not think you would get this far! Heck, I wasn't even expecting you for a few more days. Man. You are going to be a great wife."

Star jeered weakly "You say you don't want to be your dad but you're going to kidnap a goddess who hates your guts?"

Marco snickered "Sounds like you're making your father's mistakes again."

Tom's slammed his fist against the railing, large columns of flames burst from behind

him "ENOUGH!"

Tom cleared this throat before straightening out his clothes "It's time to get this out of the way."

Star rose her hands before a wave of sickness overtook her, forcing her to lean against Marco.

Tom sneered madly at Marco "Ah, the man of the hour, Marco Diaz."

Star felt her stomach turn ice cold. Was Marco about to betray her? At all this time, he was working for Tom?

Marco said nothing as Tom began pacing back and forth "It's been 7 years hasn't it? Since you last came here."

Star couldn't help but voice her anxiety "Marco, what is he..."

"Don't worry Starshine, I'll explain everything. After all, I know exactly what Marco's going to do." Tom's smile became Grinch like and vile "You see young Marco's parents here were champions of your father Zeus. All was happy in the Diaz household until the day your father called upon his parents to assist a brother of yours."

Tom disappeared into smoke, reappearing just in front of Marco "Marco's parents didn't make it back. They died." Tom mocking wiped his eyes of nonexistent tears "And left poor Marco to fend on his own. Not content with this, Marco hatched a daring plan: He would march directly into the underworld and demand them back. And surprisingly, he went all the way."

Star stared at Marco with sympathy and awe. A child had gotten inside the underworld.

"My father" Tom went on "was impressed naturally. So impressed that he allowed Marco to live despite his great disservice to my father...oooooh but there was a price. Father told him what the fates had revealed what would happen if Marco would ever return here while he drew breath.

Marco's eyes narrowed as Tom's smile eerily calm "The fates decreed that Marco was fated to die the second time he came to the underworld.

"No..." Star muttered, her eyes tearfully glancing towards Marco who was still as stone. Marco had willingly came on this quest knowing full well he would die...

"But" Tom went on with a salesman smirk "I change that. Renounce Star as your patron and when I take over, you can have your family back. I shall release your parents into your care."

Star's throat went dry. If Marco was to renounce her now, she would immediately be returned to mount Olympus and there would be no way to stop Tom.

Marco's eyes flushed with a longing that Star could not comprehend

"Aren't you tired of those days alone in an empty house? No one to praise your hard work or to share your birthdays?" Tom whispered in his ear, pushing Star away. Star tried to reach for Marco but suddenly she found herself wrapped in shadow tendrils, their grip far too strong for her weakened body.

"M-Marco..." Star croaked weakly as a shadow wrapped itself around her throat.

"Do you really want to help Star? She could never understand how it feels to wake up alone every single day, no one to love you, no one to hug you."

Marco's eyes began to tear up.

"Renounce the old gods and serve me and I can change that forever. I could even stop you from dying right now." Tom sneered at Star before putting on a gentle smile as he faced Marco.

Star couldn't help but let out a few silent tears. Marco was about to get everything he wanted and despite how horrible the outcome would be, Star couldn't blame him. Star couldn't understand how lonely it must feel. She thought of all the fun times her family had together and realized Tom was right. She couldn't even begin to understand how not having that could feel

"M-my parents died..." Marco's voice whispered "They died for a god that demand their assistance...a god that did nothing to take care of me when they left me..."

Tom's grin grew wider while Star closed her eyes in defeat.

"UGH!" Tom cried out as Marco's sword ripped his hand from his arm

"But they died protecting people who could not protect themselves!" Marco shouted, eyes flaring in pure anger "They died so others may live! I will not dishonor their memory! THEIR SACRIFICE! "

Marco slashed at Tom's chest, gold blood pouring from the wound as the shadows faded into thin air, freeing Star.

Tom's eyes glared in pure hatred towards Marco "You are going to die right here, right now!"

Marco smirked cockily as he carefully helped Star to her feet "This isn't over yet and I'm still breathing."

Tom could do nothing but glare as thick, heavy footsteps echoed from behind him. Out of the darkness was a large, burly minotaur dragging behind a massive ax that dug deeply into the dirt.

Star couldn't help but stare into Marco's face. He had to fight a god and a minotaur all on his own.

"Marco" Star began, stumbling over her words "I just wanted know y...i mean I wante dyou to..."

Marco stopped her and his eyes gleamed with a play along twinkle "So chicken Tom is afraid to fight me."

"I am not afraid" Tom growled, random flames springing up all around him.

"Seems like it. Have get ground beef as back up" Marco taunted.

"You are just a puny little human!" Tom snarled, the flames rising higher and higher.

"A human that cut off your hand! Thank god too. It really wasn't working for you. It was actually better looking than your face."

"I HAVE ANOTHER HAND!"

"Want me to cut that off too? That way your face won't have competition. Well except maybe your butt." Marco began swiping at the air with his blade.

"YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Flames rose high into the air, slightly burning the minotaur but Tom paid no mind.

"Bring it, fight us Tom!"

"I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!" Tom screamed into the sky, flames whirling around him in an amazing show of power.

Marco let out a sigh of relief "Idiot"

Tom marched his way over to Marco, one hand twisted in shadow, the other flames "Who are you calling an idiot?"

"You" Marco said calmly as a bolt of lightning blasted Tom high into the air.

Long shadows shot towards the ground, steadying Tom as he glanced around for the attack.

His eyes widen when he saw the attack had came from Star "How is this...how are you..."

Strength surged back into Star and she hugged Marco tightly as he calmly explained "I said fight us." He pointed between him and Star "and you accepted."

Tom let out a gasp of disbelief before Star blasted him with another around of lightning, sending him skidding across the floor.

Star turned to the minotaur but Marco stopped her "You have to fight Tom. Get the stone from wherever he has it. I can't go toe to toe with him but I can hold off the minotaur as long as I can."

Star opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Marco had wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pressed his lips to hers. Star's eyes widen before she closed them once more, running her hands through his hair greedily.

With all the willpower he could muster, he broke off the kiss, leaving both Star and Marco dazed for a moment.

Star's face flushed before she took to the sky, her wings beating as fast as her heart.

Marco smiled grimly at the sight of the retreating Star, the crackling of thunder overhead meaning he had an audience. He turned to face the minotaur, wounded but still clearly a threat. The minotaur roared loudly as it charged directly Marco. Marco smiled as he raised his sword, simple saying "Today is a good day to die."

Tom launched himself into the air only to be blasted by another wave of lightning. As Tom crumbled to the ground, he randomly threw fire in the direction Star had been coming from only to find empty air.

"Looking for me?" Star muttered behind him, gripping his hair tightly before sending 10,000 volts coursing through his skull. Tom snarled in pain, blasting Star with a face full of fire. Star tumbled away before skidding onto her knees, launching high into the air as shadows gripped at air, narrowly missed her feet as she blasted another bolt of lightning at her ex.

Tom leapt out of the way, a shadow hand appearing and heading straight for Star. Star dodge beautifully midair before her fist made contact with Tom's stomach. Tom let out a gasp of air but Star was already sending another wave of lightning throughout his body.

Tom's fist burst into flames and he tried to reach for Star's face. Star gripped his arm tightly and with all the force she could muster, charred Tom's hand black before popping it off with a hollow thud.

Tom screamed at the lost of his hand and the insane amount of pain he was in but Star wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

She found herself staring at the Olympus stone hanging around Tom's neck on some chain. She gripped the stone tightly in her hand before raising it to the sky "TOM STOLE IT DAD!"

The ceiling of the underworld ripped open and a sea of light flooded the darken cavern. Star found herself and Tom lifting into the sky slowly, being called back to mount Olympus. Star clutched the stone close, a wave of joy spreading through her body. She smiled before gently touching her lips.

"Marco..."she whispered, appalled she had actually forgotten about him for a moment.

Her eyes scanned everywhere and anywhere for him, her ears strained to hear the echoes of battle but it was deathly silent. Not even the moaning of the wind could be heard and that filled Star with dread.

And as she climbed higher, she had spotted him.

The minotaur had been defeated, his mighty weapon embedded in its own skull. The courtyard looked like someone had ripped up the ground and scattered the debris everywhere.

And in the center of it all was Marco, laying motionless as a large pool of blood trickled from his chest onto the ground, surrounding him in a sea of red. Even now, he looked at peace as if he knew what his sacrifice had achieved.

"MARCO!" Star cried, her screams echoing back at her "MARCO! No, no, no!" Star tried to reach for him but she climbed higher and higher, Marco fading into the increasingly dark room "MARCO! WAKE UP! PLEASE DON'T DIE!" Star could feel the wet tears rush down her cheeks but she made no effort to stop them "MARCO PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! NOT YET!" and the last thing she saw before the view faded completely from her sight was the tiny dot that had once been Marco Diaz

Zeus was extremely pleased that Star had succeeded but he knew something had been lost when he and the others found Star hovering over Tom, blasting wave after wave of lightning into his chest.

It took every ounce of Zeus's strength and endurance to pull Star away from Tom. Star thrashed against his grip, pure hatred in her eyes as she screamed how she was going to feed Tom to the crows, one body part at a time.

Star began to crying uncontrollably when her father finally manged to get them into a room alone. Zeus knew the story, having watch his daughter the throughout the whole ordeal but he allowed Star to tell their story.

Star told him everything: The first meeting, the lion attack, rolling down the hill together, how he feed her vulture meat after the epic battle. Every moment she poured out to him and how disappointed her father must be that she fell for a mere mortal. Zeus quietly replied "he was a mortal worthy of a goddess."

Star brawled even more when she heard that. It hurt so much. It was just 4 days. 4 days! But it was easily the best 4 days of her life. She felt so empty and alone. She felt like she lost her best friend, her other half. She knew he would die one day but she was hoping it would far away from here and now.

"Perhaps I can help" a cool voice called from the doorway. Star looked up to find the smiling face of Hades. His long black hair looked like swaying flames and his coal eyes were kind and gentle.

"You have done us a great service and proven why you are my favorite niece. Tom will be severely punished though I do not think any of us could match what you dished out." Star shifted nervously until Hades gave her a reassuring smile "he has done a terrible thing. You bear no guilt."

Star smiled but it quickly faded

"As my thanks for keeping family together, I will offer you this" Hades whispered something into Zeus's ear before quietly handing him something away from Star's view. Hades smiled gently at the weeping Star and calmly walked out of the room.

Zeus held his hand behind his back "Star, come here."

Star quietly edge her way closer, her sniffling still echoing through her ears. Zeus smiled softly as he held out a soul in his hands. It was pure white like a bolt of lightning and when Star peered closer, she could see twinkling stars shining through the orb.

Star glanced up to her father who nodded slowly

"Marco..." she whispered in quiet glee.

"Hades has decided to look the other way regarding this mortal. Due to ancient laws, he cannot be in the room but he also cannot overrule my decision and nobody came blame him if he had no idea what I was going to do with this soul. If you wish, I can make Marco Diaz immortal" Zeus stated in a straight forward tone.

Star's face broke into a smile before disappearing into a frown. She couldn't do this to him could she? He earned his rest, an afterlife of peace and happiness. It wasn't right for her to take him away from that. From finally being with his family. It was selfish and cruel. No, it was better to send him to the underworld. It was right.

Star shook her head "I cannot make this choice for him. He's earned his rest." and as strong as she could, she walked away, determined not to stare back least her emotions break out once more.

Zeus peered into the soul in his hands, wondering if there was a right answer in all this.

Star sat against the railing, staring out into the inky night sky, looking for the void that had been left behind when her father plucked her star out of the sky.

"I wonder" Star sadly told herself "If I could convince dad to make Marco a constellation...then I could see him every night for eternity..."

"I think" a voice called from behind her "that might give me a big head."

Star turned around, unable to believe who she was hearing. She let out tears of joy when spotted Marco standing there, slyly grinning in her direction

"I mean I did kiss goddess while I was mortal" he shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes filled with joy "Makes me feel a bit cocky."

Star didn't even question what was going on. She ran full speed, her arms tightly wrapping around him as he held her back.

"Marco..." she whispered into his chest before breaking away and slapping his face.

"OWW!" Marco cried "what was that for?"

"That's for dying on me!" Star shouted at him before slapping him once more.

"OWW! And that?"

"For being here! You earned a hero's rest. You should be in the underworld, with your family!"

Marco smiled brightly "Hades said I could visit them whenever I want. Besides, I'm a god now. Gonna spend my whole life tormenting you."

Star smiled as she slapped him once more, gentle this time.

"And that?"

"because you made me cry..." Star admitted.

Marco nodded "I can't have that. It would be the opposite thing my new job requires from me."

Star smirked at him "Oh? What job did Dad give you? Horse keeper? God of butlers?"

Marco smiled as he placed his hands on her waist "Keeper of Stars"

Star giggled loudly, snorting a bit before flushing in embarrassment "Oh gods that is soooo cheesy and lame!"

Marco smiled brightly "You love it"

Star smiled back before whispering "I love you"

"I love you too Star."


	10. The final stand of Marco Diaz (Greek AU)

Hello fanfiction! I have a surprise for you. First a thanks to all my reviewers, followers and favorites. H mae, who i am happy enjoyed the story and it was her idea for the lightning bolts on Star cheeks. Seriously smacking myself for not thinking of it. Big mike, i love percy jackson and Rick Riodan created a beautiful world that i dont think i could ever have came up with. SVTFOEFanatic, i'm sorry i nearly made you cry but a fair warning, this one is going to tug at your heartstrings. fioleefan, i am glad this story helped turn your day around.

Now this is a hidden 3rd chapter that I was writing for the Greek AU. This is the last one for this set of stories. It was a secret to everyone, even H. mae. While writing, i had indeed noticed Marco wasn't getting enough internal thoughts and dialogue, so i wrote this. It's the missing fight between Marco and the Minotaur. So for obvious reasons I could not post it up before the 2nd chapter and i did not want to add it on because that one was huge.

So to clarify this takes place near the end of the 2nd part of the Greek AU when Star is fighting Tom. This is my shortest chapter but it is more of an extra scene than anything. So thank you for all your support, love of the story. It brings a smile to my face. now I'm going to go write the next chapter for if I miss you (up tomorrow hopefully) so H mae, loyal readers and fanfiction, enjoy! i own nothing

* * *

As Star took to the air, the look of confusion and pure joy on her face etching permanently into his brain for him to enjoy for the reminder of his life, Marco turned to see the Minotaur closing in on him.

It's massive muscles were easily bigger than Marco's head with veins the size of snakes crossing every inch its body. It's blood red eyes were hungry for a fight and its impatience was evident by the puffs of air bursting forth from its snot.

Marco glanced upwards towards the half man, half bull creature. He let out a small wince, gently rubbing where Jackie's claws sunk into his side. He was surprised Star hadn't noticed his wound but then again, she would have done something silly like try to save him. He knew was a dead man when Star mentioned the underworld all those days ago.

The minotaur raised its ax high into the air before bringing it down to slice Marco in half. Marco effortlessly sidestepped the blade, moving just for it to miss by an inch. Marco whirled his sword hand around, cutting the beast's leg deeply.

The minotaur roared out in pain, swinging the ax wildly towards Marco. Marco leaned back, the blade barely missing his chin before twirling around in a circle, cutting the exact same place he had previously wounded the minotaur.

The minotaur snorted in pain as it stumbled weakly around, reaching for anything it could use to steady itself.

Marco could hear the loud cracking of Star's attacks. He wasn't concerned about her. If anything Marco learned anything these last few days, Star could take care of herself.

As the minotaur reached for him with two hands, Marco dug his blade deep into the dirt, swinging directly at his enemy's face, blinding the beast with dust before rolling through his wide open legs as it clawed desperately at its face.

Marco bit his lip as his wound collided with the ground repeatedly, Jackie's poison spreading through his body with each passing heartbeat.

He remembered the shift in Jackie's eyes, a bright blue star shining deep within the wells of her eyes. It was the first time he was overcome with uncontrollably desire. Star's sweet voice echoing all around him as he felt like he was sinking through thick fog while the boat raced down the river in a blur of colors.

When Jackie slipped aboard, part of him knew it was her. But when her form switched between Star and her true self, he could feel the longing aching to break out of his chest. He knew it was ridiculous: he was a simple mortal and Star? Star was a goddess in every sense of the word.

But as Jackie, disguised as Star, approached him with a near perfect match for Star's smile, he faltered for a moment. He knew it wasn't Star in front of him, Star smiled much wider and she loved grinning her teeth teasingly in his direction., her eyes shining with a mischievous glee and some other emotion Marco couldn't place.

But he gave into temptation, into the impossible chance it was actually Star, that it was not only real but actually happening. A goddess and a mortal. In that moment he wanted nothing more but to believe it was true

Then the oar smashed into Star and sent her sprawling into the water and Marco nearly leapt after her in fear before being turned around by the real Star. The illusion was broken but he felt like an old wound had been ripped open violently. He felt raw as a sense of loss and reality came crashing over him like a wave. He pulled back from Star, afraid he would give into his urge and throw the false mask of sarcastic snark away and just kiss the damn girl.

The minotaur roared, lunging at Marco. The wound doubled in pain and Marco hunched over, unable to leap out of the way as the Minotaur's fist connected with his stomach.

Marco could feel something break in his chest as breathing became very difficult

Marco remembered when he first saw Star standing in his store. She was beautiful but so was Jackie, Rosa and Circe had been as well. No one that beautiful came to him unless they was attempting to end his life.

When he found out Star was a goddess, he tried his hardest to keep her away. Oh lord did he try, but each passing moment became better and better.

He was flirting with her. He knew that with every sarcastic retort and playful jab. Most people found his sarcasm too subtle but not Star. She had picked on it and began fighting back. Marco was impressed with her sharp wit and he couldn't help but feel they were verbally dancing with one another, releasing years of loneliness with another that felt that same pain.

Marco thought it was wishful thinking and began trying not to stare at Star. But those campfire nights were the hardest. The first 2 nights she had sat across from him and Marco couldn't help but marvel at her long, flowing blonde hair as bright as the sun with her shining oceanic blue eyes staring at her, clearly having the time of her life. Marco would sneer and lightly scoff at the random pieces of grass stuck in her hair but basked in a quiet glee when he ran his fingers through her soft hair at her request to help her get them off.

But that 3rd night while he laid on a grassy knoll, staring into the vast sky above him was when the mask cracked. Star had laid next to him unexpectedly, head on his shoulder as she pointed gleefully above. She had happily told him the story of her birth, how her father had plucked the brightest star out of the sky and feed it to her mother. Marco remembered turning to face her only to see her expectantly staring at him, their hands lightly brushing but neither mentioning it. Marco gave her a smile and said that was a really awesome story. She giggled and thanked him

The minotaur screamed, ripping the ground around it in attempt to scare Marco but Marco knew he was dying. Tom knew that Star would waste time destroying the minotaur allowing him to escape. Marco was going to die but that was okay. Star would be safe. The world live on and maybe Marco would have finally done something to make his parents proud.

The minotaur swung his blade straight at Marco , the shaft of the ax catching him in the middle, pushing a rib through his chest as he began feeling cold, the warmth from the kiss fading along with his life. Marco gripped the ax tightly before yanking it out of the Minotaur's hands with surprising strength. The Minotaur staggered forward, thrown off by its wound and Marco's strength.

Marco lifted the ax as high as he could before bringing it down directly into the skull of his foe.

As the minotaur fell to the floor, dead and defeated, a sharp pain surged through Marco's body. He fell onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling as a bright light shone just a little ways away from him.

He could see Star, victorious over Tom like he knew she would be.

He saw her began screaming his name, begging for him not to die, not to leave her yet.

He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to let her know how amazing she really was, how this was all worth it, and how much he loved her.

He wanted too but his voice was hoarse and weak and his body pushed too far.

Besides, he thought himself as the darkness overtook his sigh, I'm just a mortal. How could I ever be worthy of a Star?


	11. Blood Moon Blitz (Canon AU?)

Hello Fanfiction! Thank you once again for the follows, reviews and favorites. I am very glad you loved the greek au. Big mike, it was F'd up but Marco gets to be a god, Star and to live forever. Sounds like it was worth a little pain. SVTFOEfanatic, sorry about the dam and thank you for your review on the other story. For the record no why they are apart has not yet been revealed. H. Mae. I am very happy you loved the AU and thank you for the drawings and the request. it was so much fun. Fioleefan, i keep making you cry don't i? i'm sorry.

Now this is a interesting AU for many reasons. The first, i am very nervous about this because after the greek one, i don't feel like this is going to be very good. but then again i am my worst critic. Second, I don't know how to classify this. It is my take on blood moon ball so it is the canon universe but Do i call it the canon universe, or alternate canon which make it not canon. The last thing is that there is an experiment here with a song. so I'm hoping it goes over well enough

This AU was created by the fact i can't wait for hopefully Monday's episode (It was suppose to be the 12th but then disney pushed it back at the beginning of July), I have Starco withdrawals and i was watching Book of Life. Great movie. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this right now and go watch that movie! Not only does El Tigre make a cameo in it (The show's creator was the writer of Book of life) it is visually beautiful.

Okay a few author's notes. I made a lot of things up because the episode isn't out. so yeah all i had to work with was the trailer from comic con and some storyboards that were leaked onto the internets. Some translations. Traje due luces is literally clothes of light. It's the official name of matador clothing. a Calaca is the type skeletons on Mexican Day of the Dead art work and things of that sort. And if you want an idea how Marco sings, look up I love you too much by Diego Luna from book of life. This is probably the only time i will attempt to add a song directly into the story, so if you don't like it, don't worry. It was a one time thing. So thank you all my readers! Enjoy and I own nothing!

Now an author's warning. This is sweet. also might hurt

* * *

Marco stood against the wall, nervously swooshing around the dark red, thick liquid in his skull cup. He had a sneaking suspicion whatever was in his cup was not fruit punch and telling how it stuck against the edges of the cup before slowly dripping back and Marco's limited medical knowledge, it wasn't something he wanted to be sticking in his body.

Marco let out small sigh while he ducked his head as a party goer walked passed him. The massive demonic rabbit took notice of Marco before slinking off towards the punch bowl. Marco knew it was just his nerves. There was only 2 people here that could notice him but he had disguised himself before arriving.

Marco Diaz was not wearing his tradition garb of red hoodie, white undershirt and black slacks. Today Marco Diaz had decided to fit into the tradition of the Blood Moon ball (despite his very nonexistent knowledge about said event.) and had gone with a monstrous appearance. Or at least, an undead appearance.

Marco was dressed in an elegant, mostly black Traje de luces, better know as a matador outfit, with a small amount of fancy golden yellow lines, designs and buttons emblazon all over the outfit. On top of his head was a jet black gaucho hat, famously worn by Zorro. His face was unrecognizable underneath a rather serious calaca skull mask, blues and greens splashed over a simple floral design

Marco looked like he was attending a Mexican day of the dead party rather than ball hosted by demonic looking beings from different dimensions.

He was wary when Tom had just barraged into their classroom early in the day, tuxedo ready, floating in mid-air like he was the coolest thing ever as he offered his hand to Star, ready to take her to the Blood Moon Ball.

He remembered Star talked about Tom, her ex-boyfriend. How he was an impatient, angry and very selfish demon from the underworld. Star admitted it had been the worst mistake of her life, that she had been charmed by his suave demeanor and confidence. Star admitted she was sucker for bad boys.

Marco wondered briefly if Tom had been Star's first kiss but quickly tried to shift his thoughts away when his stomach started to disagree with him.

He wanted to follow Star outside but as she shoved Tom out the door, she gave Marco reassuring grin that she could handle it. So Marco waited behind with the rest of the class as they watched the pair from the classroom window.

When Tom surrounded her with fire, it coiling back to him with Star in tow, something had snapped inside Marco. As Tom held onto Star bridal style, spiraling into the sky propelled by fire and dipping Star in a very romantic pose, Marco had already raced out of the room. Before he could even question why he was so angry, he had already attacked Tom, shocking Star from her daze and chopping off the demon's hand.

That turned out to be the wrong move. Tom's pupils turned white, clutching his now hand-less arm, flames rising behind him. Star had quickly jumped in, promising that she would at least think about going with him to the Ball. Tom calmed down but glared viciously at Marco. Tom handed a small gong and bell for Star to summon her ride and walked back into his carriage. Marco created the very situation he was trying to avoid.

As Star uneasily prepared for the dance, Marco tried in vain to persuade her to stay. Star admitted while she wasn't sure if Tom had changed, she was willing to find out and that the Blood Moon Ball only happened every 667 years.

Marco admitted he was a little hurt when Star told it was a different kind of fun when he told her that they could have fun at home. Marco casually covered his eyes with a hat he had brought into the room when Star extended her mirror and began changing behind it.

Marco voiced his concerns about Tom actually changing and maybe he should come along but Star had countered that Marco had not been invited and to trust her to do the right thing for herself, her calm voice turning into a yell. Marco asked if she was okay and Star replied she should probably stop using magic on her face

Marco admitted he didn't trust Tom but as Star said something, he caught the briefest flash of her bare leg and quickly covered his wandering eyes with the hat once. He remembered how red he had turned in that moment and how he questioned when did he get so comfortable with Star that they were okay in being in the same room while the other changed, trusting them not to look.

Star flung opened her mirror and asked Marco how did she think

Star was wearing thigh high white boots, pink hearts on the bottom and red ribbons at the top. Her dress a wide with a wave of pink on the bottom while the rest was a lighter shade of red, a heart bow on her stomach. The dress was a single sleeved pinned with a pink heart at her shoulder. She had two long sleeved white gloves and her long hair had been done up in a beehive bun, two strains of the hair curled and hanging off the sides of her head.

Marco couldn't stop the words from tumbling out.

"You look...amazing"

"Thanks Marco"

"Don't go" Marco whispered

"I'm totally going" Star whispered back as she rang for the carriage.

She placed the bell and gong on her desk, waving cheerfully good bye to Marco as the carriage burst through her bedroom wall and took her to wherever the dance was being held.

Marco admitted he was ready to just sit down and watch some movies until Star returned. But then a thought came to him

Marco hadn't realized at the time but remembered felt funny when he stared at Tom those few moments, like his brain had gone fuzzy and he had a hard time recalling what exactly he was thinking. In fact, now that he stopped and thought about it, he found himself slightly defending Tom, almost as if he was compelled to.

Marco's eyes widened as a sudden thought struck him. Star was awfully dazed when talking to Tom, was it possible he was somehow influencing her mind somehow!?

He began panicking, he had to warn Star! Or at the very least keep on eye out for her. His eyes fell upon the gong and bell but just before could ring it, he realized that he couldn't go as himself. Tom knew what he looked like and clearly didn't want him there and Star would be furious if she discovered he didn't trust her enough to make her own choices. Of course Star wasn't the one Marco didn't trust but he could see her side of the story.

Marco began digging around through his old costumes and his father's collections of mask before settling on his current attire.

He rang the gong, increasingly aware how half cocked and fundamentally flawed his plan was. He assumed there were going to be demons there but did he fit the bill? Would the carriage driver remember they had picked up Star from this location and that she was the only one invited? Would they see he was just a human boy in a costume? How would he talk his way in exactly?

It turns out something wanted Marco to be there. The carriage picked him without question. The party goers were mix of vampires, werewolves, very demonic looking animals, zombies and Marco had managed to sneak in with a group of 40 or more skeletons that were dressed in various costumes.

Marco spotted Star and Tom easily as they were the only two that remotely looked human. Marco didn't like how close Tom was dancing with Star but the grimace on her face and the sudden way she would pull away whenever he got too close made Marco calm down a bit.

Marco decided to watch them. If Tom did something suspicious, he would be ready to spring into action. If not, he could sneak away and Star would be none the wiser.

That had been 3 hours ago and while a lesser man would have neglected and faltered at his responsibility, Marco was no lesser man. He dutifully watched the pair despite the thirst in his throat and slight rumbling of his stomach (There was nothing remotely drinkable and edible at this party.)

Marco was beginning to think Tom was being sincere which brought the sickness to his stomach once more. What if Star decided to date him again? He thought unhappily.

Suddenly he heard Star let out a scoff of disbelief and while lost in his thoughts he had lost sight of the couple, he quickly tracked them to the front door.

Star was visibly angry and clearly out for blood with Tom. Tom keep rising his hands, his nervousness evident this far away, attempting to calm Star. Marco could Star scram that "Tom was the same selfish jerk as before" and "I can't believe I fell for it again!"

Star made a motion to move and Marco's glee turned to horror upon realizing he had to beat Star home and somehow take off his disguise before she noticed he hadn't been there all night.

But Marco's stomach felt like a bucket of ice had been dropped inside it when Tom roughly grabbed Star by the arm and turned her to face him. Before Marco understand what he was seeing, Tom pulled back his coat and flashed Star his 53 days anger free button.

Star struggled against his grip but her struggles slowed as her eyes became dazed and distance. Tom smiled malevolent grin as he patted Star's complacent head and Marco knew what was going on. That pin must've been some kind of mind control device.

Marco raced through the crowd, knocking over any and everyone he could as Tom cupped the defenseless Star's face and moved in for a kiss. Marco slid between, his hand narrowly grabbing onto the pin as he ripped it off Tom's shirt. Tom screamed bloody murder, blast Marco's mask and hat off but luckily not harming Marco.

"You!" Tom glared as he balled his hands into fist "You just had to interfere!"

"Umm duh" Marco replied, slipping into a fighting stance "You were trying to hypnotize my s...best friend! I won't let that happen!"

"She would've been happy this way!"

"It's her choice how she wants to be happy!"

Marco lunged at Tom he set his fists ablaze with flames but before either of them could began fighting, a third voice cried out.

"Narwhal blast!"

Marco grinned upon hearing Star's voice but his happiness quickly faded as both boys were knocked to the floor by small, arctic whales.

Tom struggled to get to his feet but Star was already blasting him with bubbles, sticky cotton candy webs and more aquatic life. Tom cracked under her relentless assault and with a wave his hand, disappeared behind a curtain of bright red flames.

Marco began rubbing the spot where Star had struck him. His eyes were closed in pain but he could hear the soft clicking of Star's boots against the tile dance floor.

Marco reached up to where he had last heard Star's approach was surprised that no assistance came.

He opened his eyes to Star hovering over him, angry and hurt dancing in her eyes.

"Star?" Marco questioned fearfully but Star's face refused to change from the disappointed angry frown she had on her face.

"I told you to trust me" she muttered quietly

"Star...I..." Marco wanted to explain that he was just watching out for her, that he had a horrible feeling from Tom but as he stared deeply into her bright blue eyes, he knew that wasn't good enough. He understood where she was coming from. Marco had shown she didn't trust Star Butterfly his best friend.

And when she turned away, racing out of the hall back towards the carriages, Marco knew he had hurt her far more than Tom could ever have.

If something wanted Marco to be there to save Star, that very same thing was punishing him for hurting her.

The carriage had taken him back to Earth but had dropped him off at the wrong house half away across town. Marco tried to catch a bus back but he had forgotten that he hadn't brought any money with him to the ball. And as he walked towards his house, he was force to take a long detour around due to some unannounced night time construction.

What was suppose to be a 40 minute walked had turned into an hour and a half.

Marco stared quietly at the front door of his house, praying to anyone who was willing to listen that Star had just gone straight to bed but as he glanced up at her Mewni style tower, lights clear as day, he groaned in defeat.

He sat on the front step of his house, utterly lost what to do. He knew he should apologize but at the same time, the more prideful side of his brain told him without him, Star could've been Tom's mind controlled slave. He had saved her but he had hurt her to do so. He never wanted to hurt Star and briefly wondered if it was really worth it.

Marco let a sigh when two voices called out to him

"HEY MARCO!"

Marco looked up to the smiling faces of Ferguson and Alfonso, probably on their random all night horsing around days.

"Whoa, Marco are you okay?" Alfonso asked him, concerned in both their eyes.

"No I'm not" Marco admitted.

Ferguson and Alfonso peered at each other before turning back to their friend.

"Come on, let's talk about it."

"I don't want to" Marco muttered but before he knew it, both of his friends were dragging him to the side of the house, the location the boys often shared and attempted to solve problems. Their record was about a 30 percent success rate but given their immaturity and age, that was a decent rate.

The boys sat cross legged on the grassy yard, Ferguson and Alfonso across from Marco. Marco shifted uneasily at their patient, understanding glance.

After much prodding and silent waiting, Marco told his story. About Tom, about how he snuck into the ball, how he saved Star, how Star blasted him with a narwhal. Everything

Well, almost everything. He neglected to to mention how beautiful Star looked, how jealous and hurt he was when she decided to go to the ball without him. The pair meant well but they would take that in the worse possible way, telling him that he liked Star and should confess. He didn't need that right now.

"Marco, Star is just a little upset. She'll forgive you"

"I don't know...I've never seen her that...mad..."

"Well she was about to be mind controlled"

"And sad. It was like I betrayed her...and I did. I didn't trust her. I didn't trust my best friend..."

"But Marco, if you hadn't gone, Tom might've been able to control her."

"You trust her but you didn't trust Tom. She'll understand that."

"I guess...but I had to hurt Star to save her..." Marco covered his eyes in shame "God I'm a horrible best friend."

Alfonso and Ferguson looked at each other once more. They were close but they needed that little shove to help Marco.

The pair nodded to each other as Alfonso got up and snuck into the Diaz house, Ferguson trying his his best to keep Marco in one piece and distracted until Alfonso got what he needed.

When Alfonso returned with a guitar in his hand, Marco's eyes widen in a panic. He always hated that guitar and those stupid guitar lessons. His father said it would help him study better but being yelled at in rapid fire Spanish by a cranky old man was not a 5 year old Marco's idea of fun.

But Alfonso shoved the guitar into his hand and sat back down next to Ferguson.

Marco glared at the pair.

"And what's this going to do?"

"Play for us Marco" Ferguson said, quickly catching onto Alfonso's plan. The trio was sitting just outside Star's window. Marco was facing forward away from the room and clearly too distraught to remember where he was.

"No" Marco replied with a deadpan face "You know I hate playing this thing."

Ferguson scoffed. Marco may hate playing the guitar but he was pretty good. He might be able to make a career out of it if he applied himself and got some self esteem.

"Don't play for us. Pretend your playing for Star. Tell her you're sorry"

Marco opened his mouth to retort before closing it "I don't know any songs that count as apologizes..."

Ferguson jumped right on that "Then play what comes from the heart. You know, that cliche!"

Marco rolled his eyes but let out a sigh of defeat when Ferguson and Alfonso tried to nudge him along with their eyes.

Marco tuned his guitar slowly and looked at it thoughtfully.

How would he tell Star he was sorry?

What would he tell Star?

Marco looked his friends, gulping before nervously telling them "Neither of you tells Star"

They nodded in agreement, glancing at Star's window when Marco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They just hope Marco forgot how loud he tends to sing when he really gets into it.

To say Star Butterfly was in a panic would be an understatement. A full on meltdown would be more accurate.

Star may have left the ball hurt and angry at both Tom and Marco but the quiet carriage ride had allowed her to stop and really take note of what happened.

She thought of Tom and his attempts to kiss her and hold her throughout the night. She kept putting her foot down, aware that this was a losing fight and Marco had been right. But each time she had given him another chance. And each time he had ruined it. The ball was nice and fun but Tom's antics more than balanced it out.

Star felt regret that she hadn't stayed home through out the whole time she was there but the regret that hurt more was her words to Marco. She hadn't realized how hurt he had been when she told him it was a different kind of fun. Looking back, it sounded like she was getting bored of him and wanted something new. She mentally facepalmed herself. She could never be bored of Marco and the fun they had at the house would've have been more fun than the ball. The ball could have only been fun if she had gone with Marco instead of Tom.

Star thought of Marco's timely entrance. Star had noticed the quiet, well dressed skeleton man standing off to the side, stirring his drink over and over as he seemed to be waiting for something. Star hadn't realized who he was at the time but for some odd reason, his presence made her feel at ease despite Tom's repeated attempts.

When Tom grabbed her arm, she reached for her wand at once only to find herself staring directly into that stupid pin. She felt the spell over her before when Tom had showed it to her at the school but she waved it off as nostalgia As her body slipped out of her control, trapping her deep within her mind, fear began to fill her body when she saw Tom come in for a kiss. Marco had been right and she was about to pay for not listening to him.

Star felt immense guilt when Marco had saved her, taking a fireball to the face to ensure Tom didn't have the pin. Her stomach churned when remembered how angry she was and how she had purposely struck both boys with her magic. Tom deserved worse but Marco? He had waited all night at a party surrounded by demons to make sure she was okay. He literally rushed over to save her from Tom and his reward for being the bestest friend ever? A whale to the face.

Star remembered how scared he was staring up to her, his hand outstretched for support. And how that fear grew as she said those awful words and bolted away from him, not even checking to see if he was okay.

She knew she had been mad that Marco hadn't trusted her but she realized she thought she was mad at him. In reality, he hadn't trusted Tom and he was only at the party to ensure that Tom didn't try anything sneaky, not for Star to make a mistake. He literally wasted his time in a situation he was unfamiliar with, with creatures that probably scared the life out of him to keep on eye on someone who clearly hated and wanted to hurt him just to protect Star.

Star was forced out of the carriage but before she could go back for Marco, it had vanished in a flash of light.

"It's okay" She mumbled to herself, too distraught to change her outfit "Marco could catch a carriage back and I'll apologize when he gets home. It'll only take 10 minutes and it drops him off here"

10 became 20. 20 became 40 and when 40 became an hour, Star was practically in tears with fear. What if something happened to Marco? What if Tom had came back to hurt him? What if he was sent to the wrong dimension!?

Star calmed her racing heart. She could just call the ball's reception and ask if he was still there. If he wasn't, she could find the dimension they dropped him off in and go pick him up with the dimensional scissors. No problem.

The problem was that the carriage had dropped him off in Earth, at Echo Creek. He was on Earth but hadn't come home yet. Or maybe he had snuck out when Star was looking.

Star pulled her hair. She remembered the first time she had upset Marco. He had literally ran away from home to get away from her. And now that she deserted him in some monstrous dimension after all he had done was help protect her, who knows what he was going to do?

Star let out of a gasp of horror. What if he decided never to come back? What if he ran away to some far off place? Star would never see him again!

Star's heart heavy and full sadness. She had driven her best friend away.

She peered out the window of her room. She wanted to go looking for him but Echo Creek was a big place and she knew she would get lost. Not only that, she knew if by some miracle she had remembered where to find their hidden spots that would spend hours just in each others company goofing off and being silly, Marco would avoid them at all costs.

Star felt tears begin to run down her face. All she wanted was Marco, her Marco!

Star let out a small sob before realizing she was hearing something that hadn't been there before.

It was the soft strumming of a guitar, an instrument found both on Earth and Mewni.

At first it was just tuning up but then it began softly playing rhythmic notes, a song she realized.

It help chased the fear away but Star still couldn't help but worry.

" _I love you too much...To live without you loving me back"_

Star turned to her closed window as the soft voice sang.

"Marco?" she called softly

" _I love you too much...Heaven's my weakness and this is a fact..."_

Star knew it was Marco's voice but she didn't know he could sing. It was so soft and gentle. She never heard Marco like that before. Before she could stop herself, she was slowly walking towards her balcony

" _I know I belong...when I sing this song..."_

The strumming of the guitar began to increase ever so slightly

" _There's loveable fluff and it's ours cause I love you too much."_

Star opened her window doors only to find Ferguson and Alfonso sitting on the grass in front of Marco. They waved happily at her but making shhing noises and pointing excitedly to Marco. Even from here, even with his back turned, she could tell he was putting a lot of effort into this song.

" _I live for your touch...I whisper your name night after night..."_

" _I love you too much...There's only one feeling and I know it's right..."_

Star let out a little sigh before leaning against the railing, elbow under her chin as she stared at Marco under the pale moonlight, swaying along his song.

" _I know I belong...when I sing this song..."_

" _there's loveable fluff and it's ours cause I love you too much..."_

The guitar strums began become more powerful as Marco's voice raised a little more confident, a little louder sending shivers down Star's spine

" _Heaven knows your name I've been praying to have you come here by my side"_

All the guilt and sadness Star felt disappeared into the night as smile spread to her face.

" _Without you a part of me's missing, just to make you my home I will fight."_

Marco began strumming softly once again before breaking into a little a solo.

Star couldn't take the warmth she was feeling in her heart and raced out her room, rushing down the stairs as fast as she could, letting the cold outside helping her realize this was real.

Star knew she missed a good chunk of his song but that didn't matter as the guitar began strumming much more powerful with each note played and Marco's voice rose with it.

Star raced over to Marco but slowly approached him as he began getting lost in his music

" _I loooooooove you too much..."_

" _I love you too much...heaven's my weakness and this is a fact."_

" _You live in my soul. Your heart is my goal."_

" _There's loveable fluff and it's mine cause I love you!"_

" _There's loveable fluff and it's yours cause I love you!"_

" _There's loveable fluff and it's ours...if you love me"..._

Marco broke into a soft whisper _"...as much..."_

Marco finally opened his eyes to the smirking stares of his two friends.

"Remember" Marco said, coughing shyly "Not a word to Star..."

"That was beautiful Marco..."

Marco jumped to his feet and turned around to the smiling face of Star.

"S-Star!" Marco began, completely embarrassed. His eyes caught her open window and realized she had heard the whole thing.

But before he could even begin to explain what he was doing, Star embraced him like she was afraid he would disappear into thin air. She placed her head onto the nook of his neck, biting her lip while she tried to hold back the tears.

Marco could feel the silent tears dripping onto his shoulder and held Star as tight as he could.

"I'm sorry Marco" she whispered into his ear, "I know you were just looking out for me."

Marco shook his head a little "I should've trusted you to watch out for yourself. I'm sorry I didn't."

"You trusted me. You didn't trust Tom. That's two different things."

"I'm sorry Star..."

"I'm sorry Marco..."

They pulled away from each other but they didn't break the hold on each other.

Marco stared into Star's blue eyes, a million stars reflecting in them as her pink lips gave him a tiny smile. She still was wearing her dress and the effect it was having on him at close range was completely intoxicating. She was absolutely gorgeous but then again, she always was.

Star stared at Marco's light brown eyes, seeing the pale moon reflecting within them. His smile enticing and endearing. She shivered when his warm breath tickled her. Star took in his outfit properly and couldn't help but marvel at how handsome he was. How handsome he always was.

And because the day hard been long, eventful and honestly too dramatic, the two best friends slowly leaned forward and shared a gentle, shy kiss.

Alfonso and Ferguson took a quick picture and quietly raced off to collect their winnings. When an entire school in a betting pool about when Starco would happen, having a direct influence on the two really helped.

Marco and Star pulled away from each other after a few moments and couldn't help but stare lovingly into each others eyes.

"So..." Marco cleared his suddenly dry throat "I guess we have a lot to talk about."

Star nodded "Totally."

Marco held Star's hand tightly as two spent their first night as a couple together, simply talking the night away.


	12. Experiment 78 (Gotham AU)

Hello Fanfiction! Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites. I love you all my readers. It really fills me with pride especially for a kind of experimental thing. a special thanks to every single one of my reviewers, you help me stay motivated to keep writing these stories which I am so happy you all like.

First things things, Blood moon Ball. never bet against the house. Ugh I know that one scene was going to happen, that one super charged Starco scene was going to happen! and I was going to actually write it in! but i couldn't find a way to make it happen and it broke the flow of the story a bit. UGH! but i am very happy about the rest of it. A great episode overall.

Now we are coming back to the Gotham academy AU, second chapter. If you get too confused about what's going on, please let me know in the reviews and if I confused enough people, i'll rewrite this one. I was distracted by Star so i'm sorry if the quality isn't good. Still I hope you enjoy it. I'm a bit on the tired side so thank you all for reading, leave a review if you like and I own nothing! Enjoy!

* * *

Marco was hands down the best thing ever to happen to Star's life at Echo Creek Academy. Not only did she have a new best friend (shh don't tell Jackie or Janna) but he was a pretty cool guy even if he was a little distance.

Marco was kind and understanding, often stopping whatever he was doing to help Star with whatever seemingly small task. With Marco's help, Star's grades went up. It wasn't that Star was incapable of getting those grades on her own but hanging out with Marco just made everything seem...easier and before she knew it, in the two weeks they had became friends, they had spent every day together, hanging out, doing homework or her favorite past time, mystery hunting.

These last two weeks were amazing. Dipper was obsessed with all things supernatural and since Marco looked upon the younger boy as his surrogate brother, he often helped him out in his adventures. Whiiiiiich meant Marco would invite Star along by default. And they were the best times she has had in a long time. Maybe even ever.

Of course, there was one downside to playing with fire.

"Hi there, Mabel Pines. I am sooooo happy to meet you Star!" the young girl shook Star's hand excitedly. Mabel was Dipper's twin sister and you could tell they were related. Not personality, no they were as opposite as night and day but in looks and the twin things they did. Mabel had long, unruly brown hair like brother and a mouth full of metal. Mabel was crazy, silly and just as weird as Star. She was very outspoke and hardly let anyone ruin her parade. She was very creative and amazing with her art and crafts to the point where even Star had been impressed.

"Not as happy as I am to see you!" Star exclaimed giving the girl a big hug before rubbing cheeks against hers. She was so cute. "I loved you rainbow badger painting."

Mabel scoffed at that "What was impressive was your dragon made out of glitter and shooting lightning out of its eyes!"

The two high fived before panicking into a series of giggles. While Star was finally happy to talk to Mabel, there had been a reason for her visit.

"Sooo Maaaabel, what were you suppose to tell me?" Star happily smiled

Mabel paused for a moment, clearly trying to remember why exactly she was sent here to meet her idol Star Butterfly. Pretty, popular and just as crazy as her, Mabel hoped one day to be just like Star.

"OH! Dipper wanted you to come to the clubhouse. He said it was important."

Star frowned a bit. As much as she enjoyed Dipper's company, this was the boy who once summoned the group to do battle with a possum. So needless to say Star was a bit skeptical whenever Dipper claimed something was important.

"And Marco said you should hurry right away."

Star practically leapt over Mabel, holding tightly to her hand while racing to meet up with Marco. Oh and Dipper.

The clubhouse was actually Dipper and Mabel's great uncle's shack. It was the only building actually outside the school grounds, in the nearby forest a little ways in. Dipper and Mabel stayed there with their Grunkle Stan but since he was often away doing school things, the two usually had free reign of the building which they offered to hold the mystery meetings and where the group planned their big adventures.

Star raced into the house, Mabel riding her shoulders screaming about how she was going to set fire to rainbows. Star loved this girl.

Mabel leapt off Star's shoulders and pointed her upstairs, claiming Dipper wouldn't open the door when she attempted to come in. Star reassured Mabel that she would fill her in later while they were drawing Rainbow badger and Glittering Dragon battling to the death.

Mabel cheerfully skipped off to talk to her merman friend Mermando whom had sent another bottle to her earlier in the day.

As Star climbed up to the twins bedroom, she could hear an argument just beyond the door. Well it was one person screaming and the other person calmly attempting to keep them relax.

"Star will be here and we'll figure it out. Just relax Dipper" Dipper's voice called out

Star paused mid-step and stared at the door. Did Dipper just tell Dipper to calm down? Talking to himself in front of someone is new

"I can't calm down Marco! WHAT IF I'M STUCK LIKE THIS FOREVER!?" Marco's voice screamed outloud, panic echoing in his voice.

This worried Star. Marco was quiet and reserved, a bit reserved if she was going to be honest. Not in a bad way but like he was trying to keep something to himself. To hear Marco panic was a bit unsettling and talking to himself? Even more so.

"Hey" Dipper muttered back "What's wrong with being stuck like this?"

"Many things Marco!" Marco shouted back

"At least you have height. I don't remember ever being this short" Dipper shot back ruefully.

"Hey that's not cool man. It isn't my fault I'm so short..." Marco whined rather cutely.

Star couldn't take it anymore. She simply kicked open the door and twirled inside "Heeeellooo guys, what's..." her eyes couldn't believe the sight before her eyes and her cheerfully greeting turned into an actual question "What's going on?"

It was weird to see Marco in school uniform wearing Dipper's blue and white pine tree baseball cap, especially since it was too small for him and he had to undo the back for it to even fit on his head.

But the real red flag had been seeing Dipper, uniform tucked into Marco's red hoodie. Star felt a twinge of jealous. Marco never, ever, ever let anyone try to remove his jacket let alone would let someone else borrow it. It was a bit hurtful to see Marco just casually give it Dipper. Sure Star thought they were pretty close but apparently Dipper and Marco were even better bestises.

Marco's faced started hyperventilating as he began pacing back and forth while he began fanning himself with the hat, muttering "gotta ride it out. Oh god I think I'm gonna vomit!"

Dipper made a face of disgust "Oh dude, don't do that"

Star eyed Marco carefully as she made her way to Dipper's side "Umm Dipper...is...is everything okay with...umm...Marco?"

"OH GOD I COULD FEEL IT, JUST A LITTLE!"

Dipper frowned at the sight of Marco, gently rubbing his eyes before turning to look at Star "Star, we need your help"

Star couldn't keep her eyes off the panicking Marco. It was like watching a three headed cow or a teacher trying to use modern lingo. It was just so unbelievable and a bit unsettling.

"STAR! Focus please" Star frowned at the little puny boy before her. No one talked to her like that but...

Then Star spotted it. Dipper had brown eyes like Marco but Marco's were much lighter shade, just like the ones staring directly at her now.

"M-marco?" Star let out a gasp as she began pinching Dipper..er...Marco's...Dippers? Cheeks, rubbing them in every direction like she was trying to get a mask off.

"S..S...S-Star...STAR!" Dipper pulled away but the tone was just like Marco.

"Marco...in Dipper's body..."

Dipper's head nodded "I'm Marco. You really didn't think I'd act like that would you?"

Marco motioned to Dipper who had began panicking and pacing back and forth about how embarrassing this was and what would happen if Wendy talked to him and how he hoped he would be this tall when he got to Marco's age.

Star nodded in agreement "Good point. But what happened Marco?"

Marco uneasily rubbed the sleeves of now much too big hoodie "Dipper found this rug in the library labeled experiment 78, before we could check it out in the journal...well...static electricity apparently switches bodies on said rug."

"Why didn't you change back?"

Marco angrily lifted his hands in the air causing his sleeves to flail around wildly "Of course we wanted to but apparently it was a do not touch rug so Miss Lockheart took it into her office! She won't put it back until the end of the week but the book says we're going to be stuck like this forever if we don't change back by midnight"

"So Di...er...Marco?"

Marco nodded

Star nodded "Okay Marco, what do we do?'

Marco shifted uncomfortably like he had an idea but it wasn't one he wanted to do "I can get the rug but I need you and Dipper to distract Miss Lockheart. I'm gonna need some time for it."

Star nodded before getting on one knee and embracing Marco. When she pulled away, she was surprised how red Marco's face was.

"Come on" he muttered, inching past Star as fast as he could.

"Marco wait up!" Dipper cried out before tripping, landing solidly on his chin "Oww...long legs...a lot different than what I'm used to."

Star peered carefully into Miss Lockheart's room. The room itself was lined with towering bookcases while some of Miss Lockheart's props were on display atop. A skull here, a raven there, a sword with fake dry blood on the wall.

The 20 something year old teacher was sitting at her desk, gnawing on her pencil while braiding her long black hair. The teachers didn't like doing work any more than the students.

Star took a deep breath before happily walking inside "Hey Miss Lockheart! Got a minute?"

Blue meet green. Miss Lockheart spat out the pencil into the trash bin but did not cease braiding her hair "Of course Star! Come in, come in."

Miss Lockheart motioned to a seat that Star was almost positive had no been there a moment ago but she had been watching the pencil sail through the air, a bit distracted so it was possible she hadn't noticed.

Star smiled at her favorite teacher, trying her hardest not to notice the side door open ever so slightly, Marco slipping in as quietly as he could.

"So" Lockheart's eyes caught Star's "How can I help my second favorite student?"

Star opened her mouth to answer before the full sentence had hit her "Second favorite?" She pouted a bit "Whose your first?"

Lockheart's Cheshire grin was both fascinating and disturbing "Mr. Diaz of course."

Star felt an unnatural wave of jealous wash over her.

Of course she would like Marco better, Marco was smarter, more liked, everyone thought he was the coolest, Marco, Marco, Marco.

Star shook her head as shame replaced jealousy. Where had that came from?

"Why is Marco your favorite? Because he's so smart?" A trace of envy still lined Star's voice.

Miss Lockheart let out a rather endearing laugh "No though I will admit Mr. Diaz's knowledge is rather well versed. No, simply because of his... _electrifying_ presence. Wouldn't you agree Star?"

Star opened her mouth but instead of words, she suddenly felt shy about talking about Marco. She was tempted to just run out of the room

Marco paid no attention to any of this, creeping closer to the cabinet where Miss Lockheart kept most contraband items. As Miss Lockheart paused for a moment, her head tilting slightly in Marco's direction, Star remembered why she had originally came into the room.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool. We have lots of fun together."

"Yes I've noticed how much fun you and Mr. Diaz seem to have Star. You must be very fond of him"

Star nodded happily "Yeah, he's like my best friend."

Marco paused at this, turning to Star in happy surprise, giving her a small smile as he began to fish something out of his pocket.

Marco took a deep breath. Hopefully Dipper's hands were at least able to handle a bit of lockpicking. Carefully and as quietly as he could, Marco slid the two different picks into the lock, quietly waiting for Star or Miss Lockheart to talk to cover the sound of metal scraping against metal.

"So, Star" Miss Lockheart said with a hint of glee "You have yet to tell me why are you here?"

"huh?" Star was still dazed by the smile Marco gave her. True it came from Dipper's mouth but the gesture was still heartwarming "Oh! I had a question about the raven."

Miss Lockheart nodded before, getting out of her seat, making her way towards the cabinet.

"Wait!" Star leapt out of her seat which failed to startle Miss Lockheart "I mean I have my copy of the book. Don't want to waste your time by getting yours out"

Miss Lockheart shrugged "It is no problem at all Star. I keep them in my cabinet" Miss Lockheart motioned to the side where Marco was holding his breath and trying not to make a sound.

Star bit her lip nervously as Miss Lockheart's head began to turn.

"HEY...hi..umm...Miss.."

Dipper raced into the room, tripping over his own two feet and almost everything else in the room.

"Hiya Miss! H-how is it...umm...going with you...my teacher?"

"Hello Mr..." Miss Lockheart's eyes narrowed "Diaz. Are you okay? You seem...unwell"

Dipper began sweating but luckily he had taken his hat off before they had left though Marco refused to leave his sweater behind.

"A bit of a...tired I'm afraid. With all this...heat and...air" Dipper chuckled nervously and Star resisted the urge to smack him. This was so out of character it wasn't even funny.

"I see" Miss Lockheart said slowly, unconvinced by Dipper's lie "Well Mr. Diaz, I recommend you get some rest. You seem quite...different than usual. I suppose your fatigue is quite serious, it is almost like you are another person."

Dipper let out another forced laugh "T-tha's umm..crazy...impossible...I-I'd dare say miss..."

"Lockheart" she gave the two like she was staring directly into their souls

"Of course, duh...i knew that Miss...L-Lockheart..."

"Here, I could write you a note if you wish. I was just getting a book to help Star out" She began turning once more, Marco's eyes widen with fear and begging them to do something.

Dipper and Star couldn't come up with anything as Lockheart almost caught full sight of Marco.

"Oi! STOP THAT GIRL!"

Before Dipper or Star could react, there was a yell "MY CUTENESS CAN NOT BE CONTAINED!" a small little figure completely masked and cloaked raced into the room, twin sparklers lit in her hands as she climbed onto the nearest table and began hopping desk to desk.

Mr. Black, the janitor and overall grump, came in a moment later, out of breath. "Get off that table!"

"Make me hunchback of Notre lame!

Mr. Black lunged at figure who simply leapt off his back and onto another desk, watching him tumble over a chair.

Marco tried his hardest to avoid the increasingly distracting antics of everyone in the room. With a soft sigh, he managed to pop open the lock and quickly flung the doors open.

The figure began waving her sparklers back and forth while smoke rose to the ceiling. There was a loud buzz as the fire sprinklers turned on and began soaking the entire room

Star muttered a small thank you to Mabel who made a sign that was clear Star owed her before darting out of the room

"Alright everyone out." Miss Lockheart said, turning quickly to her cabinet.

Dipper and Star froze as they saw Marco's red hood out of the corner of their eyes but there was no shriek of surprise or anger. They turned to see that Marco was no longer there and Miss Lockheart was making sure the lock was secure.

"Oh, Mr. Diaz, Star please inform your little friend Dipper that he should be quite careful with what he plays with. It could be dangerous."

Dipper and Star nervously wished Miss Lockheart a good evening and race to back to the shack.

"So" Mabel began, chomping on some chips, her hair dangling from her head as she watched the trio upside down "Do I call you Mapper?"

Marco frowned in Dipper's body, something that seemed more familiar on the face "I'm Marco..."

"But you are in my brother Dipper's body, ergo you must be Mapper..."

Dipper walked over to his sister, towering over her with Marco's height "What does that make me, Dipco?"

Mabel let out a cute laugh "Clearly you are Dicro..." She frowned slightly "NO Dacro? Umm Dipperco? Ugh. Just switch back already"

Marco laid the carpet gently on the floor. Star was surprise so an old and quite ugly carpet had been the source of all their problems.

Dipper and Marco stood on the carpet, unsure what to do

"Maybe if I..."

"No that's not how it happened the first time!"

"I just..."

"Dipper just go back and forth!"

"Wait, Mabel!"

Zap!

"...Whoa, I'm tall!"

"Mabel!"

"Taller than you Dipper. Alpha twin, alpha twin!"

"Mabel, how do you not chew your mouth bloody with all this metal?"

"It is an art Marco"

"Could we just...okay Star, just grab Mabel and take her off the carpet...no no don't drag your feet!"

Zap!

"Wooooow Marco, I didn't realize you had this much muscle."

"Star stop...stop okay. Man why do I feel all sweaty?"

"Hey it is a normal, preteen condition that I am going through!"

"I don't remember sweating this much at your age"

"Oooooh, my hair is soft! Star, how do you get hair this soft?"

"My secret recipe! I'll give it to you Mabel"

"You do and we are completely even!"

"Guys, focus please! Okay, just give me a second to think. I mean we can figure this out. It'll just take a minute."

As Marco (Back in his regular body) and Star walked towards the dorms, hours have passed but it was still not curfew, so they quietly enjoyed the silence of the night at their own brisk pace.

When he girls dorm room stretched into the sky, Star turned to Marco

"Thanks for all your help Star" Marco said gratefully "You are the best."

Star smiled at him "Anytime Marco. You are my best friend!"

Marco's grin grew "Yo...you're my best friend too"

Star's eyes lit up "Really?!"

Marco nodded "Really"

Star let out an excited cheer "HUGS!" before wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could.

Marco could feel his cheeks flushing and was tempted to hug her back but settled on just gently rest his head on her shoulder.

Star let go and for a peaceful moment, the two basked in the others company.

"Marco, how did you get out so fast? And where did you learn to pick locks?"

Marco began play with the folds of his hoodie, a trait Star knew meant he was nervous. Star place a calming hand on his shoulder "You can tell me later"

Marco smiled appreciatively and Star admitted it was nice to see

Star knew she shouldn't push her luck but she was deeply curious and she needed at least something answered.

Star nervously tucked a strain of her behind her ear, unsure if Marco was willing to answer a question about his hoodie. He was very, very defensive about it.

"Marco...you are really fond of that hoodie...why?"

Marco's face fell and he began peering at the ground. Star felt shame and decided to let the subject go before angering Marco when he answered with a soft, distant whisper.

"It...it's the last gift my parents gave to...They're gone now...so..."

Star felt Marco's lost and confused face tug at her heartstrings, even on the first day he never looked alone or lost.

But Marco quickly gave her a reassuring grin "Don't worry...I...I like it here. You're here...and you make it...fun"

Star smiled at Marco, wishing him a good night as she rushed inside, her cheeks bright red with embarrassment.

Marco smiled brightly at Star's retreating figure when a sharp, cold wind ran through him. He frowned slightly before letting his gaze wander, trying to spot something in the darkness.

Marco knew something or someone was watching him but he didn't have his mother's gift, so he simply pulled up his hood and walked calmly back to his dorm room.

"Well, aren't we hiding something Mr. Diaz?"


	13. Name's Diaz, Marco Diaz (Spy AU)

Hello fanfiction! thanks once more for the reviews, follows and favorites. You readers are amazing and I'm happy so many of you like my work. It fills with me a deep pride. feels a bit weird honestly. A special thanks to H mae, SVTFOEfanatic, hyper-blossom-z, Imaginintisic, Norsk unicorn, your fellow Thespian and acosta. Thank you so much for reviewing.

Can I ask a question? did you guys like the last chapter of the gotham academy. I don't mean to be whiny or anything of the sort but i was just wondering. you readers were pretty silent about that one. Of course maybe reviews have spoiled me a bit. I am legitimately curious, not at all like omg no reviews. I plan to keep that AU and scott going for a while but i also write for you readers. So if there was something about that chapter you didn't like, or any of them, any critics or anything of the sort, please feel free to tell me. I won't get dejected or hurt, in fact it will help me grow as a writer. I was a saxophone player for 12 years, Trust me I know all about rejection and failure.

Well enough of that, for SVTFOEfanatic, Marco is a pretty straight forward guy when he feels like sharing in Gotham Academy AU, i think he would've said if his parents were dead. Of course if they aren't dead, what happened to them i wonder?

Okay today's AU comes from the letter S for spy because that's what happens when you watch a show called chuck followed by the movie Red and an episode of Star while listening to It's Finn Mcmissile in the background! you know cars 2 might've been an...interesting project (Not bad or good, just interesting) but i love that sound track.l Anything from Michael Giacchino is pure bliss to my ears. He is the composer behind the Cars 2 sound track, the incredibles as well as various video games titles like Medal of Honor and even lion king on the super Nintendo.

Author notes: I tried to be more descriptive here and added some action scenes.

I hope you enjoy the story! and sorry about the earlier...rant i guess? i am just curious. Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites, you readers are the best! now with any luck i might have another AU up later today but I will have an announcement tomorrow so you know keep your eyes open for that. Thank you so much for everything! Enjoy and I own nothing!

* * *

Tonight was a big night. Every important person within the country was attending a single event deep within a luxurious hotel's ballroom. Alliances, betrayals, illegal information about future technology not yet released. Such things and more were being whispered to one another all under the watchful eyes of guards, spies, double agents and information seekers looking to get the edge on their foes.

Yes anyone who was anyone was at the ball for their country, their ideals, their beliefs, for themselves.

Except for one person.

That person was upstairs, in a restricted office room, lazily playing solitaire as he patiently waited for the computer to finish copying vital information onto his USB.

Marco took a glance at the card in his hand. It was the Queen of hearts. He briefly glimpsed down at the various rows of cards he had laid on the desk.

There was two above a 9, a King under a 3, was that a joker? That's not even suppose to be in the deck!

Marco let out a groan of annoyance as he tossed the deck in his hands into the air, letting them flutter and wildly raining around him while his hands covered his face

"I don't even know how to play solitaire!"

He ran a hand through his brown hair, messing it up from the usual well kept look he liked to be seen with. Marco stretched in the office swivel chair, spinning around for a moment as he checked on the computer screen.

30 seconds remaining.

Marco stood up, began fixing the sleeves of his jet black suit. He peered into the mirror, readjusting his red bowtie while catching sight of his black loafers. He let out another annoyed grunt. He had just got these shoes and they were already dirtied and scuffed!

Marco pulled the swivel chair alongside him as he made his way back to the computer, its harsh light making him squint his eyes against the contrast between the pitch dark room and the bright screen.

Download complete.

Marco nodded, happy that the wait was finally over. He rolled the mouse over the USB icon and right clicked it, hovering the mouse over the option to safely remove hardware and eject media before clicking yes.

First thing he learned as a spy was never just yank out a USB. Despite what you see in the films, that could potentially corrupt and ruin the files you worked so hard to get. The very opposite goal USB's are needed for.

Marco slipped the USB into his jacket pocket before rapidly typing in the kill code he had installed beforehand. A few more lines of command and the computer would delete everything and reboot to factory specs. Of course he could've just used the option to reset it deep within the computer, but that wasn't as fun.

Marco activated the kill code, watching various files open and instantly vanish out of existence. Marco give himself a little grin as he watched all the intelligence everyone person was hoping to buy, steal, sell and otherwise attempt to use disappear in flashes of light.

Marco let out a small yawn as a small bell began ringing in his ear. Marco tapped his ear gently only to find someone screaming on the other end.

"Marco?! Are you okay? MAAAAARCO!"

Marco rolled his eyes "Jackie, I'm fine. I told you I was going into radio silence."

Jackie took a deep breath "I knew that...I mean of course I knew that."

Jackie Lynn Thomas was the Agency's new recruit. Talented but naive...and lacked experience...or nerves of steel.

Marco agreed to take her on his mission as a way to ease her into the field.

"Sorry, I just panicked a bit"

It hadn't worked.

Marco shook his head, checking his watch to see when Oskar would be arriving with pick up. "Alright, stay where you are. I'll be there in..."

The door knob rattled, too quietly for any normal human to hear but Marco was no ordinary human.

He managed to get out "Oh damn" as the door swung open.

"And I said to her... HEY YOU!"

"Hey you? I don't get it..."

"not you idiot, the intruder!"

Marco heard the guards draw their weapons from their holsters.

Marco launched himself sideways onto the swivel chair, pushing it towards the desk as the guards opened fire.

Marco's stomach groaned uneasily as the world began to spin around wildly, the sounds of gunshots echoing loudly in the room. Motion sickness Marco complained silently.

He took a deep gulp of air as he shifted all his weight backwards, tripping the chair onto the floor while sending him tumbling backwards behind the desk.

Marco could hear the steady footsteps approaching, the wooden desk creaking and splintering under the sheer amount of bullets being fired into it.

"This is unit 3, we have an intruder in the office. No, not the 3rd floor, the 10th floor you...you're new here aren't you?"

Marco drew his pistol from his pocket, unscrewing the silencer he had already attached to it. No point in pretending he was being sneaky anymore.

Marco turned to the other side of the room, the glass door that led to the balcony only a few feet away.

Marco crouched on the balls of his feet, moving his hand back and forth while counting down "3...2..."

Marco tossed the silencer overhanded through the glass door, shattering it in a loud shriek of glass.

Bullets rang out in the direction of the doorway.

Marco stood up as fast as he could, shooting the two guards directly in the shoulders before bolting to the balcony.

Marco glanced around at the identical balcony/glass doorways surrounding him in every direction. Flashlights and dozens of footsteps coming from every room. It was only a matter of time before they found him.

Marco unbuttoned his jacket, gripping a large bulky box held up by his belt. He gave the box a little squeeze, a grappling hook launching high into the air from within. It flew straight up before arching over the hotel's rooftop, catching onto and deeply embedding itself into a brick chimney high above Marco.

Marco double checked the harness underneath his clothing was tight and ready to go before carefully climbing over the railing and turned to face the room. He rotated a small dial on the box and the gears within the little box began to turn.

And began lowering Marco instead of causing him to rise.

"Wait! No, no, no! Up you stupid thing!" Marco cried as he began descending to the 9th, 8, 7th floor.

Marco violent struck the box which whine and jerk to a stop.

Marco let out a sigh of relief and turned to see a heavily armed guard staring at him in shock on the balcony, am unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"The hotel has a no smoking policy" Marco told him matter of fact "But I won't tell if you don't"

The guard blinked for a moment before jerking back in surprise and reaching for his gun. Marco pushed himself away from the railing, spinning the dial upwards causing the box to begin lifting him to the roof.

As the guard finally released the safety on the gun, he looked up only to find Marco's rising feet heading straight for him, kicking him in the chest and sending him through the glass door.

"Sorry!" Marco yelled below as he steadied himself from swinging any further "I hope I didn't cut you! Broken glass is extremely dangerous! You should probably see a doctor! About the cuts you no doubt have! And the kick to the chest! That's how Houdini died! Well sorta...anyway SORRY!"

Marco climbed onto the roof, ripping the box from belt and cutting the wire still attached to his harness

"There, on the roof, that's him!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! Who else is on the roof this late at night!? OPEN FIRE!"

Marco slid down the sloop on the other side, building up speed while the bullets whizzed by his head. He was safe on the other side but they would be here any moment.

Marco glanced across the street to the other building where Jackie was hiding. It was at least 7 feet away. He could make that. Probably. Hopefully.

Marco pushed himself off the hotel roof, shifting as much weight as he could forward.

His stomach hit edge of the roof, knocking all the wind out of him as gravity began to take hold of his body. He clawed angrily at the roof tiles, some slipping out of his grasp before his hands tightly gripped onto the edge of the roof.

"Marco!" Jackie cried from above him. He could feel her hands grab his, trying to lift him up before he fell.

"There! across the street!"

Marco turned his head as much as he could to see three armed men on the other side, two with machine guns and another with a pistol.

Marco pulled a hand away from Jackie before reaching for his pistol, roughly shoving it into her hands before frantically pointing behind him "Other roof! OTHER ROOF!"

Jackie looked up and let go of Marco's hand making sure he had a good grip on the roof before doing so. She aimed the pistol carefully at one of the machine gunners

Marco began straining himself attempting to go on the roof "NO! NO! PISTOL! PISTOL! Machine guns can't hit shit!"

Jackie shifted her gaze to the pistol wielder before shooting him directly in the chest.

The man let out a scream that Marco heard a million times before as he tumbled downwards towards the brightly lit street.

"Wilhelm!" the guards shouted before opening fire.

Jackie flinched, raising her hands in a pointless defense against machine gun fire.

Marco pulled himself onto the roof, the bullets from the machine guns scattering around the two, nearly but still completely missing the pair. Marco took the pistol away from Jackie and calmly shot both guards, wincing slightly as they fell backwards off the roof.

"Lesson number 4" Marco patted Jackie's shoulder calmly, tossing the now empty pistol away "Anyone with a machine gun cannot aim. That's why they need so many bullets."

Jackie nodded in agreement as the thud, thud, thud of a helicopter appeared behind them, blinding them with a bright flashlight.

"S'up?"

"Oskar!" Marco shouted angrily "stop doing that!"

Oskar turned off the light, pulling backwards before suddenly jerking to the right, a RPG narrowly missing his tail.

Marco turned to see a guard down on one knee, pulling the now empty launcher off his shoulder as he groped behind him for another rocket.

Oskar turned the helicopter sidewards motioning for the two to get in. Jackie stumbled forward, nearly falling off the roof before safely settling herself inside.

Marco glanced back again, the guard had another rocket in his hand and was loading it.

Marco turned to Oskar and told him to pull away. Oskar nodded, pulling away from the roof but still keeping the copter steady.

Marco took a step back before breaking into a run, leaping as far as he could over the gap into the helicopter.

As he gliding through the air, Marco turned his upper body as much as he could, flicking his arm towards the now loaded guard. The device in his sleeve sprung to life, gears grinding against each other in rapid speed as something metallic slide against his skin then Marco felt a handle of a gun slip into his palm.

Marco turned the tiny, one shot pistol in the direction of the guard and fired. Marco tumbled into the helicopter, his back crashing into the closed door.

The bullet had tapped the head of the rocket just as it left the barrel of the firing tube. A loud explosion shook the air, rocking the helicopter a bit as the trio flew into the night sky.

"Some first mission huh?"

"That..."

"Jackie?"

"That was awesome!"

"Ferg! I'm home!" Marco called into the apartment, putting his backpack on the hook by the door, now dressed his his white undershirt, black slacks and red hood civilian clothes.

"Hey Marco!" Ferguson called from the couch, too lazily to even give his best friend a proper hello.

"Did I miss anything?" Marco asked while he raided the fridge for something to eat.

Ferguson let out a sigh "Only everything! It's 2 in the morning!"

Marco raised his hands up defensively "I know, I know but this job pays good and plenty of time to study."

Ferguson looked at Marco disbelieving "I know being a cemetery caretaker isn't the most ideal job but does it really pay that well?"

Marco glared at Ferguson who looked away sheepishly "Right...it does."

"Oh by the way! Your package came in!" Ferguson called to Marco's retreating figure "I put it in your room!"

"THANKS!" Marco called out, spotting the package laying half haphazardly on his bed as if someone just tossed it on there. Which Ferguson probably did.

Marco began ripping the box open before gently placing the device on his desk, reaching for a small tool kit.

"Hey Marco! Why do you keep buying that brand? That's got to be like the 4th time they replaced that thing! You getting ripped off man! Just try another brand!"

Marco shouted back as he began unscrewing the back of the device "I dunno, I like this brand! It's...cool" Marco began gently squeezing a small part here, a clipping a wire there, removing a vital component.

"I think you're scared to try new things!"

Marco scoffed, half jokingly half serious as he replaced the cover after finishing all the necessary steps to his plan "Me? Scared? What on earth could scare me?"

The next morning, Marco stared nervously into the Mewni Electrical Hut, gripping the box with his now useless blue ray player tightly.

"Just go in, say hi. Make small talk...again...and ask. That's it, that's it."

Star Butterfly, blue shirt, khaki pants wearing customer service employee was leaning her chair against the work station, her blonde hair sprayed out all over the counter as she stared at the world upside when she heard the footsteps approach her carefully. She glanced at the clock first, 9 a.m. Right on time.

She moved her sight until it fell upon the upside picture of Marco Diaz.

"Oh hello Marco!" She said with a grin, raising her head as she swiveled her chair around to properly see him. "Back again I see"

Marco gave a small grin "Back again" he repeated

Star took in the sight of Marco greedily. Today he was sporting bright blue jam jams (as he liked to call them) with a black tuxedo t-shirt all while naturally wearing his red hoodie and adorably messy hair. It was like he rolled out of bed and zombie walked his way here.

"So how may I help you today?" Star smiled brightly at him, causing his heart to pound loudly.

"This" he coughed out, his throat dry as he handed her the blue ray box and receipt.

Star frowned at the box but Marco swore he saw a knowing glint in her eye "Broken again?"

Marco gave a small pout which cranked up Star's grin even more "Broken implies that I did something to it. It's _defective_. Company messed up again."

Star let out a restrained giggle "Either that company does not like you or you have some really bad luck. This is the 5th one you've returned!"

Marco shrugged "I wouldn't say it's all bad luck"

Star's grin became mischievous "Oh? And why is that Marco?"

Okay Diaz you've defeated criminal warlords, outfoxed mad geniuses, withstand femme fatales, and even beat a cyborg with a spork, you can do this.

"Cause..." he croaked before clearing his throat "I got to talk to you"

Smooth Diaz, he told himself as Star shouted "AWW thanks Marco!"

Marco could feel his heart stop when Star reached over the counter and embraced him tightly.

"You're not suppose to d-do that are you?" Marco wanted to die, his voice kept cracking. it was like he was going through puberty all over again.

"There's a lot of things I'm not suppose to do" Star made a shh noise and motion but Marco just couldn't help but laugh

"Okay Star, I won't say anything"

Star nodded appreciatively as she began typing out the order request.

Marco felt his hands tighten, palms become sweaty and gross as Star cheerfully typed away.

The moment was coming and Marco wasn't sure he was ready.

"Okay Marco, I put the order in. You'll be getting a new blue ray in 5 to 7 business days. Hopefully this one works"

Star laughed but Marco simply nodded in agreement.

"Annnnything else I could help you with?" she smiled at him, her sky blue eyes wide with anticipation.

Marco opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it once more, each time Star leaning more and more forward in her chair.

"Nope, I'm good. See you next week Star"

"Oh..." her voice was racked with disappointment that quickly shifted into a fake cheer "Okay, see you next week Marco."

Marco turned away, clenching his face in disappointment as he began chanting idiot, idiot, idiot to himself.

Normally Marco would've just left, not looking back but today he decided to change the script.

He turned back to see Star far from happy, she seemed down right downtrodden and let out a small, sad sigh.

Marco felt shame tug at his heartstrings and took a deep breath. He was Marco freaking Ubaldo Diaz, master spy and enemy to evil everywhere. Most feared agent in the world! He could do this!

Star couldn't help but let go of another sigh. She was so sure Marco was going to ask to hang out. He kept coming in for weeks, seemingly content just to be in her presence. Her co-workers told her anytime she wasn't available, he would just come back until she was on duty. And she was fairly sure he was sabotaging his own stuff just to talk to her. It was flattering really...unless he really did that bad of luck. Even the company admitted each blue ray had a factory malfunction problem so it could easily have been a string of horrible accidents.

"Star?" Star nearly leapt out of her skin when she saw Marco appear in front of her again.

"Oh, hello Marco, d-did you need something?" Star nervously attempted to play it cool and not at all let Marco know he had surprised her instead of her surprising him

"I was wondering...did you want to go out for lunch?" Marco asked quietly.

Star couldn't believe what she was hearing for a moment, her shocked o face transforming into a full smile.

"My lunch isn't until 12"

"I don't have anything to do today"

Star smiled even brighter "I'd love to"

Marco's faced had match Star's easily "Cool, I'll pick you up at 12"

"In your jam jams?"

"Don't be jealous you aren't wearing yours"

Star giggled, pure music to Marco's ears.

"See you at 12 wild man"

And as Marco, master spy, left Mewni Electrical Hut that morning only to return a few short hours later, he admitted he was scared of one thing.

But he was slowly getting over it.


	14. Utterly Lost and confused (Random Canon)

Hello fanfiction! many thanks for the reviews, favorites, follows and support of these stories. Makes me insanely happy and when I'm insanely happy. i like to write. You readers are the best! a special thanks to H mae, SVTFOEfanatic, Sughman, hyper-blossom z, imaginitisc, and guest. I am immensely happy how much you loved Marco the spy. Maybe i will visit the pair in the future.

I would like to address Imagninistic's review specifically. I decided to keep in line with Marco's character because i feel he doesn't think too highly of himself. In that line of thinking, i think his spying isn't a life style but an actual job. Spies are suppose to be cool, calm, smooth and deadly so Marco thinks that way while he's working. it's a mask for him to cope with the job but in reality he is a shy, modest guy who gets nervous because in his spy life, everyone is probably out to get you so he's expecting betrayal, death and failure but in his real life, he has no idea what is going to happen.

Now i made a little changes to the chapter titles, Each one will say the type of AU it is. H mae helped me realize that they can be pretty confusing what the chapter is about, so a special thanks to her. If it says Random, it is going to be a oneshot no matter what.

So AU this takes place in the canon universe? (Still not sure how to call it), some time after blood moon ball and fortune cookies. Toffee has not been revealed to our heroes but they are starting to notice Ludo's plans are switching from brawn to deceptive.

Before i let you guys in on the story, i like to remind you today is the last day for you to request stories from me. If you have already requested a story, i will try to get them done soon but it may take a while. but no matter what I will finish your request. This i swear!

Well once again, thank you my amazing readers. I love each and everyone of you. keep being awesome! Oh! and the next AU is actually hinted somewhere in this story but I'm not sure if i'm going to work on that one today or if i say i miss you or just take today off. So thank you so much for everything, enjoy the story and I own nothing!

* * *

Star Butterfly let out a loud yawn, stretching the weariness of a good night's sleep away from her body.

As she made her way down stairs, not even bothering to change out of her blue sleep dress all in preparation for a lazy Saturday morning, she could see her favorite Earth family bustling around in the kitchen, working together to set up the table for breakfast.

Marco was casually walking back and forth between the cabinets and drawers, arms full of plates that he held onto expertly while smoothing and rather gracefully dodging the his waltzing parents.

Mr. Diaz held his wife close as they twirled around in the kitchen, laughing and giggling, paying no mind anyone else in the room. Marco rolled his eyes in embarrassment but Star caught the smallest grin of happiness on his lips. Marco could complain all he wanted but he loved his parents as they were.

Marco span around them to get some glasses, some forks and knives. As Mr. Diaz dipped his wife effortlessly with one hand, the other held a spatula pressing down on the still cooking pancakes, Star let out a small "aww" It was so cute.

All at once, the trio turned to face her and greeted her happily "Morning Star."

"Morning Diaz's!" She waved cheerfully while focusing Marco's gaze towards her. His eyes were bright and joyful like the best thing that happened to him was seeing Star.

Marco suddenly coughed, turning away rather hurriedly while he began searching through the fridge, probably for something to drink.

Star could feel her heart racing as she took a seat at the table, Marco swinging around to pour her some orange juice. "One order of orange juice for the magical princess from Mewni" Marco said in his best impression of a diner waitress "That all hon?"

Star giggled, eyeing Marco carefully looking for more clues, but he had slipped back into regular old Marco. He was very good at hiding his emotions as Star discovered.

"Nah, I'm good miss Marco."

Marco huffed, a false glare on his face but Star couldn't help but stare at his seriously too cute mole "I'm expecting a bigger tip, Who drinks orange juice with pancakes?"

"I do! There a problem Diaz?" Star called to his retreating figure, the angry tone as fake as his glare was.

Marco give her a soft smile as he sat across from her "Nope, not at all" Marco let out a small chuckle as Mr. Diaz and Mrs. Diaz danced around the table, dropping eggs, pancakes and some hash browns onto the plates without slowing or even dropping a single crumb.

"How do you do that?" Star questioned, her head whipping around so she keep eye contact with the two older Diaz's.

"A family trait. All Diaz's are excellent dancers" Mr. Diaz called cheerfully as he gently helped his wife into her chair.

Marco scoffed in disbelief "Not me. Must've skipped a generation."

Star stared, unable to believe what Marco had just said.

Did Marco seriously not remember the Blood Moon Ball? How casually he had stepped in and danced with Star, literally sending her into a dazed trance. Or did he really think so poorly of himself?

She remembered how she felt in that moment, how right it felt dancing with the masked stranger that seemed to know her every movement before she did. She could feel herself falling for him without hesitation, without pause. Like they were made for each other.

Star had to admit she would've never guessed that it was Marco under that mask. His movements so relaxed, so precise, so confident, so smooth.

Though, Star told herself as Mr. Diaz bowed to his wife, kissing her hand with a suave that could not be taught as she flushed as red as a school girl, perhaps dancing wasn't the only Diaz family trait.

"Star? Staaaar!"

Star shook herself from her thoughts as she stared across directly into Marco's eyes.

Marco was caught off guard and his cheeks became tinted red for a moment before he cleared his throat, the flush receding as his skin turned back to his normal color within a moment. He too good at hiding.

"You okay? You were staring off into a space for a while. You don't usually do that on pancake day."

Star smiled before shoving a whole pancake in her mouth, her lips grinning but she knew better than to smile. Food and smiling didn't go together.

Marco looked uneasy, concerned but deciding if Star wanted to tell him, she would do so at her own pace.

"Oh, by the way, Marco are you ready?" Mr. Diaz asked him. Marco eyed him like he could not believe his father was even asking that question as he gestured downward to show that he was dressed to leave.

"Ready? For what? We are we going?" Star asked quizzically, savoring the meal in front of her while reminding herself not talk with her mouth full.

"We, as in me and dad, are going to go pick up some supplies for my grandma's party next week" Marco told her as matter of fact.

Before Star could excitedly ask if she could come, Marco had quickly added "Just Dad and me."

Star frowned, unsure if she was more disappointed that Marco didn't want her to come or that she wasn't going to spend time with Marco.

"I'm going to check on my garden" Mrs Diaz told everyone when the meals had been finished. She rose up, kissing her husband lightly as she happily skipped to the outside world.

Marco came over to take Star's plate and empty glass, eyeing the door his mother disappeared through "It's not that I don't want you to come" Marco whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her and reminding her of a few days ago which brought a shiver down her spine "We need you to distract mom. Dad wants to surprise her but we need to get some stuff first and set up the place for them."

Star nodded in agreement as Mr. Diaz called from the other room "Marco, have you see my calaca mask? The one with the bluish green flora design around the eyes and thin mustaches?"

Star and Marco looked at each other, eyes opened upon realizing that was the very mask Marco had used to sneak into the Blood Moon Ball.

The matching flush on both teens told them they were thinking of the same thing.

"N-no dad!" Marco called, walking away from Star as he raced to his room to retrieve the mask "I haven't though I think I saw it somewhere in the house."

Star couldn't help but giggle at Marco's panic look as he ran up the stairs as if his life depended on it.

"Well I need it!" Mr. Diaz's voice echoed from somewhere in the house "That was the mask I wore when I managed to impress your mother. I wanted to surprise her with it."

Star's eyes widen when she heard that. Mr. Diaz was wearing that mask when he managed to sweep Mrs. Diaz off her feet?

"Found it dad, come on let's go! We don't have all day!"

Star walked gingerly over to Marco who was waiting by the front door, the very same mask that had hypnotized her carefully held in his hand. For a fleeting moment, Star was tempted to slip the mask on Marco to see she hadn't been dreaming.

"Thanks Star for helping out with mom" Marco told her with a grin "We'll be back in a few hours."

Star nodded in agreement as she reached out for a hug, Marco's eyes widen in surprise. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, not as tight as usual. Star, on the other hand, held him as tight as she could and she realized once again, she could feel his heartbeat rapidly pulsing under her touch.

Marco pulled away carefully, just a hint a red in his cheeks once more but this time it took a bit longer to disappear "S-see you soon Star"

"Bye Star" Mr. Diaz happily smiled at her as the pair disappeared beyond the doorway.

Star let out a disappointed sigh as she muttered under her breath "So much for talking about that kiss..."

It had happened a few days ago.

After a particularly intense and fraying fight against Ludo, the teens were too keyed up to properly sleep.

Star stared at the incredibly tall ceiling of her room, wondering how Ludo was coming up with trickier and trickier plans. If it had not been for the timely arrival of Ferguson and Alfonso who managed to throw everyone off balance, Marco and Star might've lost the wand.

She let out a sigh as she looked over to the wall that separated her room from Marco's. She wanted to see if he was still up but it had been a long day and Marco needed his rest.

Star tried to fall asleep but sleep had decided it wasn't taking orders from the magical princess. She was tempted to use the wand to force herself to sleep but before she managed to wrap her hands around the handle, she heard low sigh coming from Marco's room.

Star knew Marco would be up, probably beating himself up for nearly losing the wand. Marco took his role as Star's bodyguard seriously, too seriously if Star was being honest. It was like he was trying to compensate for something. Like there was another, much deeper reasoning behind his fierce protection of her.

Star made her way towards Marco's room, quietly knocking in case she had been wrong but as Marco hoarsely called for her to come in, Star let out a sigh of relief. She needed to talk to her best friend.

Marco had slipped into his pajamas, looking curiously at his best friend as she made her way over to his bed.

"You should be asleep" Marco told her, straight to the point.

Star gently poked his chest, surprised how much resistance she had ran into "You should be too Marco."

Marco let out a sigh "We both knew we weren't getting any sleep tonight."

Star nodded in agreement "Yeah...it was pretty close huh?"

"Too close. I thought I almost lost..."

"The wand?" Star supplied "I know what you mean"

"No not the..." Marco stopped, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

"Not the wand?" Star questioned, leaning closer to her best friend.

Marco wasn't answering

"Marco?"

"No" he murmured softly "Not the wand."

Star was confused "Then what?"

Marco took a deep breath, still refusing to look at Star "You."

Before Star could ask, Marco had answered "If you lost the wand, then you failed your job. Your parents might've sent you Saint Olga's..."

Star took a sharp breath in. She hadn't thought of that.

"And I would've lost you" he muttered sadly.

Star gave him a quick hug "Good thing that didn't happen right Marco?"

Marco gave no answer.

"Marco?"

Marco turned to her, his brown eyes reflecting her face back to her. His eyes were filled with fear, concerned and a host of emotions that Star could see were causing a deep conflict within the boy in front of her.

"Marco? What's..."

Without warning, and without much thought, Marco leaned forward, closing his eyes as he gently pressed his lips against Star's.

Star's eyes widen in surprise as she struggled to understand what was going on. Marco was kissing her. Marco had just became Star's first kiss. She didn't know what to do. Should she push Marco away? Should she kiss back? She doubt just sitting there like a lifeless doll would help much.

Star felt a well of emotions overtake her. This was Marco Diaz, her best friend. She shouldn't be kissing him, she liked Oskar right? But then why did it feel so nice? Was this his first kiss because he was way too good at it for it being his first time. But then again Marco always liked Jackie right? So why was he kissing Star?

Then Marco softly began moving his lips against her and the world slipped from under Star.

She began to kiss him back, ferociously, not caring how inexperienced she was in the matter. She began pushing forward, greedily trying to get more of Marco as she ran her hands through his incredibly soft hair, gripping it tightly as her mind began spiraling out of control.

They were going too far, too fast. Emotions began battling inside her. She shouldn't be doing this with Marco, it was Marco. Best friend...but it felt so good. But what about Oskar, the bad boy musician prodigy! But Marco! Oskar? Did she like Marco? Did she like this? It felt extraordinary but but but.

Star was becoming undoing as the situation began accelerating faster and faster. Her brain became blank as she struggled to comprehend what was going on. She dealt with disappointed parents, she's battled monsters out for her blood, she took a new dimension in stride and confidence. But this? She was lost, confused! She was being pulled in a million different directions and she wasn't sure which was the right one. She was being pulled further than she's ever gone and she was getting scared. She couldn't deal with this, she couldn't handle this. She didn't even know what she wanted! WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO!?

Star pulled away, surprised how much effort she had to put into the act. It felt like she was trying to rip off a vital limb from her body.

She began panting wildly, Marco silent, his fearful eyes staring at her as if he had just something wrong.

Her brains sluggish began to work once more. What happened? What just happened? Why did it feel like that, why? Why did it feel so good? Was it because it was her first kiss? Or was it Marco? Was it both? Neither?

"Star?" Marco couldn't keep the quiver of fright from his voice "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that..."

Star's brain wanted to tell him no he shouldn't have done that, she liked Oskar...right? But her heart was practically shouting to tell him to shut up and do it again!

"I...I know you don't like me..." Marco's told her, his eyes downcast "N-not like that anyway. I...I get it. I...I'm sorry."

Star struggled to get to her voice to work. Words were being supplied from her brain but her voice refused to vocalize any of it.

"I mean...I'm sorry if I made it awkward between us...we're still best friends right? Right?"

Star's voice still refused to budge.

"Oh...I...I guess I ruined that. I...I suppose you'll be searching for another family to live with then..."

Live with another family? Star couldn't imagine it. Star didn't want to!

"N-no" Star croaked out, quickly coughed out "No of course not Marco. I-I don't know where that came from but...we're still best friends" she smiled brightly at him.

Marco nodded "best friends. Hugs?"

Star hugged him just as tight as she normally would but she could feel Marco distancing himself just a bit, as if he didn't want to lose control of his emotions again.

The pair spent the rest of the night joking around, being best friends and for a moment Star had forgotten what had just transpired.

Of course Marco was the one reminding her what had happen.

Ever since that day, Marco had been a bit more distant than usual, no doubt keeping his feelings for his best friend under lock and key.

Every hug, he did not held her as tight as he normally did. She could feel his heart racing every time her fingers made bare contact with his skin. Once in a while she would catch him staring at her for a moment. Sometimes, he would walk too close, gently brushing his hand against hers but whenever Star looked in his direction, he walked on blissfully unaware what had happened. He no longer shuddered and blush bright red when talking to Jackie though whenever Star managed to surprise him with a hug, his face became as red as his hoodie for a second before he willed it away.

He began pushing for Star to talk to Oskar, offering to talk to him to see what Oskar liked. It was clear Marco was just glad he had changed nothing between himself and Star and he was just helping her be happy.

Of course, something had changed in Star. It was like someone had blindfolded her whole life and just now introduced her to the sun. She saw all the little signs of Marco's feelings and briefly wondered had they always been there. Imagine her great surprise when she realized they had indeed been there the whole time. It had been weeks since Jackie had managed to make Marco blush and shift him into a nervous mess. She remembered the week before who when she surprised Marco from behind, his whole body stiffened at her touch.

Marco had fallen for Star and she had completely missed it.

The real question was why? Star was just a crazy girl from another dimension who didn't understand how earth worked? Reckless and irresponsible.

Star tried to talk about the kiss to Marco but some force out there decided she had her chance the night of and she had wasted it.

She left subject alone the first two days as Marco was clearly keeping an eye out for any negative shift in their relationship. When he found none on Wednesday, he reverted back to almost normal Marco. A little weary and clearly keeping himself under check but still her best friend. When Star attempted to approach him about the subject, that day Marco had been dragged to help out with some school poster. Star at once agreed to help but once it was discovered that Star was volunteering, half the entire school had done so too and Star found herself surrounded by a sea of fans all wishing for a bit of her time.

It was in that moment Star realized why Marco thought he had no chance with her. Almost every guy had some kind of crush on Star and Marco had already been crippled with low self-confidence for some reason. Star could pick anyone she wanted, Marco probably reasoned, so why would she choose him? Her reaction the night of the kiss probably solidified that line of thinking in his head though technically Star never actually answered Marco's question about liking him.

Star was plagued with thoughts that night. Did she like Marco? How so? As friend or as more? She was truthful enough to admit that the kiss felt good. But she had always been dreaming of her first kiss. Was that why she loved it so? Or was it because she really had strong feelings for Marco? She always had nothing but positive feelings about her best friend, already thinking he was incredibly cool and kind, so she really didn't have anything else to compare to romantic feelings and since romantic feelings were by their nature positive, it was really confusing to Star.

Star decided to kiss Marco once more. That should do it right? The novelty of the first kiss thrill would be gone and there would be nothing left but the straight forward feelings she had towards her best friend...in theory.

Thursday rolled around and Star was determined to kiss Marco for the sake of clearing her own head. The problem was apparently Marco was designated school guide and was called in to guide a trio of new students through the school. Star sulked through out the day, not having seen Marco at all except from afar, guiding a trio of absolutely breath taking girls through out the school. Star remember feeling a flair of anger as the girls were clearly paying more attention to their guide than what he was talking about.

Star tried to ask him for a kiss that night but as he turned around, giving her a small hug as an apology for not seeing most of the day, she felt her throat turn dry and her hearts turning bright pink. She muttered shyly it was okay before demanding he make her nachos and requesting a movie marathon. He gave her a happy smile, one that made her feel weak in the knees but before she fell to the floor, he had walked away to fulfill the princess's request.

Friday wasn't much better. Jackie Lynn Thomas had decided to hang out with the pair and for the first time ever, Star really resented the girl's presence. Especially when she began unnecessarily touching Marco, first a little slip of the hand here, a thank you hug there, a little too long of a handshake in between. The only thing that prevented Star from narwhal blasting Jackie was that Marco had no reaction to any of her attempts at flirting. No stuttering, no blushing cheeks, he wasn't even nervous around Jackie. And telling by how disappointed Jackie was, she knew she lost Marco to someone though she hadn't figured out how but Star knew and that filled her with a quiet glee for some reason.

Friday night she hadn't even bother to attempt to ask. Marco's parents had dug out their old karaoke machine and the household had spent the entire night singing their throats out. Marco was the only one who hadn't really been involved until some light teasing from Star. "Come on wild man" she smirked in his direction "Impress me" Marco took it as a personal challenge and boy did Star regret it. Suddenly the unenthusiastic, lazy Marco had became a suave, Star flushing singing machine. When he sang "Any Way you want it" with his father, both males were clearly had turned the song into a competition to see which one could get their girl to blush more. Star thought she was going to die from lack of blood flow to her heart because it was all pooling in her face, causing her face to become bright red and her hearts to turn pinker each passing note sang and the absolutely ridiculous yet somehow smoother than crystal dance moves Marco was doing.

And of course today was a complete let down. Marco was gone and Star was being driven up the wall from the lack of a real answer.

Hours had passed and the only thing that prevented Star from bouncing off the walls from impatience and lack of Marco was the fun time she had with Mrs. Diaz who treated just like she was family.

Night fell when Marco and his father returned. As Star and Marco waved goodbye to his parents, Star's hear began to hammer loudly in her chest. She was alone in the house with Marco. This has never happened before and suddenly asking to kiss seemed...terrifying.

"So" Marco said, turning to Star "What did you want to do?"

"h-huh? Oh!" Star quickly shook herself out of her stupor "How bout some nachos? Annnnnd a movie marathon?"

Star wanted to slap herself. She had already asked for those things on Thursday!

But Marco nodded in agreement "Whatever you want princess" and as he left to create Star's favorite dish, Star let out a breath of relief she hadn't realized she had been holding in. How on earth did Marco even manage to get the willpower to just kiss her? It was seriously impressive.

The two teens began snacking on Marco's dish for the 2nd time that week, content with each others presence as the Mask of Zorro played in front of them.

Star felt her cheeks heat up when she saw Zorro for the first time. Marco had mentioned he was planning to dress as Zorro for Halloween and Star excitedly agreed as Marco explained Halloween to her. Of course now that she had actually seen Zorro, she found herself wishing Halloween had been closer.

"Star?" Marco called to her. Star peeled her eyes off the screen as Zorro and the female lead Elena switched between swordfighting and Zorro stealing kisses from her. She had been lost in thought, playing the scene in her head, though in her version Zorro and Elena weren't the ones in the scene...

"Are you okay?" Marco asked quizzically.

Star nodded "Yeah...there's something I have to do but you know...it's a little weird."

Marco let out a cheerful laugh "Did you want to call Oskar? I still have his number."

"Huh?" Star looked at Marco and as she peered deeply into his eyes, she could practically hear his brain chanting "make her happy, make her happy, make her happy."

That was the final straw. No more stalling. This had been going on too long and she was tired of not having an answer.

So, not as gracefully as Marco had been, Star turned to her best friend and when he matched her motion, she simply let herself go and plunged herself forward towards him.

Marco was completely caught off guard by Star's movements but before he could back away from the rapidly approaching princess, her lips had caught his in a soft embrace and he closed his eyes, melting into something he never thought he'd experience again.

If the first time had been a spark, this was a firework display on the grandest scale. It didn't just feel good. It felt _amazing_. It felt right. It felt perfect. And there was no doubt in Star's mind. It was because of Marco. And as she ran her hands through his hair, she had an epiphany.

She liked Marco as her best friend but she absolutely loved him as something more.

And when they finally broke away not from wanting to but because in their inexperience, they forgot to breath, Marco just stared at her, shell shocked and like his wildest dreams had just come true.

"W-what just happened?" Marco croaked out, unable to stop the smile on his face.

Star grinned just as happily back towards him as she replied "I have no idea but I cannot wait to find out!


	15. Requests are closed

The requests are officially closed.

Thank you for your support, love of the stories. You readers are the best. I glad these stories make you happy because that makes me happy. A writer is only as good as their readers after all.

I will try to work on the requests soon depending on how busy i get it might take a while but I promise all your requests will be fulfilled, hopefully to your exceptions


	16. Guitar VS Keytar (request

HELLO FANFICTION! I am insanely happy today. thank you so much for all your reviews, favorites, and follows! I LOVE YOU READERS! you are all the best! A special thank you to H mae (Don't melt! How can you read if you are all melted?! Great little story on the review btw), SVTFOEfanatic (You type your heart out, i dont mind), fanfictionfordayz (STAY ALIVE YOU NEED TO READ YOUR REQUEST, FINISH YOUR STORIES AND THE END OF IF I MISS YOU!) Blossom Z (Im glad i managed to capture the twins twinness), Imaginistic (Sometimes true love meaning sacrificing what you want so that the one you love is happy), devious angel (i know right!) Bell Bit (Thank you so much, but i've got a surprise for you), Christhedude103 (Keep fanboying! That's exactly how I started these stories!), one crazed up dragon (that chapter loves you too!), twin444 (Thank you for your kind words, you readers make it a blast to write though i still make a few mistakes here and there.) and guest! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND REVIEWS! I am so happy you loved that chapter. and when I'm happy, i get writing!

So here we go, the 2nd request I have ever done and the first of the batch you amazing readers sent in. This request comes from Bell Bit. It takes place in the canon universe and lately Star's been hearing a mysterious instrument playing in the middle night. This naturally causes her to question the differences between the instrument and Oskar's play styles. I had completely forgotten about the fades bit, sorry bell. Bell also requested the song I love you too much from the book of life. I know i used it before but i took it as a personal challenge to see if i could do something different with something i had used before. Now i tried to use my musical experience to help describe the sounds and everything, so hopefully it isn't too confusing. Let me know what you think especially you bell, it is your story. i hope you enjoy this. and tell me honestly! I can handle it.

Oh and before i turn you loose H mae has done some more incredible sketches based on the greek au i wrote for her, they are amazing and very well drawn. Go check her tumblr hains-mae to see that, some cute couples, some cool Five nights at freddies and some other random drawings. They are extremely awesome.

Now I don't know if the next thing i'll be working on is another request, ,my own AU's or my other story but Hopefully it is soon. Thank you so much for all the love and support you've shown. It means the world to me! and i appreciate each review, follow and favorite. Go readers! Now please enjoy the story, tell me what you think of it honestly and I own nothing!

* * *

The moon was high in the sky, its rays basking the planet below in a quiet and serene glow. As the stars twinkled brightly above, the city of Echo Creek slept peacefully as its citizens waited for sun to banish the night and begin the day anew.

All except a certain magical princess who found sleep eluding her.

She was up all night, the excitement of the day and the thrill of a mystery haunting her mind.

Princess Star Butterfly had been faced with a strange problem for the last few days. She was stuck with a song in her head but had no way of knowing what it was.

She remembered the first night when she heard the quiet, peaceful melody of some soft metallic strings echoing through the Diaz's household. She remembered sitting up in her bed, straining to hear the plucking of an instrument she had never heard before. It was so quiet as if it was endeavoring to hide itself while still attempting to gather her attention.

Star found the melody nice but way too soft and simple. She couldn't help but comparing it to Oskar's keytar. While this mystery instrument gave off a metallic sound, Oskar's gave off a much fuller, wild distortion that felt amazing against the princess's ears. This instrument was but a single, thin noise while Osakr's a deep, confident mesh of sound that seemed to fill the air much better.

Star was briefly curious about the instrument but as the softness of the notes began to lull her to sleep, she decided it was time for bed. "Nice try" she told the air "But I'm afraid I just like Oskar's sound better."

Star drifted to sleep and thought nothing more of the instrument.

Until the next night.

It had appeared again, a little more loudly this time as if the player was getting a little more confident in their actions.

Star had been asleep when the metallic noise wafted through the hallways. Star groggily awoke to the melody, slightly annoyed but admittedly feeling nice at its sound.

Star sat cross legged on her bed as she began studying the noise to see if she could identify the instrument. Despite her best efforts, her limited knowledge on the Earth musical instruments had severely hindered her.

Still it hadn't been a complete lost.

As she strained to figure out what exactly was serenading her in the middle of the night, she began notice something different about the metallic noise. Before it had a thin, weak sound that could barely be heard. While it still was a thin sound, occasionally as it was plucked, there would be a flourish and rush of sound that gave the noise more depth for a brief moment. It was quite nice but still it was no Oskar's Keytar. This instrument needed those little flashes to make it sound bigger than it really was. Oskar's keytar had no such flaw. Oskar's was always big, loud and caught the attention of anyone within ear shot.

"Nice try" Star told the air "but still no dice. Come back tomorrow."

Star grinned happily. This was a pretty nice distraction but a distraction nonetheless.

The sound returned the next night.

Star had been anticipating it this time, so as it gently crept through the walls into her bedroom, she was up and ready to piece this puzzle together.

The sound was not the same as the previous two nights. While the metallic strings still echoed in her skull, now the melodic noise began sounding deeper, nowhere close to Oskar's sound but much fuller than it had before. It was also much more crisp, the heavy plucking now replaced with a light but strong strum.

The thin noise had became much more and Star had to admit she was slightly impressed. Oskar's Keytar had only one style, big and thick. But apparently this mystery instrument was capable of changing its sound just by making some minor changes to how it's played.

Still, Star thought to herself, Oskar's voice just goes better with this instrument. What girl could resist some beautiful lyrics? And Star couldn't imagine anything going with the mystery instrument.

Star giggled slightly. This was so much fun, even without Marco. Star felt a little guilty not including her best friend in this little enigma but he probably would have came up with the answer right away and spoil the fun. No, better to keep this to herself. It was more fun to solve a mystery on your own.

Of course, the next night the noise had brought a friend.

Star had stayed awake this time, determined to see what the instrument had in store for her this time.

What she heard this time was a gently hum with the strong, light strumming. The noise had seemed to fuse with the air itself, singing to her from every direction and encasing her in cocoon of beautiful, melodic bliss. The gentle hum fitted perfectly with the instrument. The two together had became something more. Both were hardly louder than a whisper but their sound seemed to fill her entire body with a warmth never thought possible. The strumming became more complex, switching from a deep harmony of several notes meshing together far better than anything Oskar could muster to a single string being played with a simple but satisfying melody, all within a moment's notice.

And without warning, the singer would play a little louder, becoming more powerful, more enticing as the hum rose to match the instrument but never once losing the quality of sound.

Star frowned. She remembered whenever Oskar sang it felt like she wasn't sure which she should be listening to: the signer or the instrument since the two did not quite agree on what was being played or even who was in tune. Oskar's constant loud, full and thick sound now seemed childish when compared to the mystery instrument. Oksar could only play one note at a time and sometimes his own music was out of time with itself. It was all one giant sound from one instrument rather than a symphony of pure music Star was now encased in.

"Tomorrow I have to figure out this mystery" Star vowed to herself.

Star may have been dressed for bed but that was the last thing on her mind.

The sound began and stopped a number of times as if somehow it knew Star was giving it her full attention and was nervous. Star wondered what was the next step to this mystery. What more could the mystifying instrument and player do that hadn't been done before? Each night had been the foundation to the next, much more impressive step. Something was missing but Star couldn't figure out what it was. Everything had been as perfect as it was the night before, so why was the player hesitating?

Star frowned. Maybe there was nothing more to add. Nothing more to give. Maybe this was as good as it...

" _I love you too much...To live without you loving me back"_ A voice softly sang above her, the soft, quiet melody and rhythm of the metallic strings began seeping into her very soul

Star smiled at the obvious answer. Words. Of course, words were the last piece of the puzzle

" _I love you too much...Heaven's my weakness and this is a fact..."_

Star raced to the hall, her eyes darting around the darkness that surrounding her in a vain attempt to discover the source of the music.

" _I know I belong...when I sing this song..."_

Star's ears strained to locate the direction the amazing voice was singing from but it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

" _There's loveable fluff and it's ours cause I love you too much."_

Star raced over to Mr. and Mrs. Diaz's room, surely they were behind this incredible sound. It sounded like something Mr. Diaz would do for his wife. They loved each other so much.

" _I live for your touch...I whisper your name night after night..."_

But Star peered into their room as quietly as she could, there they were, cuddling against each other, smiles on their faces as the music serenaded their peaceful slumber.

" _I love you too much...There's only one feeling and I know it's right..."_

Star raced over to Marco's room, pressing her ear against his door. She doubt Marco would be behind the sound. Star had once asked if he played any instruments like Oskar and he had replied "no, not like Oskar's."

" _I know I belong...when I sing this song..."_

No sound from within, Marco must've been fast asleep. Star snapped her fingers in disappointment as she began thinking of the other places where the music could be coming from.

" _there's loveable fluff and it's ours cause I love you too much..."_

The singer and instrument voices became more powerful but still a whisper as the noise began grow slightly in strength and volume

" _Heaven knows your name I've been praying to have you come here by my side"_

Star raced down the stairs as fast as she could, it had to be downstairs! There was nowhere else in the house left.

" _Without you a part of me's missing, just to make you my home I will fight."_

The living room was as empty as when Star had left it earlier that night. Star began frantically looking around as the shadows seemed to dance in time to the song, not menacing but rather beautifully.

The instrument had quieted to how it was in the beginning, playing softly before breaking out into a series of notes that Star hadn't heard any of the previous nights. The metallic strings began playing the notes the singer had been singing, the deep vibrations sending shivers down her spine before she felt her heart beat skip for a moment when the singer softly came back in

" _I know I belong...when I sing this song..."_

" _there's loveable fluff and it's ours cause I love you too much..."_

The singer and instrument began singing as powerfully as he could without disturbing the night, the music much more compelling than Star heard ever before.

" _I loooooooove you too much..."_

A wild, crazy thought came to Star which was no surprise to anyone really. The roof! It was the only place she hadn't checked!

" _I love you too much...heaven's my weakness and this is a fact."_

Star rushed as quickly as she could back up those seemingly endless stairs. They did not seem as long when she was coming down them.

" _You live in my soul. Your heart is my goal."_

The song was coming to close, even the limited musical knowledge Star had could feel that.

" _There's loveable fluff and it's mine cause I love you!"_

Star threw opens her balcony doors, the melody much more clear out here than it ever had been inside.

" _There's loveable fluff and it's yours cause I love you!"_

Star peered to the roof and spotted him, someone sitting on the edge of the roof top, his hands rapidly moving back and forth as his voice echoed sweetly around her. Star carefully made her way towards him, trying to get a good look at silhouetted figure cloaked in moonlight.

" _There's loveable fluff and it's ours...if you love me"..._

Star was just a few inches away, quietly approaching the singer, her hand outstretched to reach for his shoulder when he turned his head ever so slightly and she caught sight of him causing her to let out a silent gasp

Marco broke into a soft whisper _"...as much..."_

Marco was the mysterious singer!

Star almost called out to him when he gently placed his instrument (A wooden thing with 5 strings) to the side, leaning back against his palms as he stared upwards towards the millions of stars twinkling over head.

Star wasn't sure what to do, she was still paralyzed from finding out Marco's secret.

Of course it turns out Marco still had one last surprise

As he stared up the endless night sky, he let out a small whisper filled with equal parts passion and longing "I love you Star."

Star's throat closed itself as she struggled to breath properly. Marco just said he loved her. Marco Diaz was in love her!

She always had feelings for him but with his determination to get Jackie to notice him, she never thought...never in a million years that he would feel the same way...

Star could feel the smile on her face grow as she realized she had a chance with Marco, a real chance.

Marco stood up quickly, catching Star off guard and when he turned to find her with wide, deer trapped in headlights look on her face, well he thought he was going to die.

"STAR!" Marco shouted, reflexively jumping backwards only to find the heels of his feet touching empty air instead of roof tile.

Marco began waving his arms forward in an attempt to balance himself as he began tilting backwards off the roof.

Star's brain kicked her back into action "MARCO!" Star managed to grab a hold of his shirt and with all the strength she could muster, pulled him back to the safety of the roof but as they tumbled backwards, landing roughly on their butts, Star realized she might've been pulling too hard.

"T-thanks Star" Marco panted, desperately trying to calm his racing heart from the near death experience he had just lived through.

Star nodded, not quite ready to confront Marco on what he said.

An awkward silence overtook the two teens. Both had questions but neither had the strength to ask them.

Star opened her mouth then quickly closed it. Then opened it once more before shutting it again.

"D-.d...did I wake you?" Marco whispered, sight completely focused in front of him.

Star nodded, knowing Marco could see her answer.

"Did...did you hear me sing?"

Another nod.

Marco gulped "Did...did you hear what I said?"

"Yes" Star answered.

Marco closed his eyes as he muttered an "Oh man" using his hands to cover his face, clearly embarrassed at what happened.

Star quietly took his hands in hers, bringing them down to their knees while holding them tightly. Marco slowly opened his eyes to see his best friend staring at him with a soft smile, one he had never seen before. And before he realized what was going on, Star had leaned in and shyly kissed him.

Marco closed his eyes as he moved to deepen the kiss.

The two broke away, both reflecting the same goofy, dazed look to the other.

"I love you too Marco."

Marco couldn't stop the grin from his face.

"now, you have to do something for me" Star told him as she reached behind him.

"What?"

Star placed the guitar back in his hands, looking in his direction expectantly as she placed her propped her elbows on her knees and cradled her head in her palms.

"Sing it again for me, please?"


	17. I dislike MUD (Gotham Academy)

Hello fanfiction! A massive thank you for every one who reviewed, Favorited and followed. It means the world to me and you readers make it so much fun! I am so glad the Bell Bit loved the request. Not gonna lie, was extremely nervous about especially since i was trying to describe the sound of the guitar.

Okay, so I'm thinking maybe i should retire because I keep killing some of you. I mean I caused 3 of you to die, i mean I'm pretty sure fanfictionfordayz died twice. I melted H mae twice. It's just very dangerous for your health readers. Don't worry I'm not retiring yet. or soon. I mean can you believe it has been a month since i started these stories? because i can't. I did not imagine this kind of response from when i first started and i am so grateful for all the support and fan response. You are truly the best.

and now a special thanks to H mae (Please stop melting though i am happy to inspired a fellow artist. I wonder what you're drawing...) SVTFOEFanatic (Thank you for your kind words and i do plan to keep going) Sugheman, intsertnamehere, Fanfictionfordayz (Stop dying! and thank you for realizing i was subtly comparing Marco and Oskar in addition to their instruments.) Bell bit( Extremely happy you enjoyed your request. Thank you for your very kind words and for coming up with a brilliant idea!) Imaginstic (I am glad you enjoyed it!) Christthedude103 (I hope you have revived and are ready for more stories.)

We are making our third stop to Gotham academy and honestly, I will not bitch about reviews this time. I enjoyed writing this chapter and i hope you enjoy reading it. I wanted to practice my horror style a bit (as i have a scary AU planned) while keeping it light hearted and funny. I was originally planned to do another request or Zorro but if you have read my other story's recent chapter (Shameless plug here), it was a very intense chapter to write so i wanted to slow down a bit. I also did not want to make it super romantic because i want you all alive and i think if i write a 3rd fluffy story in a row, you'll kneel over and die and I don't want that.

So thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I hope you enjoy the story! You readers are the best, keep being awesome! and I own nothing!

* * *

Star glanced uneasily around the pitch-black forest, the shadows from the trees covering her head to toe in darkness. She could feel the cold night air piercing her uniform as if it was made of paper.

There was a rustling from behind her but as Star whirled around to face the direction it came from, it had stopped, a pair of eyes staring out from the bushes before vanishing in mid-air.

Star nervously began chewing her lip as she tried to stop her heart from leaping out of her throat.

The trees seemed to grow each second she stood in the clearing, raising higher and higher, the very tops of the trees reaching high above her head like they were hands bending over to pick her up.

Star took a deep, calming breath before quietly calling out to the others.

"Marco?"

a slight breeze of the wind ruffled her skirt

"Dipper? Mabel?"

Star jumped a little at the hooting of a far off owl, the sound of wings straining against gravity echoing loudly in her ears

"Maaaaaarco? Jackie?"

Star turned around quickly, hoping to catch someone in the act of sneaking up on her

"Janna"

Nothing but darkness and the trees

"Where is everyone?" Star muttered nervously, chewing her lip even worse than she had before.

A loud crunching of shoes scraping against dirt, twigs and leaves broke through the silence unexpectedly. Star could feel her body tensing in a fight or flight response.

She was really hoping it was neither.

The footsteps became increasingly closer, the loud panting of someone or something desperately trying to catch their breath while they inched ever closer to the young girl.

Star looked around the floor of the clearing before picking up a rather thick stick nearby. She could get a good swing in at whatever was heading her way...with a little luck.

Star braced herself when the steps sounded just beyond the line of trees just in front of her.

"Swing and run, swing and run" Star began chanting to herself.

Star took another deep breath before calling out "Marco?"

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhi STAR!" Jackie yelled at the top of her lungs, bolting from the darkness so quickly Star nearly knocked her head in. Jackie raced by Star in a flash, sending a chilling gust of wind down her body as Star caught the sight of Jackie's wide, fearful eyes while she ran past.

"OH THERE YOU ARE STAR!" Janna shouted to her, leaping forward out of a bush, tripping over her own feet for a moment before resuming her frantic run.

"Janna, what are you doing?!" Star called out while Janna built up her speed and zoomed by the increasingly confused girl

"Running, duh? You should try it! LIKE RIGHT NOW!" Janna screamed as the forest swallowed her figure whole.

Star stared quizzically after the two girls when a third rustling of a bush caught her attention, she turned around to see Marco and the Pine Twins appear from the thicket where Janna and Jackie had came from.

Marco was wearing his bright red hoodie as usual, his eyes wide with determination and a bit of panic. Dipper was sitting on Marco's shoulders, clutching his pine tree baseball hat roughly while peering at the darkness behind them, body shaking in terror like he spotted something chasing them. Mabel was hanging tightly on Marco's back like some sort of human sized backpack.

Before Star even opened her mouth, the trio began shooting theirs off in rapid fire English.

"They're gaining on us!" Dipper shouted as he began patting his vest in search of something.

Mabel outstretched her hand into Marco's field of vision, pointing directly at Star while crying loudly "Marco, grab the girl!"

"Come on princess!" Marco muttered, intertwining his hand with Star's gently but tight as he could manage it, slowing down enough until she was able to pick up speed to keep up with his rapid run.

"Guuuuys?" Star questioned as Dipper pulled out a roman candle from the inside of his vest.

"Lighter, lighter, lighter" Dipper muttered, searching his vest as quick as he could, getting more chaotic and frightened as he failed to find what he was looking for.

"Mabel!" Marco shouted to the girl holding onto his back "Hoodie, right pocket"

Mabel nodded, reaching into said pocket and fishing out a small, sliver lighter before handing it off to her brother.

"GUUUUYS?!" Star asked again, aware that Dipper had lit the candle and began aiming into the forest

"Take that!" Dipper shouted into the inky darkness, fireballs of various colors rocketing off into the night, their bright flame briefly dispelling the shadows.

And that's when Star spotted it. A massive thing.

It was the size of a golden retriever Star had once owned. It's fur was gray with tufts of white and black scattered here and there. It's legs were more horse than dog, with razor sharp talons at the ends of their feet. It had two wolf shaped ears but it's faced was squished close and resembled more of a bat than anything else while two large horns pointed directly in front. three fangs shot upwards just over its jawline and she could see its pure white ears staring hungrily at her. But the most terrifying feature was its small, fluffy rabbit tail.

"That is so unnatural!" Star cried to the others "Seriously, that cute bunny tail should not be on the rest of that thing!"

"Things" Dipper corrected her, throwing the empty, smoking and incredibly hot firework container directly at one of beasts, burning its nose as it squeaked in pain like a chipmunk. The half dozen or so more moved against the darkness, nearly invisible in the little moonlight able to to get through the thick trees.

Star rolled her eyes "And it makes that cute noise?! SERIOUSLY?!"

"We should probably name it!" Dipper called to the others "I mean it doesn't seem to be in the journal.

"You guys go ahead, I'm a little busy trying to _save_ our lives" Marco sarcastically replied, carefully guiding Star through the darkening forest while catching sight of a brightly lit shack up ahead.

A beat of silence before Dipper proudly stated "A skag!"

Star and Mabel quickly added "no"

"OH!" Mabel shouted cheerfully "Wolfat!"

Dipper and Star shared a look "no"

"A baticorn?" Star tried lazily

"No"

"A Batolf!"

"No"

"A Horlfate?"

"How would you even spell it?"

Marco snapped "Just call it monstrous unidentified DEMON!"

Marco took a deep breath as a small shack came into view

"MUD! We'll call it Mud!" Mabel shouted cheerfully while Star nodded enthusiastically and Dipper seemed okay with the idea.

Marco rolled his eyes as he tried his hardest to pick up speed but fatigue was setting in. not that you could blame, he was carrying three people.

"HEY!" Dipper shouted from on his shoulders "You keep bouncing me Marco! I nearly fell off!"

"Oh" Marco's tone shined with weariness and sarcasm "I'm sorry I am carrying two small children while helping my best friend run in the middle of the night, through a forest completely encased in darkness with very little light, being chased by unknown...wait I mean by MUDs. I do apologize sir Dipping Sauce, would you like me to let you down and you can walk to the shack at your own pace?"

Dipper look at the MUDs, just a few feet from the group, steadily gaining ground.

"N-no! No...I-I'm sorry man"

Marco smiled reassuringly at Dipper to let him know there was no hard feelings.

"Come on!" Jackie called from the doorway of the shack.

Marco and Star bolt inside, the Pines twins leaping off Marco's back and running deeper into the shack while Marco and Star closed the front of the door as fast as they can.

Before the door could lock back into place, a MUD jumped straight the group, its heavy weight smashing against the wooden door, knocking Marco and Star to the floor while forcing the door wide open.

Marco wildly kicked the MUD in the snout, stunning it for a moment as Star remembered the thick stick she had been carrying.

Star pulled the stick back, putting all her weight forward as she swung forward, smashing the beast under its chin, sending it flying backwards into the pack.

Jackie and Janna quickly shut the door, bolting it tightly while slipping Star's stick under the bottom to help prop the wood against the renewed attacking of the MUD pack.

Marco scrambled to his feet, ready to barricade the windows only to notice thick bookshelves already propped against the windows, blocking all entrances the MUDs could use to get in.

The group was quiet as the snarling of the MUDS began surround them in some kind macabre symphony.

"So..." Dipper began "Any ideas?"

"BURN THE HOUSE DOWN!" Mabel shouted

Dipper began to rub his eyes tiredly "Mabel...I don't think..."

Star cheered excitedly "Agree! I'll find matches."

"No one is burning the house down" Jackie calmly told the two excited girls.

Star took a good look at the shack. Shack might have been too generous of a word for this tiny, one room with 3 windows.

There was barely enough room for the group and there didn't seem to be any other way out other than the barricaded front door.

Dipper clapped his hands loudly "Okay. We are in the a strange shack in the middle of the forest surrounded by nasty creatures with no visible way out. Any _real_ ideas?"

"Could we fight our way out?" Janna questioned, briefly making karate noises and chopping motions.

Jackie shook her head "Those things seemed pretty tough and Dipper and Mable are just kids."

Janna chuckled nervously "Oh yeah...I kinda forgot you're children."

Dipper silently began to flip through the journal, hoping there could be something within its pages to help.

Jackie began pulling books from the cases, feeling the weight between several of them before roughly swinging them mid-air.

Mabel began reaching into her bright green pine tree sweater, digging out several colorful candies before handing them out to everyone.

Star let out a disappointed sigh. They couldn't stay here till morning, they had a final! Missing that meant automatic failure and expulsion from the academy.

Star turned to see Janna peering at Marco curiously as she began to slowly reach into his pocket.

"Janna!" Star shouted, slapping her hand before she managed to slip inside Marco's pocket.

Janna held her hand, lightly rubbing it to ease the pain "OWW! Hey, what is it Star? It isn't my fault of Marco's all distracted and stuff."

Star turned to face Marco and realized he hadn't moved or said anything this whole time, instead focusing intently at the rug in the center of the room.

Star gently tapped his shoulder but instead of turning to face her, Marco moved forward, lifting the rug off the floor to reveal a thick door with strange symbols craved into every inch of its surface.

"What the..." Dipper muttered but Marco seemed to be caught in a daze, studying the symbols carefully before gently tapped the middle symbol.

The symbol began to glow a bright blue but Marco wasn't finished. Much faster than anyone anticipated, Marco began touching many symbols at random, each glowing the same blue as the first.

After a few moments, Marco pulled on handle, causing the colors to fade away as the sound of a lock becoming undone rang loudly in everyone's ears. The door effortlessly opened revealing a spiraling staircase descending into the darkness.

"Marco, how did you..." Star asked but Marco simply began disappearing down the stairs, his fingers gently brushing a star symbol on the wall.

A bright, yellow light flared to life from the rune, illuminating a small part of the stairwell.

Everyone stared at each other, worried about Marco's sudden shift in behavior. And one by one, began following Marco down the steps.

"Sooo like is anyone else getting really freaky vibes from Marco?" Janna asked casually like if she was discussing the weather.

"A bit." Jackie admitted.

"Do you think he's a wizard? I think he's a wizard" Mabel happily skipped along "Maybe he can give me a hamster ball shield! Ooooh or maybe he can make me a unicorn!"

"But the journals said guys can't be wizards" Jackie reminded them.

Mabel pouted "Oh man. I guess I'll just make one out of duct tape, confetti and textbooks"

"How did Marco know about these symbols?" Dipper asked, his eyes peering all around him as he took in the tunnel that became increasingly more and more ancient.

"Aren't they in your journals Dipper?" Jackie asked the young detective.

Dipper shook his head uneasily "nothing"

The group found themselves in a massive room that seemed to stretch impossibly in every direction.

Marco was hovering over what looked like a stone plate on a stand, his fingers rapidly moving in a blur.

With a final flick of his finger, large star symbols scattered through the entire room began to glow brightly, lighting the room as well as modern electrical lighting

The room was covered with various runes of differentiating size. The room itself was roughly the size of the school gym, a large stone plate directly embedded in the middle.

"Marco?" Star asked hesitatingly, approaching slowly in case something was wrong.

Marco shook his head and turned to find the group staring wide eyed with a bit of fear in their eyes.

Marco felt very uncomfortable under the group's united stare.

"I...study a lot..." Marco muttered anxiously.

No one was buying it but since this was Marco and so far his knowledge had been incredibly useful, they decided to give him some space.

"So" Dipper cleared this throat "Is there anyway out of this room Marco?"

Marco nodded, pointing directly across the way to a barely visible doorway.

The group quickly made their way towards the door.

The door was at least a foot taller than any of them and wide enough to let several of them pass at once. The entryway itself only had one symbol on its surface, a small palm sized spiral

"So the star means light" Dipper murmured in excitement, his eyes wide with curiosity "What does the spiral mean Marco?"

"It's the symbol for the universe." Marco explained while he rose his hand to gently touch the symbol "traditionally it is to...'

Marco let out a grunt of pain, a searing burning sensation digging deep into his palm forcing him to pull away as fast as he could.

The pain quickly faded and Marco cleared the pain tears from his eyes.

"Marco, are you okay?" Star cried in a panic, gently grabbing his wrist while carefully glancing at his palm.

Burnt into his palm was the spitting image of the spiral, thinly charred black against his skin

Marco stared at the mark in disbelief "it's suppose to open doors but it also brands things when it doesn't not belong."

The group stood there silently, unable to properly understand what Marco meant by does not belong. It did not sound as simple as he made it but he was just staring a this mark as if he could pull the answers from the brand through sheer willpower

Star touch the mark as soft as she could, Marco wincing instinctively in pain but was confused when he felt nothing but Star's gentle touch.

Marco pulled his hand away, his cheeks flushed as he motioned for someone else to try it.

Dipper volunteered after be shoved forward by his sister.

Dipper's hand hovered over the symbol for a moment before Mabel roughly slammed it onto the surface of the door.

Dipper let out a pained scream before realizing the door had just swung open, no burning or branding of his palm or anything.

"MABEL!" Dipper cried angrily but his twin sister had already raced up the stairs.

The group followed and when they reached the end, a wall had slid opened and they found themselves in the library

The wall behind them slid back into place, a small, barely visible spiral winking at them.

The group decided to call it a night and while most of the group had long since fell asleep, Marco stood awake, gazing carefully at the newly formed brand on his hand, curious what it meant.

Marco let out a loud yawn as he made his way up towards Miss Lockheart's desk, to turn in his final, shuffling as best as he could with 2 hours of sleep.

Miss Lockheart peered curiously at him.

"Mr. Diaz" Miss Lockheart called to him "Are you alright? You seem quite unwell"

Marco let out another yawn "Lack of sleep I'm afraid Miss Lockheart"

Miss Lockheart pursed her lips as her green eyes glanced at his brown ones guiltily "I didn't worry you with my little test did I?"

Marco shook his head "Other things on my mind"

And as Marco reached over to place the test on her desk, Miss Lockheart's hand shot out, gripping his wrist in an iron grip, his branded palm now on full display.

"My, my, my" she muttered in a tone that seemed insincere "It looks like quite the nasty mark Mr. Daiz. It's almost like it doesn't _belong_ on your skin"

Marco's eyes narrowed while Miss Lockheart's eyes peered at him knowingly

"You should be more careful Mr. Diaz" Miss Lockheart casually continued, letting go of his wrist as she began trimming her nails "The universe isn't kind to things that don't belong in it."

"What are you..."

the ringing bell made him jump out of his skin but before he knew it, Miss Lockheart had scooted him out into the hall

"Enjoy your week off Mr. Diaz" Miss's Lockheart gently teased, a subtle and grim tone underneath her cheerful one "I suspect life is about to get more interesting for you."

Miss Lockheart slammed the door in his face but when Marco had quickly reentered the room, there was no trace of Miss Lockheart anywhere.


	18. Star and Oskar featuring Marco (Request)

Hellllloooo fanfiction! Author here. First order of business my daily thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I know it i say it all the time but i can not express how grateful, honor and happy i am that i have such amazing readers. You readers are the best and I honestly love you all. You make writing these so much fun! I am so happy. over a hundred reviews! I feel extremely blessed.

A special thanks h mae (Hopefully I'll get back to gotham AU soon, especially after today's announcement), SVTFOEfanatic (Miss Lockheat seems to know quite a few things doesn't she? and don't worry I am not retiring any time soon), Striker (I plan to do that AU soonishly), Rayfe (I plan at least 2 more Starco wars in honor of the original trilogy though if someone wants to do their own version of it, they are more than welcome to. These stories are for you great people and if they inspire you to write, be my guest, Imaginnistic (I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, i finally got a really mind blowing mystery ready. Hope you can handle it), alepretty cat (I am grateful for new fans and Marco is the coolest kid in school because he's Marco Ubaldo Diaz! haha in all seriousness I will reveal why he is the only able to put one something other than the uniform), BigMike (Cannot wait for that spin off!) Sophiacrutchfield (You are going to love today's announcement), cartoons4life (Thank you for your kind words), Anormal-snivy (Thank you for that great idea. I should explore more Star and dipper and Marco and Mabel. I might've done it later but it would've further down the line, so thank you for pointing it out to me. I greatly appreciate it!) Grim (That sounds great! Marco with chucks or with a little red bowtie. AWESOME! When I open requests again, it'll be straight on the list)

Now i have a special announcement, I have officially decided that now I finally have a great storyline set up for it, both Gotham academy and Scott Pilgrim AU's will be converted into their own stories. Gotham academy is too fun to play in to keep it as a series of oneshots as i can make it gravity falls mixed with School drama and even some batman thanks to the creation of the Echo, their version of old chapters will still be on this story because this is where the idea got its start. The current chapters will be used as markers for the story so when i update them, if there are two chapters in a row, for you readers that'll be a chapter you have read and a new chapter.

now Today's AU is another request. This gem is once more from the canon universe (As i have recently worked there) and comes from SVTFOEfanatic, who dared to ask the question: What would happen if Star finally asked out Oskar! Dun dun dunnNnnNn. Marco, whose in love with star, becomes racked with jealously but is Oskar what he seems?

This was so much fun to write, Fanatic gave me a great plot and I hope both you and the readers love it fanatic. I meant to have it up earlier but i had some last minute stuff that came up. So I hope you enjoy the story, especially you fanatic! Please tell leave a review telling me how i did. So another many thank yous for you awesome readers! I love you so much. I own nothing!

* * *

Star took a deep breath. Today was the day. Today was going to be the best day ever! Today was going to be rainbows and puppies and unicorns and just amazing! Today Star Butterfly was going to ask Oskar Greason. And it was going to be perfect.

"Star?" Marco asked as he walked up to his best friend/maybegirlhe'stotallycrushingon.

Star didn't reply, instead letting out a dreamy sigh, staring off into the distance as she murmured in a low whisper "Osssssskar"

Marco frowned at the mentioned at of his not rival. Marco didn't like Oskar, not only because he hardly seemed interested in Star, or anything for that matter, but he single handily held Star's attention and heart with literally the least amount of effort possible.

Marco, on the other hand, had gotten a new haircut, swapped out his gray undershirt for a white one, his olive green sneakers for black bad boy boots and even began wearing shades. When he asked Star how he looked, she simply replied nice before taking off to hear Oskar's daily torturing of the school.

Marco leaned against the lockers angrily. Oskar wasn't that cool. His fake fangs weren't fooling anyone. Why did he even need to wear that ridiculous red neckerchief? And he did not even know how to play that keytar which Marco was pretty sure he got at a toy store or something.

"I don't get what you see in him Star" Marco told his best friend as he tried his hardest not to stare daggers directly into Oskar's face.

No response

"Star?" Marco asked but when he turned around, he could easily imagine the dust silhouette of where Star had been.

Marco glanced around the school yard only to catch his best friend slowly approaching Oskar, acting like she was facing a wild animal rather than a tone deaf teen.

Marco wanted to chase after her, to stop her from doing something insane but when he rose his foot to take a step forward, he let out a defeated sigh. He couldn't stop Star from living her life, from making good and really, really bad choices. It wasn't fair to her and it wasn't right.

Marco let out a sigh, sliding his hands into his pockets while he leaned against the locker to watch something he probably wasn't going to like unfold.

Star tiptoed closer to Oskar, quickly looking in another direction and fiddling with her hair whenever he looked in her way

Not too strong Butterfly, Star told herself as she began nervously her wand back and forth in her hand.

Star finally reached Oskar after a painful few minutes of stop and go. If Oskar had noticed her strange behavior, he hadn't let on. He just sat there, randomly playing notes on his amazing instrument.

Star briefly wondered if she just walk away. Clearly Oskar was busy practicing and Star didn't want to ruin his rigorously intense music exercise session

Then his green eyes met with hers and he muttered a casual "S'up"

Star could've melted right there and then but she kept her composed, only flushing 3 shades of pink instead of 10.

"H-hi Oskar!" she muttered softly, her fingers frantically twirling strains of her long blonde hair as she attempted to not to fall over from pure joy "Have a second?"

"Sure"

"I-I was wondering" She started, her racing heart making her ears pound loudly with the sound of rushing blood "I-I was wondering...if you wanted to go out sometime? With me? Like a date?" Star quickly lost it "I mean unless you don't want to go on a date with me, which is cool. I mean we can invite other people if you want, go as a group outing or something or maybe just..."

Star could've slapped herself right there and then but when Oskar glanced at her, a glint in his eyes, she felt her heart just stop right there and then.

"Sure. Friday 8 good?" he answered just as casually as ever.

Star let out a girly giggle, restraining herself from dancing in victory "Sounds AMAZING!" Star cleared her throat, nonchalantly move her arms around in an attempt to seem cool "That works for me. Psst, ain't no thang."

"Cool"

Star smiled widely "Cool"

A few moments passed

"I'll see you then" Oskar told her.

"Hee, see you then" Star replied happily as she slowly slinked back to where Marco was leaning.

"Come on Marco let's go home!" Star shouted despite him being right in front of her.

Star raced out of the school gates, twirling and dancing like she had just won the lottery.

Marco followed at a much slower pace, sulking while trying to fake a smile for his best friend.

"Star" Marco asked her but she was too busy skipping around him, happily chewing on her wand, waving how it was a great day today to everyone and everything she saw.

"Star" Star began giddily stepping on her toes joyfully

"STAR!"

Star let out huge sigh of relief "I did it! I asked Oskar out! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!" a look of shock came over Star's face "Wait, Friday's going to be the best day of my life!"

Star turned to Marco, gripping his hands tightly as she began to twirl them in a circle, smiling and laughing so loud Marco couldn't help but smile back.

Marco could feel his heart racing, his hands snugly holding onto Star's soft ones. She looked so beautiful with that bright grin on her face and twinkle in her eyes. A sudden urge to kiss the magical princess came over him and he found himself leaning closer to her, unaware of what exactly he was planning on doing.

And then Star let go, sending Marco spinning away from her, the world becoming a blur of nauseating colors.

Marco felt his face erupt into dull pain when he collided with a telephone pole he had no way of avoiding. He let out a weak moan as he collapsed onto the ground in a stunned silence.

"Oww" he let out, placing his hands over his face and rubbing gently it to alleviate the pain

"Oh, I'm sorry Marco" Star's worried voice called from above him.

"It's okay..." Marco grumbled, removing his hands away from his face. He felt his breath being taken away when he found himself staring directly into Star's eyes "...Star..."

She was leaning over him, her ocean blue eyes filled with worried and concern. Her long blonde hair seemed gold under the suns rays as it hung loosely over shoulder, swaying back and forth hypnotically like a magician's pendulum. All the pain disappeared from Marco's face at once.

Star offered her hand and Marco took it gratefully, the spell weakened but not completely broken while he cleared the dust from his clothes.

"I-I guess I got too excited" Star laughed nervously.

"Just" Marco's voice cracked, he quickly cleared his throat "just a little."

The pair kept walking and an awkward silence filled the air for the first time in the duo's history.

"Star, I have a question to ask you. If you don't mind" Marco asked, uncharacteristically timid

"Sure Marco, what is it?"

"Why are you going for Oskar? I mean he really doesn't seem your type, you know? Why don't you go for...umm, boys closer to you, who maybe you know better?"

Star stopped and suspiciously glanced in his direction. Marco could feel his heart beat wildly. Had she figured out who exactly Marco had been asking about...?

She let out a small giggle "Because I don't like Ferguson or Alfonso like that! I mean they are cool but I totally can't see myself dating them. Silly Marco"

Star began skipping happily towards the Diaz's front door but Marco hadn't moved an inch. He felt extremely hurt but what had hurt more? The fact she had named two of their best friends or the fact she hadn't even considered Marco as date potential.

"Are you coming Marco?" Star called out gleefully, unaware of the amount of damage she had caused inside her best friend.

"Coming" Marco muttered, unhappily trudging his way into his own house.

Over the next few days Star had barely seen Marco. Scratch that: she had barely seen Marco at school. At home, the two had been more or less the same. Joking, playing jokes, eating nachos, stealing treasure from rabbit pirates from an ocean dimension.

At school, Marco would disappear, even missing some classes for some strange reason but Star had chalked that up to having something to do with Jackie. Which Star admitted she didn't like that Jackie was causing Marco so much trouble or that Marco even liked Jackie.

Throughout the rest of the week, Marco had been a little subdued, not quite as happy as he normally was when he hung out with Star. Star was too excited for her date Friday to properly notice. Though the big red flag she had missed was when Marco refused to let her into his room but she had shrugged it off as an Earth thing.

Marco had been secretly stalking Oskar those days, even going as far to skip some classes to keep an eye on him as Oskar ditched class on a frequent basis. Marco hid in lockers, trash cans (Which unfortunately meant getting a large amount of trash dumped onto his head from unknowing students) and even disguised himself as a foreign exchange student named Julio (fake mustache and all) so he could observe Oskar uninterrupted.

Which naturally was devastating when Friday night rolled around and Marco had nothing on Oskar but a dozen or more random photos of the teen and a week of detention.

Oskar was more boring than Marco had anticipated. All he had done all week was sit on his booted car, playing on his keytar, made a rather large amount of trips to the bathroom, and stare up into the sky. If it wasn't for the fact he had done this for Star, and the happiness he felt whenever he heard her melodic voice say anything within earshot, Marco would've probably ripped out his ears from the countless hours he had to endure Oskar playing his "music"

Marco let out a disappointed sigh as he waited for Star at the bottom of the stairs. 10 minutes till 8 and she had thrown him out of her room to get ready for her da...da...

Marco let out a groan, he couldn't even think of the word.

"Sooo what do you think?"

Even with the heads up from Star, Marco found himself floored by her appearance.

Star had her long blonde hair braided into a single ponytail that snaked over her shoulder. She wore red blouse and thigh length black skirt with matching leggings and boots.

"Wow..." Marco let out, unable stop the words from tumbling out "You look beautiful..."

Star flushed but trying her hardest to reveal why she was turning red. "T-thanks Marco!" she shouted cheerfully, internally wincing at the crack in her voice.

"Don't go" he whispered.

Star came straight up to him causing to shrink a little at her presence. His heart felt like it had became a snare drum in a marching band.

"I'm totally going" She whispered back, her breath sending a chill wave through out his body.

And without warning, she had walked out the door.

Marco let out a depressed sigh.

"What does Oskar have that I don't?" Marco murmured angrily under his breath.

"Oskar? Who is Oskar?" a voice called from behind him

Marco leapt out of his skin, his arms flailing wildly while his father gave him an amused look.

"GAH! Dad! Don't sneak up on me!"

"Who is sneaking up? Me and your mother have been sitting here this whole time"

Marco had just realized that he had been staring at his parents sitting on the couch, arms wrapped around each other as the television quietly made noises.

Marco felt his blood drain from his body.

"Y-you were there the whole time? The whole whole time?"

Mrs. Diaz nodded "Yes Marco the whole whole time."

"It looks like someone has a crush on their roommate"

"W-wait!" Marco waved his hand back and forth frantically "D-don't get the wrong idea! I don't like Star!"

Mrs. Diaz giggled happily while Mr. Diaz let out a hearty laugh.

"I'd say how your eyes glazed over when she came walking down the stairs, you have it bad for her" Mrs. Diaz teased.

Marco felt mortified "MOM! Don't say things like that."

"and when she walked up to you, I thought I was about to have to call 911" Mr. Diaz added in.

Mrs. Diaz laughed once more "I don't think that would be necessary, I'm sure Star would have given Marco CPR right away"

"MOM!" Marco's voice cracked.

"Why don't you tell her mijo?"

He shifted uncomfortably "S...she doesn't like me. She doesn't even think of me in that way." and before this conversation became even more embarrassing, Marco rushed up the stairs, pulling his hoodie over his head.

Mr and Mrs. Diaz looked at each other quizzically.

"He is blind isn't he?"

"He is your son"

"Then we have nothing to worry about."

Mrs. Diaz smiled at her husband, giving him a soft peck on the lips before cuddling against him "I never do"

Marco entered his room, flicking the lights on hurriedly just in case his parents decided to come bursting into the room ready to keep their interrogation going.

Hung on strings crisscrossing across his room, plastered on every inch of free space on his wall, heck even the small pile of photos on his desk all had the same subject: Oskar.

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly as he began to slowly take down the countless pictures he had taken. He had been reviewing all these pictures these last few days but he had nothing. Nothing!

Marco peered angrily at the photo in his hand before ripping into so many pieces you could barely tell what the photo had been about.

"I'll just take a nap" Marco told himself "Then I'll rip all these stupid pictures down."

Marco made his way to his bed, muttering things furiously like "Stupid Oskar" "oh look I suck at playing and I still got the most beautiful girl in the school to fall for me" "I'm a fake, wanna be loser vampire"

Marco threw himself on the bed, wincing when his back made contact with some lumpy thing under his sheet.

He tore away his bedsheets to find a crumpled photo envelope, the ones that come with photos you developed at whatever store still developed photos for people.

"I cannot wait to burn these things." Marco let himself have a small grin at the idea of destroying all these worthless pictures.

Marco was tempted to toss the envelope onto the floor but his curiosity was too great. At the very least he could find an unflattering photo of Oskar and show it to Star, unlikely given how oddly photogenic Oskar seemed to be.

The very first picture had been Oskar walking down a hallway when the two should have been in class. He had the gall to wave to two mover people who had been replacing a clear glass window in the boys bathroom.

"Wait a minute" Marco muttered, something off with the picture becoming more apparent the longer he stared at it.

Marco's eyes wildly shifted around the photo, it wasn't clear but something was wrong with this photo.

Then he spotted it in the window the movers had been carrying. At first he thought he had just been a see through window because the doorway that could be seen through it. He had assumed it read bathroom but now that he looked closer at it, it was a doorway with Sll labeled on top. Echo Creek Academy didn't have a room Sll but it did have a room 115. directly across a boys restroom!

Marco trembled once he realized that the window had been a mirror and Oskar's reflection hadn't been in it.

Marco began frantically skimming the photos, stopping only when he spotted Oskar and a mirror caught on film together.

And each time he had, Oskar had no reflection. None what so ever!

"Oskar's a real vampire?!" Marco cried out in disbelief "But what is he doing at Echo Creek?"

Marco would have face palmed himself if the next photo hadn't sent a chill in the pit of his stomach.

It was Oskar skyping or whatever it was called on his phone. While Marco did question why a vampire would need to skype, it was who Oskar was talking to that sent Marco reeling. Because despite how tiny he was in real life and on the phone, especially on the phone, it was clear that Oskar was talking to Ludo.

"Oskar's working for Ludo! How did I miss that?" Marco questioned as he pulled out the next photo "But what is Ludo's plan?" Marco physically face palmed himself when he processed what exactly he was seeing. It was Oskar holding up a note that said "Kill Star Butterfly! Signed evil Lord Ludo. P.S. Get that wand!"

"I got to get to Star!" Marco let out a panicked yell, nearly leaping out the window before stopping himself.

"Wait, I must transform!" he shouted, rushing into his closet before reemerging seconds later decked out with a gas mask, a baseball catcher's chest protector and hockey stick.

He gave himself a quick look over in his mirror before smashing the top end of the hockey stick against the ground, using his foot to break off the top while he held the weaken stick towards the ground until it had became somewhat sharp and pointy

"Now I'm ready!"

Mr and Mrs. Diaz had seen many things in their long life together. So when Marco had raced down the stairs in his ridiculous garb, screaming how he was going to slay a vampire to save Star and he might be home late or not at all, they had simply replied "Be home before 10!"

Star was feeling very mixed about her date. It was with Oskar but his reactions did nothing to encourage or discourage her asking him to be her boyfriend. He seemed nonchalant about everything and while it was cool at times, it also was maddeningly infuriating.

Oskar wore the same thing he always does. Good and bad.

"Hey, did you want to eat here Oskar?"

"Cool" Awesome.

"Aren't these flowers cute?"

"yeah" Infuriating

"Did you want to hold my hand?"

"Sure" YES!

"Did you want to go to the park? We can see the full moon and stars!"

"I guess" COME ON, SERIOUSLY!?

Star and Oskar sat under a large tree, staring into the night sky dreamily.

Well Star had been, Oskar had silently preparing to compete his mission from Ludo. Star was a cute girl but he had a job and he had to do that job. Oskar briefly wondered what Mewnian blood tasted like. Human blood was very...salty or too sugary sometimes. In the months undercover here, he had restrained himself from taking too much human blood or people would've have noticed the disturbing amount of people disappearing. That and the fact his full power was only available during full moons made hunting very selective.

Still, he thought to himself as he willed his fangs to grow to their proper length, I'm going to have some tasty blood tonight and once Marco figures Star's disappeared, he'll run straight into my fangs.

Star walked away from Oskar and the tree, her eyes looking over the small lake the park had while she stood at its edge.

This is it, she told herself, she was going to ask Oskar to be her boyfriend. She was going to finally be with Marco

Star shook her head "With Oskar" she muttered under her breath "With Oskar"

She began silently reciting what she was going to say to Oskar as Oskar slowly began gliding over to her, fangs prepared to sink into the unsuspecting princess.

Oskar reached for her shoulder, his claw fingers just inches away from his target when someone shouted from the darkness.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER VAMPIRE!"

Oskar felt something collide with him, sending him skidding across the ground before he floated back to his feet.

His eyes narrowed at Marco dressed in the silliest and most undignified battle gear he had ever faced.

"Seriously Marco? You are wearing that?" Oskar scoffed at the idea of this puny mortal able to take him down. He wasn't the usual Ludo lackey and tonight he was at his strongest.

Marco didn't answer, opting to instead charging at Oskar once more.

Star began twiddling her fingers anxiously while behind her two favorite boys battled to the death.

Oskar leapt high over Marco's head, landing gracefully as Marco struggled to turn around and charge at his foe once more.

"Oskar" Star grumbled under her breath, staring out to the city lights across the way as Marco lunging directly at Oskar who took a step back but was caught off guard when the sharp end of the stick caught his shoulder, causing him a fleeting moment of pain

"Oskar I want...I want to ask you..."

Oskar clawed at Marco's stomach but the chest protector easily absorbed the deadly attack allowing Marco to swing the stick against Oskar's head, forcing him off guard as Marco thrust it towards his heart.

"Ugh" Star muttered, covering her eyes with her hand before standing up straighter than before she whispered "I really, really want to be with you Marco..! I mean Oskar, Oskar, Oskar"

Oskar caught the stick easily, pulling it forward before swing it around, snapping half of it in his strong grip as Marco was sent flying onto the floor. Oskar leapt high into the air before flying straight down to Marco. Marco rolled out of the way just in time for Oskar's claws to sink a couple inches into the grass where Marco once had been.

Oskar pulled his claws out but Marco had already leapt onto his back, forcing the stick in between Oskar's mouth and holding on for dear life when Oskar attempted to buck him off.

"St...S.t.." Marco tried to call out but Oskar had flown high into the air before coming straight down and sharply pulling up at the last minute. The maneuver failed to get Marco off but his motion sickness was kicking in and Marco could hear his stomach groan unhappily.

"I like Oskar, I like Oskar, I like Marco...!" Star shook her head, feeling a sense of despair as she was failing to convince herself. Marco did not like her like that and with Oskar there was no risk. She has to date Oskar.

"St...Sta..." Marco tried to call out again but Oskar began spinning his body around, shifting directions randomly, his mouth slowly crunching through the weakening stick while his claws came dangerously close to connecting Marco's unprotected body parts.

"STAR!" Marco finally managed

Star was confused, she could've sworn she heard Marco but that was impossible, he was at home, probably thinking about Jackie...and...not Star...or making Nachos or...

"Riding Oskar like some horse..." Star said, completely unaware what exactly she stumbled upon when she had turned to see who was calling her.

Oskar's teeth ripped through the stick, scattering into a million pieces as one of his claws found Marco's mask and ripped it off with such a force that Marco had been flung off and landed roughly on his back.

Marco moaned in pain, the chest protector only protecting his front chest.

Oskar's eyes were alive with murder, inching closer to Marco, fangs bared ready to tear out Marco's throat and fulfill his thirst for blood.

"Super Sunshine Flashlight!"

Oskar howled in pain, his skin burning as a bright spotlight flashed onto his body.

He turned to glare at Star, her eyes focused with a deep sadness and grim determination as she clutched her wand tightly.

Oskar began moving slowly towards her, pure hatred in his eyes but no matter how much Star tried, she couldn't finish off Oskar. Even if she cared for someone else more, she still liked Oskar quite a lot.

But Oskar was about reach for Star's wand, Star helplessly looking into his bloodthirsty eyes, Marco had appeared from the darkness and plunged the largest piece of the stick he could find directly into his heart.

Oskar let out a groan of irritation before turning to Marco.

"Not cool dude" he said with the most emotion Marco has ever heard, disintegrating into dust before being swept away by the wind.

A heartbeat passed and Star let out a sob, racing back to the lake's edge before falling to her knees, cradling them tightly as she began crying loudly

Marco shifted uneasily. He hadn't meant to kill Oskar...but he was trying to kill Star.

Marco let out a melancholy sigh as he walked over to his best friend's side.

Marco was unsure how to comfort Star. He did sorta just murder her crush. Even best friend status didn't protect you from that.

"I-I'm sorry Star" he muttered but Star just kept on crying "I...I didn't mean to kill your...umm...crush"

Star shot her feet and for a moment Marco thought she was going to Narwhal blast him but was pleasantly surprised when she had gently hugged him.

"Thank you Marco" she whispered into his ear, sending goosebumps all over his skin but when she pulled away, tears still flowing, Marco knew she was still devastated.

"I really thought he liked me" Star said sadly as she turned to the lake "I really wanted him to like me."

"I'm sure someone else likes you too'"Marco started cautiously

Star scoffed "No one else likes me Marco. Only Oskar...now I'm going to be alone"

"Well..." Marco took a step closer to Star "You always have me"

Star turned to him both angry and lost "No, I won't. One day you're finally going to realize how amazing and great you are.."

"Star?" Marco smiled hopefully but Star wasn't stopping

"And you are going to finally ask Jackie out and you're going to easily win her heart because seriously what girl wouldn't want you...

"Star" Marco called breathlessly, feeling his heart beating loudly at the implications Star was making but there was no derailing Star's rant train.

"And you're going to get your happy ending and leave me behind because the only two boys I have ever loved are either going to be taken or dead!"

Star flushed red before staring back into the lake, hoping she was subtle enough for Marco to ignore the fact she just confessed she liked him.

"Star. I'm never going to leave you"

Star scoffed "Yes you are!"

"No, I am _never_ going to leave _you"_

Star turned to him, still angry and lost "Yes you are!"

"Star, I'm already in love with..."

"Jackie!" Star cut across, flailing her hands into the air furiously "I KNOW I KNOW!"

"No!" Marco waved his hand frantically "No not Jackie!"

"Yes JACKIE!"

"NO! Someone else!"

Star rolled her eyes in jealously "Great, who is it!? Chantelle?"

"NO! It's..."

"Janna? It's Janna, isn't it?"

"Star, it's y...

"Sabrina? Seriously Sabrina?...well she is nice..."

"STAR! IT'S..."

"It's not Brittany is it? You can do way better than her."

"STAR I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" Marco shouted as loud as he could.

Star could feel her mouth drop down in surprise as Marco looked towards the ground sheepishly

"I...I love you..." Marco muttered softly "I...i tried to tell you quite a few times actually but...you were Oskar, Oskar, Oskar...I thought..."

Star felt her heart exploded in pure joy as she rushed forward, making Marco jump surprise before her lips caught his.

Star could feel Marco's grin as he slowly began to kiss her back.

And when they pulled apart, staring lovingly into each others eyes...well they didn't stay apart for long.


	19. Guardians of the Starco (Random Space)

Hello Fanfiction! thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows! You readers are the best and I want you all to know that! A special thanks to H mae (Whose new story is pretty awesome! and I couldn't resist using blood moon ball in this one) SVTFOEfantic (I AM INCREDIBLY HAPPY that you love this request. and thank you a million times for the awesome request and plot!) fanfictionfordayz (It's so fluffy that i'm gonna die! and quite honestly i never expected to keep going with either oneshot which is why they weren't their own stories and i got the hint! don't worry i'll update it soon. Hope you got your theory ready because some answers are on the way!) Norisk Unicorn (i'm glad you liked it) Striker (thank you, i'm probably going to do tales from the borderlands because the dual perspective from that game is just too perfect to pass up!) and ultragamerkitty (THank you for your kind words, more stories are on the way)

Now a quick author's note. I did give the gotham academy AU its own story and for you readers who followed the story from the beginning, the second chapter is actually a brand new chapter i had written for the story. Just informing you.

Now to this story. I love guardians of the galaxy but despite how i sold it, this is not completely guardians. I basically loosely put Star lord's thief character on Marco and ran with it. So basically this story is a random sci-fi space story. Now keep your eyes opened for some inside jokes. two really but i thought one of them was really clever. Also if you readers want it, i will write the prequel to this story. I wasn't sure how you were going like this one so i decided to jump in the middle. You want to know what happened before, please let me know!

So many thanks you for all your love and support, all your reviews, favorites and follows. They mean the world to me! So please enjoy the story, keep being awesome and I own nothing!

* * *

Two stern looking men in jet black, crisp uniforms stared carefully through the two way mirror to the room's sole occupant. The 25 year old had brown hair with light brown eyes, wearing a now worn and fairly dirty white undershirt, ripped up black jeans and some kind of green converses. His red jacket was the only thing that looked decent though to the officers it still reeked of cheap, off brand clothing. He looked bored, eyes lazily glancing around the room as he played with his hands that were cuffed directly onto the interrogation table.

They openly glared the largest sharp object the pair could think of at him. They knew he couldn't see them but the sheer magnitude of trouble he and the other one caused meant there was a large amount of paperwork waiting for the dozen or peacekeepers on duty made him very unpopular at the moment.

Damage reports, citizen complaints and injuries, who was arrested and if t hey had managed to capture any major players in the Black Flare Red Dust gang turf war. They were going to be here all night and it was the young's man fault. Of course the real question was who he actually was...

"His I.D. Says his name is Julio Ramirez" one officer snickered as he held up the clear, translucent credit card sized I.D to the light, the man's facing staring back at him with a pencil thin mustache that was not physically found on the man's upper lip.

"Well" His partner cut in, twisting the thin computer screen to the other "According to the file and his blood work his name is Pascal Rodrigo" the man in the picture was now wearing a ridiculous curled goatee.

"He is also Marcus Reed" rather large thick beard covered and a captain's hat was on the man's picture this time

"Antonio Du Boise" the man was now dressed in rather fancy suit wearing a monocle.

"And an alias, one Marco Ubaldo Diaz" photo matched the person locked in the room perfectly.

One of the officer shook his head disappointingly "In this day and age, did this guy really think he could just use a bunch of fake names and just get away with this? I mean PerpBook already tagged and recognized his face from all the names case files. Look all together he's committed 56 counts of burglary"

"67 counts of breaking and entering"

"4 counts of illegal sales of contraband goods"

"27 counts of public property damage"

"3 counts of drunk in public"

"34 counts of assault against known criminals"

"17 counts of assault against suspected criminals"

"75 counts of resisting arrest"

a small ping rang from the computer

" _76_ counts of resisting of arrest. Last one just came in"

"Does that say threatening an officer with a fish?"

"This one says he did it with a chicken too"

The two officers shook their head "Criminals never learn. Probably wishing he hadn't chose this life of crime now. He's going away for a looooong time"

Marco Ubaldo Diaz took a deep breath before releasing it in a dull and bored fashion. He closely examined the handcuffs now locked onto his wrists and attaching him to the table bolted down in the middle of the room. Easy enough to break but that always hurt his wrist. Best to pick it when the peacekeepers were properly distracted instead of glaring at him and checking out his obvious fake cover names. This should be the point where they were mocking how stupid he was and how he must be regretting his life choices.

"Everything according to script" He muttered as his eyes wandered around the bland and bleak room. Every peacekeeper station was the same from the Crystal way quadrant to Outrims, bright white walls outside, dull, faded gray inside.

Space travel? No problem. Living among the stars? Already done. Better paint jobs and colors? Impossible.

Marco was about to lay his head against the cold, unfeeling metal of the table when the station shook violently, a small trail of dust raining from the ceiling above.

Marco glanced around, the room shaking violently a second time raining more dust onto of his head.

Marco let out a small cough before shaking the dust off of his head "Well...this is new"

The peacekeepers looked at each other, drawing their blaster pistols and taking cover when the far away wall across from them began to sizzle bright red, the orangish red light starting to cut through the wall creating a doorway for whatever was on the other side.

Marco reached over to his forearm, trying to ignore the pain of twisting his wrist in an awkward angle as he gently pulled back a skin colored piece of tape, a small lockpick stuck under it.

As no one had raced into the room in an attempt to stop him, he knew the guards were busy with whatever the hell was attacking the floating station in space. Though, he thought to himself as he began to quickly pick the handcuffs, anything that has a guts to attack a federation peacekeeper station was never a good thing to run into. Best to get on out of here.

The cuffs eased their grip on his wrists with a satisfied pop and Marco took a moment gently rub blood back into his aching wrists.

Marco casually made his way to the door, his relaxed posture really an illusion to fool any guard who decided to rush at him from nowhere. His muscles with tense with anticipation.

Marco couldn't tell if getting to the door unimpeded was a good or bad thing so for the moment he would label it as a thing.

"It's okay" he told himself, nodded confidently as a way to psych himself up "You got this. You got this. Whatever is outside this door you can handle it. You are the Red Hood, legendary thief and outlaw. You got this!"

And the moment he quietly opened the door forward, a dead peacekeeper landed just out of the door's reach, eyes widen like they were seeing into his soul without actually seeing anything while the burnt body smell wafted through the air, the angry red blaster burn on the guards neck telling Marco everything he needed to know.

Marco let out a miffed sigh as he opened the door completely, hiding behind it as the whine of blaster fire echoed loudly through out the halls.

Marco was about to peer his head out to see what was going on but stopped when a flash of red and the soft sizzling of some small part of his hair told him live ammo was being used.

Marco let out an annoyed grunt, gently racking his fingers over his face.

Marco took a deep breath and quickly popped his head out of cover.

There were six or so peacekeepers blasting their blue stun bolts towards a small opening across the hall. That was expected.

What was not expected was the shiny white and black armor of the Black Flare criminal organization standing in the doorway, nasty and clearly illegally modded weapons mowing down the peacekeepers.

Marco ran his hand through his hair. The Black Flare was one of the most powerful criminal empires out there with enough force to rival the Federation.

And Marco had just lost them both a lot of money and an artifact he wasn't suppose to know about.

Forget the fact it was his stupid dealer's fault for giving him the wrong package and subsequently messing up the following deal, Black Flare tend to kill all parties involved

and they were here for Marco.

Marco let out a curse word that his mother would not approve over as he crouched, ready to run behind the police counter just across from the room.

Marco kept procrastinating as the red bolts began to fill the hallway. Self preservation instincts were a little fickle about what counted as an acceptable risk.

It wasn't until a bolt had cut a nice sized hole just an inch away from his head that Marco raced forward, keeping low to minimize his chances of being hit as he leapt over the counter, the warm energy of a bolt passing close enough to his outstretched hand to cause it to heat up for a second.

Marco landed roughly, his legs giving way before he tucked into a roll and sprung back into a standing position

and straight into a peacekeeper armed with a stun baton.

"Hey!" he roughly called from behind his helmet, the baton not activated yet "What are you doing out here?"

Marco chuckled nervously "Didn't you hear? Early parole"

Marco couldn't see the face of the guard but he knew he wasn't buying it "No, not buying it?" Marco clicked his tongue in disappointment "Damn, well it can't be helped"

Marco reached for a heavy book on a nearby desk as the baton sparked to life, pulling his body to the side when the guard thrust forward, narrowly dodging the attack while preparing his own.

Marco felt a little guilty when he could hear the helmet crack under the weight of the book, the guard slumping to the floor and drifting off to sleep.

"Geesh, what did I hit you with?" Marco muttered as he turned to see the book's title, his eyes widening at the sheer irony.

"Federation justice guidelines to Law. That is all kinds of ironic" Marco shook his head, nonchalantly tossing the book away as he picked up the stun baton "Since you won't be needing it."

Marco carefully opened the door just beyond the fallen body, grinning happily as he found himself staring into a stairwell.

"This is the best luck ever"

There was a loud click of fresh ammo being loaded behind him and Marco said that swear again.

Carefully and slowly, Marco turned his head to see 3 Black Flare soldiers pointing their nasty looking guns straight at his head while another group began searching the hallway out of sight.

"Heeeey guys" Marco said as calmly as he could "W-what brings you to this neck of the woods? Not little old me right?"

"Marco Diaz" a robotic, inhuman voice called from behind one of the masks. Even if he knew it was just a voice disguise, he always hated how those sounded when directed at him.

"Me? No no no! I'm Julio Ramirez!"

Silence

"Would you believe my name is Pascal Rodrigo?"

No response

"Paul Blofis? Marcus Reed? Antonio Reed?"

The trio gripped their guns a little tighter

"How boooooout Maaaaarco Diiiiiiiaz?" he said with an extended whine.

The trio clutched their fists in victory, taking hand off their blasters "YES! Knew it!"

Marco bolted through the door, slamming it shut as the soldiers realized their mistake

"HEY! Blast him!"

Marco's blood was rushing through his ears as he glanced up and down.

"up or down, up or down, up or"

A flurry of bolts crashed through the door way, nearly burning Marco in three different limbs

"Right, down!" Marco shouted, quickly running down the stairs as the soldiers footsteps began to sound closer with each passing second.

Marco quickly hopped onto the railing, jumping down to the next flight of stairs below him as the door was kicked open, bolts being shot down and up the staircase.

Marco hit the side railing harder than he expected and in the moment he was stunned, missed the railing completely and began to fall, his hands wildly attempted to grasp anything he could before gravity increased his speed to much.

His hands caught the railing a whole floor down, Marco groaning in pain as it felt like his arms were pulled out of their sockets for a moment.

Marco began to pull himself over the railing when a blast bolt melted a nearby piece of railing.

Marco said the curse word again as he swung his body back onto solid ground.

He raced down the stairs as fast as he could, the footsteps echoing high above him but inching closer and closer while the occasional bolt forced him to dodge out of nowhere and made his step unsteady for a brief moment. But those moments were adding up.

Marco spotted a door just in front of him. He had no way of knowing where it was going to lead him but at this point anything was better than in a stairway, holding a baton in a blaster fight.

Marco charged the door with as much strength as he could, his face slipping into surprise as the door easily opened under his unnecessary show force, sending him sprawling forward into an open chute, his screams fading as the door swung closed, preventing the soldiers from noticing where he had escaped to.

Marco picked up speed, most of the time free falling before randomly slamming against the chute as it shifted into a different direction. Marco lost all sense of time as the tunnel became longer and longer and...

Plop.

Marco's body shook as all the force of his trip was absorbed by a massive pile of dirty clothes. Marco took a sigh of relief before turning to notice a shirt that was caked with dry blood.

"Eww, eww, eww!" Marco muttered in revolt as he struggled to find footing on the unsteady and loose clothing, each time his hands finding something that felt gross under his touch.

After many minutes of trying, Marco finally untangled himself from his loathsome foe and opened the nearest door he could.

He knew he was in a cell block but the lights had been set to dim and unlike the other cell blocks which small, cramped and design to hold at least 200 prisoners in a room, this one only had a dozen or so cells, so wide that it appeared to be a mansion to the others.

Add the fact that every cell he had come across so far was empty and he was officially freaked out.

"I've seen horror movies that start this way" He muttered, eyes focused in fear "and we all know what happens to the handsome guy"

"He dies" a voice teased from the darkness.

Marco screamed at the top of his lungs, switching on the stun baton, waving it in a frantic panic while he tried to spot the location of the voice.

"Seriously? How did you ever get the best of me?"

Marco's eyes narrowed when he realized the voice had came from behind him. His narrow eyes became a straight on glare when he saw who trapped in the cell.

It was girl his age, a beauty girl his age if he was going to tell the truth but she didn't need to know that. She had long, flowing blonde hair, her icy blue eyes twinkling gleefully back at him as her lips were upturned by a smirk on her face, her pink hearts plastered on those cheeks looking just as cute as he remembered them. She wore a sea green dress and pink, orange stockings tucked into some strange looking boots. A beauty indeed.

"Yoooou" Marco muttered angrily as he inched closer to her, his face only separated from hers by a thin but sturdy piece of Fibsteel.

"Me" she teased, her eyes battering at him seductively.

"Yeeeeah not going to work princess" he taunted despite the fact his heart felt like he had just ran a marathon

She pouted in a way that was too cute and Marco could feel his heart skip a beat.

"Well can't blame me for trying" she answered truthfully "Even if it is your fault I'm in here"

Star admitted with those light brown eyes and that chocolate brown hair, he looked extremely adorable when his face melted into sheer disbelief.

"My fault? My fault!?" Marco pointed at her accusingly "You are the one got me thrown in here!"

Star shrugged "If you had just walked away when I told you..."

Marco scoffed, unable to believe what he was hearing "Was that before you jammed your knee into my stomach or after you attempted to crush me with an aquatic whale!"

Star peered at him thoughtfully "In between I believe"

Marco rolled his eyes "I must've not heard because I was busy trying not to be this little something called dead!"

Star giggled "It isn't my fault that you took the wrong package."

Marco flushed, her giggle pure music to his eyes "You tried to kill me for someone else's mistake..."

"Key word is tried"

"Trying to kill me is not much better than actually killing me."

"It is a little better you have to admit"

Marco let out a loud groan of displeasure, cutely stamping his foot "Because of you I now owe a lot of money to mobsters who want me d-e-a-d"

Star pursed her lips. As much as she hated working with crook, lowly thieves, she wasn't getting out of this cell without him.

"Let me out..." Star started but Marco cut her off at once.

"Let you out? Because our first outing together went so well!"

"If that's your idea of a first date, we have to work on your standards"

"If I took you out on a date, I might've brought you roses if you hadn't attacked me!"

Star was admittedly surprised when she felt her hearts turning a slightly brighter pink against her will. The idea of this man bringing her roses was...nice.

"Look" she decided to aim for the truth "I am sorry for attacking you. I didn't know if you knew what you had and what your plans for it were but I..."

"Should've made sure. I am not even sure I want to know what a Starco is."

Star felt guilty when he stared into her eyes. He really didn't know anything about the Starco.

"I need the Starco okay" she murmured softly "If you get me out and help me take it to my buyer...then I'll split the money with you."

Marco stroked his nonexistent beard. She had attacked him but she was really gorgeous...

Marco shook his head "Look as pretty as you are" Star's hearts turned even pinker upon hearing that "I don't trust you. Last time we saw each other, we had turned the criminal sector into a warzone."

Star let out a deep breath, willing her hearts to turn back to their normal color.

"Please...I...I just wanted a new life..."

Marco could see the desperation in her eyes as if this was her last chance. And despite the reservations he had about her, he decided it wasn't the worst thing to be in the presence of a beautiful girl who could possible get him enough money to pay off his debt.

Star could hear Marco's footsteps echo away from her and she felt sadden at his decision but she understood She wouldn't have forgiven her too if she was in his...

The cell door slid up silently and Star cautiously made her way to the outside world, certain Marco was going to shut the door on her, crushing her hopes once and for all.

But there was no closed door, sudden betrayal. Nothing.

"You better hurry up!" Marco called from another room "There are a lot of Black Flare soldiers here and they are willing to rip anyone up"

Star's wonder had turned into a deep fear when the words Black Flare passed through her ears.

She quickly made her way into the other room to see Marco lifting two rather unique looking pistols, slowly putting them into holsters hidden underneath his jacket

"Black Flare? Here?"

Marco nodded "Here for my head no doubt."

Star bit her lip nervously. No matter how bad someone messed up a deal, they wouldn't attack a federation peacekeeper station just for one man. They were here for Star, this guy was just an added bonus.

Star's eyes narrowed when Marco lifted a baseball sized red and blue orb out of a box with his name on it, the letters S and M engraved in a beautiful style.

"If you don't mind" his words knocked her out of her trance "I'll be holding on to it" Marco slipped the orb into his pocket inside his jacket "For...insurance reasons."

Star felt the momentary urge to attack Marco and just take the Starco from him. That was her whole future after all. But he had let her out when he had no reason to. She couldn't break whatever little amount of trust she had managed to gain with this thief.

"Of course."

Star began searching for her box, letting a sigh of relief when she spotted her devil horns headband and magic wand.

Marco eyed the wand wearily but made no motion to disarm her when she slipped the headband on her head and checked the wand for any damages.

"So" Marco started "Since we'll be escaping together, I suppose we should introduce ourselves."

Star nodded hesitatingly, there was no way this thief was going to tell her his real name but she would play along any way.

"Star Butterfly" She motioned her head towards him "you?"

"Jul..." Marco started but stopped when he saw a sudden glint of expectation in Star's eyes. She knew he was going to lie about his name and as much as Marco wanted to, he couldn't. Not to Star for whatever reason.

"Marco Diaz" Marco felt exposed, like he just showed her an embarrassing birthmark or something. It didn't hurt that the Starco felt warm against his chest for a moment. Sending a syrupy feeling of joy through his body in that split second.

"Marco Diaz" Star nodded, surprised how truthful he looked when saying it.

"Yeah" he nodded before clearing his throat, trying to ignore how bright and mesmerizing her eyes were. "We should get going"

Marco moved pass her. Star took a deep whiff of Marco's scent as he went by and turned crimson when she realized despite how he looked and how much he must've been running, he smelled very enjoyable.

Marco forced the jammed door open, holding it for Star go through when it was clear it was going to force itself shut no matter what.

"Such a gentleman" Star teased, a playful smile sending chills down Marco's spine.

"Well" he replied "If you can act like a lady, I can easily be a gentleman for you"

Star's heart skipped for a moment as that comment filled her with warmth.

Marco glanced around the clear tube that connected the isolated cell block to the rest of the station.

"How exactly are we getting out of here?" Star asked as the two made their way down the tube, their footsteps echoing loudly but naturally in step.

"There!" Marco shouted, pointing to a dark blue ship "That's the JLT! My ship. They must've impounded it after they arrested me."

"JLT?" Star rose an eyebrow.

Marco shifted uncomfortably "It...it's the...initials of my ex"

"Oh." Star wasn't sure what to say "D-did she die?"

Marco shook his head as they stood in front of the elevator, his finger pressing the call button rapidly as if the act could summon their ride faster

"No. Faked being in love with me then tried to kill me."

There was an awkward silence while the two rode up to the ship's hanger.

Star wanted to comfort Marco but hadn't the slightest idea how.

"Why did you name the ship after her?"

Marco sighed "A reminder"

"Of?"

"That guys like me don't get happy endings."

Star opened her mouth but the elevator's doors had slid open, revealing a group of Black Flare Soldiers.

Marco reached for his guns but Star had already beat him to it.

"Tsunami Jellybean storm!"

Marco couldn't believe his eyes when a rush of jellybeans burst forth from Star's wand, knocking the soldiers off their feet and over the railing.

"SORRY!" Star called after them

"Hey!" Marco shouted annoyed "You did not apologize to me, you do not apologize to them!"

Star rolled her eyes as the pair made way to the ship.

"This ship cannot fly" Star muttered, eyeing the worn and faded ship carefully, Marco and Star's distorted images reflected back at them.

"Hey this ship can totally fly! This ship can withstand anything."

"It's unlikely to do anything but crash and disappoint. Your ship..." Star began but Marco quickly cut her off.

"Hey! this is our ship! And _our_ ship practically flies itself!"

Star sighed as the pair made their way onto the deck of the ship, lifting up and disappearing into the night sky, leaving no trace they had ever been there.

Star paced nervously back and forth as the ship silently hung over some far off planet, far away from the peacekeeper station they had escaped from.

She knew she had to tell Marco the real reason she needed the Starco, the reason behind the Black Flare's attack on the station but how does one say "Hey I'm the daughter of the leader of the Black Flare! I ran away from home and trying to start a new life away from my evil father"

Star let out a groan of frustration

This was easier when the two had battle under the cloak of seedy criminal darkness, when she hadn't seen Marco in the chaos that had been their fight, when she hadn't known she was attacking a decent human being with some surprising deep emotions, when she hadn't known how good looking he was.

Star let out another frustrated growl.

"Screaming like that is going to make you a brunette"

Star spun around to see Marco leaning against the doorway, smirking in a way that was all too enticing to Star.

He had changed into a pair of clean clothes though they virtually the same as he had been wearing before. Star bit her lip when she noticed his crossed arms inadvertently flexed his well developed muscles.

"What, got a thing for brunettes?" Star shot back, pouting in a way that made Marco just want to lift her off her feet and kiss her with enough passion that was probably totally inappropriate on a number of levels.

"Nah."

"What are you doing here Marco?"

Marco shrugged "Other than being my ship, I figured since we have to lay low, this would be the best time to talk"

Star was suspiciously "About what?"

"Whatever we need to and I figured the best way was over these!"

Marco had revealed a large bowl of triangle chips drowning in a thick layer of cheese.

Star giggled "Seriously?"

Marco smiled endearingly "Seriously"

Star rolled her eyes as she took a seat on the guest bed, patting it warmly.

Marco took a step, placing the bowl in between them before the very first question rolled off his tongue

"What is the Starco?"


	20. Marco Diaz Comes to Earth (Request)

Hellllllo fanfiction! Author here and I am extremely happy. Thank you so much for all the favorites, reviews and follows for not only this story but for the other two as well. It means the world to me and reminds me how awesome you readers are.

A special thanks H mae (That was funny. if you're melting, I'm dying from laughter. Does that make me a Starco pusher?) SVTFOEfanatic (You are not being greedy at all! it just takes me a little time especially i was pretty busy this week. Due to the fact if i say i miss you is entering the final stretch, i had to shelve one of my stories. I flipped a coin and it turned out to be Scott AU. Don't worry I am working on it but it will be a while before i update it with its own story),Imaginistic (So happy you enjoyed it), lexaboyd1 (Really? awesome!) Cartoons4life (I am so glad you enjoy the oneshots so much!) Twin444 (I thought it was too clever and funny not to add in )sniplush (You fans about to help decide that), Mcplayer (STARCO FOREVER!) Keke (i am very honored and grateful you took the time to write a review for a genre you don't normally review. It means the world to me), christhedude (I love percy jackson and Paul's name totally sounds fake. well i mean it is but you know what i mean!) Ultragamerkitty (I am happy you enjoyed the chapter). my various guests *Thank you for kind words and praise* and finally dragon You are not at all rude and i am very appreciative that you would take the time to point out a mistake. You were very polite and i thank you immensely for it. It was one of those tough calls. I spent hours listening to the song. Diego Luna is a excellent singer but for some reason, he said the first part of the word normally but when it came to the last half, he put a lot of emphasis on it for some reason. I know when i sing in Spainish, other than sounding like a dying cat, sometimes i put the emphasis on the wrong part of the word. I decided to look up lyrics and in the end, all the ones i found told me it was fluff so i went with you for taking the time to point that out to me.

Okay readers i need your help! for the first time, i am doing a voting poll. If you want Guardians of the Starco to be its own stand alone Story. I am telling you this right now I am completely good with it being its own stand alone story. It won't bother me or strain me in any extra way. I did that story as completely goofy style because that's how i was feeling and i was not expecting such a heavy fan response. So in a review, tell me if you want it to be its own stand alone story. I write for you wonderful readers and I do not mind at all! serious i make a one shot and it ends up with so much potential to be a series.

Now to this story. This request is the last i had gotten for the canon universe and comes from Hyper Blossom Z *Every time i type that, i want to see the powerpuff girl anime* Hyper requested a role reverse. Marco being magical prince from Mewni while Star being from earth with a complete switch in their personalities as well. I won't lie, this might be the one i fail at because i confused myself with what hyper wanted. I am very sorry for that Hyper. If you do not like how it came out, please tell me and i will rewrite for you, no problem. So basically this is a retelling of the first episode, some tweaks here and there and not exactly the same. Hyper also wanted a oc male version of Jackie for Star and a female OC version of Tom for Marco. I did change the characters clothing so heads up and i gave star glasses because damnit she was absolutely adorable as Star PH.D and i wanted to give her glasses. haha sorry.

So please enjoy the role reversal AU of the canon universe. I hope you enjoy it hyper though don't be afraid to tell me if you don't. And remember if you want to guardians of the starco to be its own stand alone story, leave a review and tell me! I have some ideas for it and if you don't want it as its own story, there are still 2 chapters planned for it but i got many more if you want that. Thank you so much you amazing readers, keep being awesome! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING! and enjoy, i own nothing!

* * *

Far, far away, in a magical land called Mewni lived a prince. Marco Diaz.

Marco was a fun loving prince who often would sneak out of the castle to wrestle monsters and tame wild werewolves. He was often called reckless and irresponsible but today was his 14th birthday and he was going to prove to everyone he was more than ready to take over the royal magic wand from his father.

Whenever he decided to show up for the ceremony that is.

"Honey are you sure Marco is ready for this type of responsibility?" King Diaz asked, glancing at his beautiful wife with a serious gaze

Queen Diaz chuckled softly "Marco turns 14 today. I am pretty sure he can handle the wand."

King Diaz pursed his lips, unconvinced by his wife "You are much too easy on him my dear."

"and you are much too hard"

King Diaz opened his mouth to reply when a sudden outcry from panicking villagers echoed throughout the town.

King Diaz looked unhappy as Marco raced into the room, riding atop a massive, blackish wolf with piercing yellow eyes.

The wolf tried to buck off Marco from its back but he simply let out a shout of excitement, holding on for dear life as the wolf pounced from one spot to another until Marco had reached the front of the hall.

Marco leapt off the back of the wolf as it plowed straight through the castle wall to the outside world.

Marco rose up, clearing the dust and dirt off his red military style uniform, his black slacks and boots crisp and well kept as expected of Mewnian royalty.

Marco tried to stay cool when he spotted his father's golden hilt, elegant blue diamond wand. But the rush of energy he got from taming Pickles the werewolf and the excitement that he would finally be able given the royal magic wand was too much for the young teen. He began smiling uncontrollably, biting his fingernails and bouncing up and down as the urge to cast his first spell became overwhelming

Marco reached for the wand but his father had placed a hand against his cheek to slow his son down.

"Now Marco" King Diaz began, holding up a single finger to get Marco's attention "This wand is a big responsibility. If it ever fell into the hands of evil forces, the universe could be destroyed!"

Marco laughed loudly, grabbing the wand from his father's grip before either of his parents had the chance to react.

Marco held the wand away from his body, a swirling of red and blue magic encompassing the wand as it changed shape. Marco swore he could the sounds of a beautiful harp play while the wand took its new form.

The wand had changed into a red hilt, a circular top with the outer layer being as red as the hilt, the inner design being a beautiful combination of white and gray colors with some stars placed throughout and the center featured a black comet.

Marco let out a gasp of pure bliss before straightening up, his posture relaxed and calm as he scoffed at his parents concerns "Don't worry dad, I totally got this"

Marco's eyes widen in panic as a massive rainbow arched over Mewni, the raging fire on its back warming the air in the city to uncomfortable levels as the citizens began racing back and forth in a wild panic for safety, random bits of confetti either falling from the sky or bursting into flames.

Marco tried to sneak off into forest but his parents, along with Glossaryck, spotted him through their binoculars

"He totally doesn't got it." the trio said in unison.

Marco walked dejectedly towards the carriage, giving his parent's a pleading look as he muttered unhappily "I can handle it. You don't have to send me to Saint Hugo's Reform schoool for Wayward Princes"

Marco shudder as he imagined himself being pulled into the menacing, foreboding castle, lightning flashing in the background as he began clutching his hair in panic, screaming his head off as he slid past the castle gates which closed, locking him inside.

"AAAAAAH!" Marco screamed, unaware that he was in fact screaming in reality.

"Oh mijo, we're not sending you to Saint Hugo's" His mother told him gently.

Marco stopped, coughing and turning red as he tried to play cool facade once more.

"yet" his father cut in, his voice low and dangerous.

Marco frowned at his father.

"We're sending you to train a safer dimension" His mother explained "A place called Earth"

Marco glanced at his parents in confusion "Earth?"

"Manfield, open the portal!"

The queen's loyal servant nodded, holding a pair of dimensional scissors, cutting open a portal as the royal lion dragon bats pulled the carriage through the swirling vortex.

Marco pouted in the back, arms crossed and clearly upset at the arrangements that had been made. He tried to pretend he didn't care but as his eyes caught sight of the castle once more, he realized he wasn't going to be back for a while.

His gaze softened as he let out a sigh before sadly muttering under his breath "Goodbye Mewni..."

The carriage screeched to a halt and Marco peered outside, his eyes shone with awe and wonder.

Where this Earth was seemed pretty cool!

There were buildings made different colored bricks and even seemed sturdier than anything constructed in Mewni.

There seemed to be a blacken river underneath their feet that was luckily at the moment solid and able to be walked upon.

There were various teens his age wearing funny looking clothing, staring and pointing at the royal family as they walked by, flashes of light coming from these strange, square looking boxes that everyone seemed to own.

Even people of Earth knew Mewnian Royalty.

Marco's head felt like a loose bobble head, looking this way and that as he tried to take in all the new sights. Metallic carriages with no horses attached to them, a light gray colored platform, that seemed to stretch alongside the river, presumably to climb onto when the black river became liquid once more.

"Marco dear" his mother told him, closing the curtains to the carriage "You should probably change. This dimension doesn't have the same clothing as Mewni.

Marco nodded happily while his parents made their way outside to give him some privacy.

Marco peered thoughtfully at his royal clothing, unsure what exactly to change into. Now that he had the wand it would be a piece of cake but he didn't really know what kids wore in this...Earth dimension.

Marco's head peered out of the carriage, taking in the various sights and fashions of the native Earth people.

Marco grinned happily. There was so much choice, so much freedom! This might take longer than he originally expected.

Finally, after a few minutes watching the local population, most of which quickly sped off once they noticed his gaze for some reason, Marco had his clothing choice.

"Magical Earth clothing transform!" he shouted, pointing the wand directly at himself as a wave of magic numbed his body for a second.

"Marco, all done in there?" his mother called carefully through the closed door.

Marco kicked the door wide open, walking onto the solid black river with pride

"What do you think?" he asked his mother, clicking his tongue and pointing his finger at her "Cool right?"

Queen Diaz had to admit if she hadn't known Marco, she would have never guessed the child before her was from another dimension.

Marco brought his red cap with the picture of a cartoonish devil splashed on the front of it from home, a gift from his ex Sam. He wore a red t-shirt with a star in the upper center of the chest, black khaki shorts with an unnecessary amount of zippers and pockets that went past his knees and a pair of black boots with a strange rhino design on them.

"You look great honey"

Marco gave her a cheerful smile before flushing in embarrassment, his mom pinching his cheeks lovingly

"Mom!" he whined "Stop, please!"

"Yes honey" King Diaz interrupted "We need to see this...prince a pull that apparently runs this...education prison."

Marco took a careful look at building. While it was smaller and much wider than what he imagined a school would be, he had to admit it seemed like more homey, welcoming.

"Maybe this won't be so bad at..." Marco peered forward, carefully reading the large letters found in front of the school "Echo Creek Academy"

Marco let out a surprised noise from his mouth "huh, they speak and write Mewish too? AWESOME!"

Marco excitedly rushed inside, bowling over anyone unfortunate enough to be in his way.

King and Queen Diaz were unimpressed by the short, pudgy man that sat before them. He wore glasses and his hair was falling off before their very eyes. Perhaps there was more to this man but at the moment, King Diaz doubted this man's ability.

"So..." Principal Skeeves stated at them in disbelief, his fingers pressed together while he tried to process what was just told to him "You say...you're from another...dimension."

The lights flicked on and off rapidly, Marco staring wide eyed at the light switch before turning to his parents, an accusing tone supplying his words "You told me there was no magic on Earth, this" he pointed to the switch "is clearly the work of dark wizards"

Skeevex sucked the air through his teeth "Yeeeeah, I don't think this is going to work..."

King Diaz simply popped open the treasure chest he had pulled from nowhere, a golden light basking the room as Skeeves eyed the large amount of crystals, rubies, gems and gold held within. King and Queen Diaz could piratically could see the dollar signs in his eyes...actually, they _could_ see the signs in his eyes.

"He is going to love it here!" Skeeves shouted happily, greedily grabbing the treasure from King Diaz, basking in its glow.

Marco kept flickering the lights, eyes turned upward as he bit his lip in concentration, his mind moving a millions miles a minute attempting to figure out the dark wizards were powering the lights.

The parents shared a concern look "He's going to need a guide" Queen Diaz told Skeeves who hurriedly agreed.

Marco stood silently, unsure what to say to his departing parents.

"Take care of yourself Mijo" his mother told him, gently hugging him before squeezing tightly, knocking all the air out of his lungs.

"T-t-thanks mom Marco choked out as his father stared seriously at him, his mother finally letting go of Marco.

"Set up your mirror right away, I wish to speak to you everyday about your future role as king"

Marco let out a disappointed sigh "Yes dad"

"And remember, stay out of trouble or you are going to Saint Hugo's. No leaving this dimension or you are going to Saint Hugo's. And I find out you have using your magic irresponsibly..."

"Saint Hugo's" Marco cut in, clearly annoyed "Got it dad"

"Good bye son"

Marco watched his parents disappeared through the portal, leaving him in this strange, exotic new land. He felt homesick for a moment but the excitement of living in a new dimension got rid of that feeling at once.

"This is going to be sooooo cool!"

The classroom was deathly quiet as the students were stuck between staring at the wall, bored out of their minds or in the case of Star Butterfly, working diligently on their class work.

"Star Butterfly to the principal's office. Star Butterfly to the principal's office."

Star stared upwards in surprise, her black thin glasses sliding down her nose before she propped them back in front of her sky blue eyes, her pink heart covered cheeks slipped into a cocky grin.

She stood up at once, her long, sunshine like blonde hair tucked into a ponytail today. Her hands slid into her baby blue hoodie while she happily skipped to the front, her knee length black skirt swishing in the wind while her black leggings and sneakers kept her from freezing to death in the normally ice cold class room.

"Looks like someone's in trooooooUUUUUbbbllllle" Star sang, smirking at her fellow classmates as she made her way to the front. "I guess everyone who voted me safest kid is feeling preeeeettty ridiculous right now."

Star quickly covered her mouth with her hand, asking her teacher Miss Skullnick with a voice full of worry "Doooo I need a hallpass?"

Skullnick frowned, glaring at the young beautiful girl "Will you just go already! Get your pretty blonde hair and blue eyes out already!"

Star stared fearfully at Skillnick, rushing out of the room in a frenzy panic.

Star cheerfully made her way to Skeeves and a new kid she had never seen before. Skeeves seemed to be holding a large chest and the new kid seemed...oddly focused on the water fountain.

"Star!" Skeeves called happily to her "Just the girl I wanted to see. I want you meet our new foreign exchange student, Marco Diaz"

Marco looked disinterested as he pushed the button down to get a drink of water, eyes widening in complete shock when a rush of water poured out. He let out a surprised gasp before pulling back, falling into a fighting stance, some sort of wand raised high above his head.

"Umm..." Star mumbled, Skeeves completely ignoring the strangeness of the new student

"I need a responsible student, never take chances type to watch over him and who better than you? The safe kid!"

Star scoffed at his words "Why does everyone call me that? I am not safe! I am dangerous, misunderstood bad girl!"

Skeeves smiled at her like she was a small child playing pretend "That...is pretty adorable!"

Skeeves stared greedily at the chest "I'm off to the ice cream store! There are 52 flavors calling my name!"

"Shouldn't some of that money go to the school?" Star called after the retreating figure of Skeeves who had replied excitedly "52 FLAVORS!"

Star turned back to Marco who was repeatedly pounding his wand against the water fountain, clearly trying to destroy it.

"hmm..." Star muttered uneasily

Star walked ahead of Marco angrily though she had to slow down once in a while whenever he rushed passed her, pointing at everything and waving at everyone like he had never seen any of this before.

"Thanks for showing me around safe kid" he told her happily before pointing excitedly at one of the lockers

"Ugh, why does everyone call me that! Whatever you heard about me is not true! I am not _that_ safe" Star grimaced before pointing to the floor "Watch your step, loose tile"

The pair went on, Marco staring and ahhing at the ceiling for some reason while Star kept going with her rant "It is absolutely untrue!" Star quickly closed a locker door that Marco had failed to notice "Careful Marco."

Star scoffed loudly "Wear a helmet to volleyball one time and you get labeled for life!" Star grabbed Marco by the waist, swinging him far around some scattered glass "Broken glass, watch out"

The pair stopped in the center quad, Star turning to Marco who stared expectantly at her "I frankly love the thrill of danger and want some action in my life!"

Star's face flushed when she spotted _him._ Marco caught Star's empty gaze and followed it to an approaching teenage boy riding some wooden plank with wheels attached to them. The teen had a head full of short beach blonde short hair with a strain of ocean blue covering one lock tucked under a helmet. He wore a white shirt with a surfboard plastered on the front, his seashell necklace waving carefree in the wind. His dark blue khaki shorts seemed to have just as many pockets as Marco.

Star let out a dreamy sigh as her body went limp, Marco barely catching her whisper "Jack Lionel Thomas"

Jack raced passed them, nearly blowing Star off her feet as she stared dumbfounded at his passing figure.

Marco smiled at her "aww someone is in love!"

Star's face flushed as she snapped back into reality "A-am not!"

Marco chuckled good naturally "It seems like it to me. You don't have to be embarrassed! I am an excellent matchmaker"

Star's blushed worsened as she waved Marco off "I don't need help with matchmaking! And besides I'm not the one carrying a silly wand around." Star looked at it carefully "Why do you carry that thing around?"

Marco's face didn't change as he blasted a nearby butterfly with his wand, transforming it into a monstrous, horrifying large version of itself that roared loudly at the two before snatching a nearby teen and taking off into the air with him, his screams fading into the distance.

Star peered cautiously at Marco who seemed mildly impressed by his spell casting. "Who..are you...exactly?"

Marco let out a cool laugh as he clicked his tongue and pointed directly at Star "I'm Marco Diaz, magical prince from another dimension"

Marco snapped his fingers, a rainbow shot out of the wand and arched above him with cute and cuddly rabbits, squirrels and pups sitting on top.

Marco chuckled nervously "I-I didn't d...do that. The wand li...likes to makes rainbow..stiiiiiilll working out the...umm kinks...of that..."

Star opened her mouth the moment the rainbow caught ablaze, the sweltering heat of the fire very real and drying the air around them. The animals scattered, making various frightened noises

Star took a deep calming breath, eyes unfocused as she tried to block out anything that could be called upon for eye witness testimony "That is it for today's tour, I'm going home now. It was nice meeting you Marco"

Star pulled her hood over her head, quickly walking away from Marco who cheerfully waved goodbye to her

"Bye new friend! See you soon!" he gave her a wide smile as the school burned behind him, Star nervously good bye in return before sprinting out of the area.

Star wearily entered her home, grateful that the madness of the day was finally coming to a close. Star was not surprised to hear her parents joyful laughter but when she spotted their guest in between, her eyes widen in a panic.

There was Marco, smiling and chuckling between her parent. Mr Butterfly was wearing an orange Hawaiian shirt and shorts while her mother wore her long blue dress with a little pink squid design in the middle and had let her long light blue hair down from its usual heart shape bun, her pink diamonds crinkled in a smile.

"Ah Star, good you're home" Mr. Butterfly told her joyfully "Come meet the new foreign exchange student who will be living with us!"

"His name is Marco Diaz!" Mrs. Butterfly pinched his cheek tightly, causing Marco to flush bright red as he tried to escape her grip

Marco stood up, leaping over the table to Star's side in an unnecessary flourish "Wow, I didn't know these were your parents!" Marco gave a small, shy grin, scratching his cheek nervously, a gesture that caused Star's cheeks warm "I just thought everyone on Earth had the last name Butterfly. Hee...hee..."

"Won't it be nice to have Marco's upbeat, vibrant and cheerful disposition in the house?" Star's parents smiled at her like this was the best news they had gotten all day. Marco's wide, cheerful seemed infectious to her parents but it felt a little crazed to Star's eyes.

"We also could've gotten that from a litter of puppies you know" Star mumbled unhappily

Marco let out a gasp of exhilaration "Dude I love puppies!"

Before Star could hazard a guess to Marco's intent, Marco twirled the wand expertly in his hands, catching it right side up before blasting the floor with a beam blue energy. There was a flash of light and 7 palm sized German Shepard puppies appeared from nowhere, barking cheerfully and at the top of their lungs while Star's parents cooed over how cute they were.

Without warning, a wave of lasers began bursting forth from the puppies eyes, cutting holes in the curtains, knocking over several picture frames and even breaking Mrs. Butterfly's favorite lamp.

Star openly glared at Marco who chortled nervously, reaching down to pick up one of the puppies into his arms, giving her an uneasy smile.

Star's parents looked tensely at the chaos caused by the puppies, laughing with a good nature grin as Mr. Butterfly followed Marco's example and took one of the puppies into his arms.

"I say they are quite cute and...OWW!" the puppy blasted him straight in his eye, causing a moment of pain forcing Mr. Butterfly to shut his eye to alleviate the pain "I mean good show"

Star's parents laughed once more but Star wasn't having any of it.

"Star" Mrs. Butterfly asked cheerfully "Why don't you show Marco his new room?"

Star rolled her eyes, shoulder slumping as she began to climb the stairs "This way Marco"

Marco nodded, straining to lift his heavy case up the stairs, the laser puppies blasting his legs with their powerful attacks.

"Why didn't I just pack lighter?" he moaned before an idea struck.

He pointed his wand directly at the case before shouting "Easy Lifty Case!"

The case hovered above the ground allowing Marco to push it up the stairs and straight into his new room.

"Here's your new room" Star waved unenthusiastically to the small, tiny bedroom.

Marco plopped his case down, narrowly missing his own toe in his reckless disregard for safety. He span around, taking in the room's features while mindlessly chewing on his wand in thought.

"hmm...hmmmm...mhm." Marco nodded merrily "I can work this no problem!"

Star was confused "Work with...?"

Marco held his wand high, shouting at the top of his lungs "Bursting Firework Expand!"

There was a whistling of countless fireworks exploding in a beautiful array of colors as the room grew three sizes bigger than it had been before, all styled in traditional Mewni architecture.

Star's eyes practically glowed with envy at Marco's new room. It was three stories tall with a staircase that spiraled upward to a balcony. An elegant ceiling with giant red gems winked from above as Star tried her hardest to take in the sight of the room.

Marco nodded in contentment, moving to put up his mirror while Star stood dumbfounded at the change of appearance the once humble room had taken.

Marco moved his mirror this way. Then the other way. Then once more to where it had been.

"yeah, this is good.!" Marco nodded "I approve"

Unfortunately Marco hadn't heard the mirror inform him that his ex was calling him at the moment and he had just accepted to answer it.

"W-wait!" Marco shook his hands wildly but it was too late.

"Marco!" Sam called to him, a pleasant grin on her pale face. Sam was just as Marco had remembered. She wore black eyeliner under her eyes, her blood red hair pulled up into pigtails, her horns gleaming sharply against the flaming background of the underworld. Her three eyes peered eagerly at his face. Her pointed elf like ears made her toothy, fangy smile seem more innocent but Marco wasn't falling for it. Though he did feel a tug at his heart strings when he noticed she was still wearing the black shirt with a white skull he had given to her for her birthday.

"oooooh...hiiiiii Sam" Marco muttered quietly, Star concerned how unlike himself he sounded

"How are you?" Sam cheerfully questioned, subtly tugging on her hair to show Marco she was as nervous as he felt.

"I-I'm good...you?"

She nodded her head quickly "I'm good too..."

There was a moment of awkward silence

"Listen Sam, I need to finish unpacking, Just kinda moved to a new dimension" Marco waved his hands halfheartedly "You know how it is."

"Marco wait..."

"Bye Sam."

"Marco!" Sam's eyes became pale white, her voice becoming deep while the wall of flames behind her rose "DON'T HANG UP!"

but Marco had already done so.

Star felt a little bad when she noticed Marco's shoulders slumped, heavy with mixed emotion. She clearly witness something that hadn't been quite gotten over.

"You know" Star murmured quietly causing Marco to violently shake when he remembered she was there "I wish I had a room like this"

Marco's shoulders perked up. He whirled around, catching her off guard at how quickly his attitude had changed "You do? I can do that!"

Marco raced out of the room before Star realized what was going.

"Wait!" Star called after him, rushing to catch up the young teen, half hoping he wouldn't do anything to her room while the other half hoped she got a room just like his.

She raced into the room in time to catch Marco flinging his spell directly into the center of her room "Mystic Room Suck Transform!"

Star's eyes widen in eagerness before they switched in surprise, a black hole appearing from nowhere and began angrily sucking in all of Star's possession before attempting to suck in the two themselves.

Marco and Star screamed loudly. Marco gripped the door frame as tight as he could, pushing backwards as one of the puppies barked before being lost into the void. With a mighty push, Marco escaped the pull of the black hole and shut the door closed.

Star placed her forehead against the wall, Marco grinning apprehensively while she muttered under her breath "suck? Suck?! Why was the word suck in that spell?!"

Star turned to Marco accusingly

Marco shrugged "I-i don't know why! I-ittttttttt just came out that way?"

Star groaned in exhaustion. She should've never bothered to try to help cheer this...this...

"I'm sorry Star" Marco muttered under his breath before an idea popped into his brain "I know. I'll cheer up your day with a little sun!"

Never mind I don't actually know how to use the spell, Marco thought to himself as he pointed the wand above Star's head, a bright warm sun appearing over her head.

Marco smiled brilliantly until the sun disappeared and turned into a rain cloud, soaking the poor girl head to toe with, from what Marco could tell from splash back, icy cold water.

Star let out a loud frustrated growl "I'm done! I'm OUT! IF YOU ARE MOVING IN , THEN I AM LEAVING!" Star angrily stomped by Marco who reached out for her shoulder.

Before he could stop her, Star slipped and fell out the window. Marco rushed forward, calling out to her, concern thick in his voice "Star! Are you okay?"

Star looked up to him, glaring with pure hatred as she stood up from the cactus she had fallen on and began walking away "Leave me alone Diaz!"

Marco chewed on his wand fearfully, looking down at the sadden puppies "I really messed up didn't I?"

Marco bolted down the stairs, roughly shoving the door open. There had been no sign of Star but she left a trail for him to fall.

Despite the fact she must've left just a few minutes before him, she had covered much more ground much quicker than he had though this was her hometown. Marco hadn't any idea what a theater was but telling from all the screams that came that place, it must've been a fun ride.

Marco spotted Star standing unhappily outside some sort of store, eyes tired, sighing unhappily.

Marco approached her slowly, silent until she had turned to face him, leaping back in surprise.

Marco poured everything he could into the next spell, desperate to properly apologize to Star. With a wave of his wand, the cloud had vanished and Star's look of fright became one of uncertainty and annoyance.

"I..." Marco started slowly, eyes downcast in shame "I didn't get a choice about coming to Earth...and you didn't get one about having to deal...to deal...with...me"

Star's eyes softened, guilt tugging at her when she noticed how crestfallen the boy in front of her was about his actions.

"But you don't have to worry about me!" Marco told her, a fake smile clearly etched on his face to fool Star. But she had seen his real, cute smile enough times to know when he was forcing one. "I...I'll find another family to live with"

Star opened her mouth when movement behind Marco caught her eye. She had never seen such creatures before and she didn't know what to do other than warn Marco "M-Marco?"

Marco twisted around to see that they had been surrounded by Ludo and his forces.

"Marco Diaz" Ludo said with a hint of self-satisfaction "at last I found you!"

"Ludo?" Marco asked in hushed surprise "How do you find me?"

Ludo laughed while taking on a proud pose, looking smug and pleased with himself "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Marco glanced at him unsure if Ludo had actually heard him "Umm...yeah actually...That is kinda why I asked."

"Oh" Ludo responded "well. Buff Frog was scouting out...hey! Never mind that! I don't have to tell you a single thing! Get me that wand!"

Marco slipped into a battle position, tensed and ready for combat. The three eye pig...monster...rushed forward but Marco was surprised to hear a battle cry from behind him.

Star leapt forward, smashing her fist directly into the monster's stomach, knocking all the wind out of it while she twirled around, back handing its snout before jumping into the air and crash the heel of her sneaker against its skull.

"WHOA! YOU CAN FIGHT?!" Marco exclaimed, awe and admiration in his eyes.

Star blushed, twiddling her fingers together while she flushed with pride for having impressed Marco.

"It's called karate!" She told him cheerfully before taking out a monster that had been attempting to sneak up on her.

Marco let out a cheer before leaping into battle himself

Ludo couldn't believe that two 14 year old teens were single handily defeating his most fierce and terrifying monsters. He angrily climbed onto Buff Frog's chest, gripping his shirt tight in his claws, shaking him as best he could while scolding "You told me he was unguarded"

Buff Frog mutter "nuh uh" clearly just as surprised as Ludo had been about the girl warrior assigned to Marco.

The pair fought their way around the scattered monsters, outclassing them easily while sharing a knowing smile with one another.

Marco blasted Buff Frog into a light post, Ludo pushing him back to his feet "You're embarrassing me! Get up, get up, GET UP!"

Buff Frog shook off his confusion, tearing off the street lamp to use as a club before leaping at Marco once again who had been too focus taking out Bearicorn.

Buff Frog raised the pole above his head but Marco, without ever glancing backwards, twirled the wand in his hand and shot backwards directly into Buff Frog's face "Cotton Candy Hallucination spray!"

Marco laughed loudly when Buff Frog's eyes unfocused and he began muttering things like "What is happening?" and I'm tripping out"

Star was surrounded by a trio of monsters but the adrenaline coursing through her veins stowed any sense of fear. This was epic, this was awesome!

"I have to warn you." she told them fairly "I'm a green belt" She paused before adding in with dangerous tone "With a stripe"

The monster chuckled but their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when Star kicked one directly in the face, grabbing a second monster's head, slamming it into the ground and pushing herself into the air, grabbing the third one with her legs before flipping backwards, tossing him into a car as she landed on all fours gracefully.

Marco and Star smiled at each other, lost for a moment how much fun this was.

The moment was lost when two monsters kicked the two to the ground. Star quickly recovered, kicking both away while Marco prepared the next spell "Megaton Walrus Storm!"

The sky was filled with falling walrus that crushed every single monster present.

Marco smirked at Ludo, holding the wand lazily in his hand "Had enough Ludo?"

Ludo simply rolled his eyes and forced his monsters to their feet, cursing Marco and that karate girl before disappearing into the portal.

Marco smiled, the rush of a great battle slowly wearing off.

"That was awesome!"

He turned to see Star chopping the air in pure joy, a bright and beautiful smile on her face that warmed Marco's heart

"You were awesome! I was amazing! THIS WAS AMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING!" she screamed into the inky night sky.

"yeah" Marco softly agreed, knowing it was time to move houses "it was huh..."

Marco let go of a sigh before hiding behind another false smile "Thank you Star." He held out his hand and Star realized he was about to say goodbye.

"Wait" she said gently "I don't want you to go...please, stay with me? I mean us! Stay with us!"

Marco smiled at Star's tinted cheeks and nodded shyly "Okay Star."

Star smiled brightly and it made this long, emotional day worth it to Marco.

"So are monsters going to be attacking us all the time?"

Marco thoughtfully pondered the question

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Awesome! Wait! Let...let's cross at the street"

Marco let out the happiest laugh he had given all day "Whatever you say Wild girl"


	21. GO TO SLEEP! (Random)

HELLLLLOOOO Fanfiction! Author here, doing good, a little busy at the moment so if you were wondering why there is a slow down of stories, well that's why. A great big thanks for all your wonderful reviews, favorites, follows and for all you amazing readers out there! You readers rock and you make writing for you wonderful people a pleasure.

A special thanks to H mae (Draw, draw, draw! at your own pace of course), SVTFOEfanatic (I am so glad you liked the story but i'm gonna need a few more votes for Guardians of the starco to be its own thing) Hyper Blossom (Soooo happy you enjoyed it so much! it makes me so happy you did And you've created a monster which i will explain in my announcement) aleprettycat (Such a long review. Okay let's see Thank you for your many, many kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed all the AU's and I hope you keep enjoying them. My friends looked at me weird too when i found Starco but they've come to accept how cute they are. In terms for help with Spanish, i'm pretty good at speaking it, writing a little weak. I've got some family that could help me out but i might take you up on your offer, so thank you) Cartoons4life (Thank you so much for your review and your support) Grim (got some exciting news for you) and to my guest, I am aware most guitars have 6 strings but there a few 5 string variants. I am a musician but I don't know too much of guitars so i figured 5 strings would be easier for Marco to learn. Relatively speaking.

Now for a special announcement. I've been making alot of them lately. Anyway, long story short, i enjoyed doing the Reverse role AU so much I plan to do 3 more episodes. Only 3 or i might as well rewrite the entire series. and I have too many stories right now to do that...well maybe not. anyway the 3 episodes I've picked are cheer up Marco, Mewberty and Blood Moon Ball. I might do a fan vote for a 4th but for now babysteps. So look for those in the near future along with some requests I still have to finish. I have not forgotten, just fleshing them out a bit more.

Now for this AU. this AU was actually written i dunno a few weeks ago but i wasn't sure if i should put it up. It's a jokey AU that is loosely based off a real life situation i found myself in where i had to put two my cousins to bed and they absolutely refused to sleep which forced me to come up with a story right there and then to lull them to go to sleep. So i decided you fans are so great that i will indeed post this up and here it is. Hopefully I'll have another story up tomorrow. Let me know what you think of this one. and don't take it too seriously

I know i mentioned it in the other story but for maximum coverage for an awesome artist, H mae has some newish drawings up including chibi gods, a very sweet annabeth and Percy drawing that makes me want to do a lightning thief AU and a picture she used to completely outsmart me. Well done Mae well done. Check it out on her tumblr at hains-mae

So thank you so much for all your support, love the stories. Every single review, favorite and follow means the world to me and makes me want to improve my writing for you amazing readers. Enjoy this strange little story, keep on being awesome and I own nothing!

* * *

"Why can't they make a map of this place? I mean every part of this forest looks exactly the same! I am pretty sure I passed that rock at least 3 times." the boy peered closer to the rock as if examining it would reveal the answer to the question.

When the rock failed to response, the boy simply sighed before wiping his brow of the sweat that had begun to pool there. The sun was unbearably and purposely baking him to a crisp as if it knew the importance of this day.

He wanted to sit for a moment. Carrying all this heavy yet ancient armor and weaponry was seriously uncomfortable. How did knights not die from exhaustion? No really. Not only was he expected to carry all this stuff to the battle, he was still expected to fight said battle. It seemed severely inefficient and horribly disadvantageous.

The young man wanted to sit but he could not risk it.

After all, it wasn't everyday you got to save your true love.

Hold on, back up, let us rewind that a bit before we go on with this fairy tale. I wouldn't be a very good narrator if we just jumped straight into the middle of our story without reminding you of what you missed.

Don't look at me like that, you're the one that was up all night reading those cursed paperless stories. It isn't my fault you slept through 3/4th of the story.

What do you mean I should've stopped? You asked me to read you a story. _You_ fell asleep. I only read a story once.

Fine

Anyway, as I may _gently_ remind you, our intrepid yet annoyed young man is Marco Diaz, 14 year old of resident of the magical land of Mewni.

Yes, it is actually called Mewni. No, I am not making this up. Do you want to hear the story or not?

Marco was the son of two wonderful, if slightly embarrassing, parents. By and by, Marco's life was good. A roof over his head, food on the table and a steady job as the apprentice of a blacksmith. Soon Marco would be of age, find a girl to marry and begin the cycle of life all over again just like countless of his ancestors before and numerous descendants after him

Except the tiny, small, hardly important detail of Marco falling in love with the princess.

The princess of Mewni, Star Butterfly.

Yes, that is her name. Would you stop interrupting?

Anyway, Star Butterfly was not your average princess. While she was beautiful with long, flowing hair as bright as the sun and eyes more clearer than the ocean and sky, she was by no means an average princess. Yes I know I just repeated myself. May I keep going now?

She hated studying as all children did but she was unafraid to skip out on her classes to fight deadly and terrifying monsters in the Forest of Certain Death or tame wild, fierce and possibly undead unicorns by the Lake of Do Not Enter.

Oh, _those_ names are perfectly okay with you?

Where was I? Oh! Right. Star Butterfly was as energetic and whimsical as she was beautiful and she was sought after by many suitors from across land. Poor Marco did not have a chance for only a prince or knight of noble birth may marry the princess.

Didn't stop him from trying though.

You see, Marco had met the princess when they were young. His father and mother were but a humble carpenter and baker yet when the king of all the land came to see you personally, you tend to take pride in your work.

As King Butterfly commissioned a new desk and some sweet snacks for his lovely queen's birthday, the young princess grew bored quickly and managed to sneak her way towards the back of the shop where the outside light enticed her. She knew she shouldn't wander off but her daddy was talking to some nice people. She did not want to interrupt them.

The crammed yet homey shop had opened into the vast outside world and as Star prepared to run her little heart out, she paused upon spotting Marco.

Sitting against the stone wall that separated his house from the street, the young man was deep reading a book, his normally combed hair a wild mess after race through the market place with his friends. He let out a deep sigh as he closed the book. Why couldn't his life be so interesting?

"Whatcha reading?" a voice called from his left. Marco jumped and before he could help himself, he fell to the floor with a thick thud.

"Oww...that hurt." Marco muttered as he began searching for his book he tossed into the air.

"Oh I'm sorry, here" the same voice called to him as it reached to help him to his feet.

"It's okay. I wasn't expecting anyone to actually come back here" Marco muttered, looking down and shaking off the dust from his clothes. Once he was satisfied, he gave a little hum of approval and turned to the person who had surprised him.

Marco took one look at Star and his fate was sealed.

"Hi" Marco muttered gaspingly "I-I'm Marco" Star gave him a huge smile that just made her even more lovely to him "I'm Star"

And from that moment on, Marco fell in love with that one person that society had decreed that he would never have a chance with.

The years went by as Marco began digging himself deeper and deeper into that pitfall known as love.

While they could never really "hang" out, you young people still say that right? Anyway, despite what the two had been lacking in the quantity of hanging out with each other, the few interactions he had managed to wrangle from her were deep in quality.

Marco learned that Star loved to explore, she treated everyone fairly, she was more lively than anyone else he had ever known and she saw him as a true friend despite their limited time and vast class difference.

Marco remembered those rare nights when Star snuck away from the castle and they would spend all night talking about their lives. Marco didn't have much to say but Star always seemed eager to listen to his mundane life. While Marco's life was boring but simple, Star's seemed infinitely daunting and vastly more unfair.

She would often say, with a hint of sadness, how desperate she was to find someone who liked her for who she was. The various suitors that visited her day in and day out all blurred together. They were so one dimensional she could have sworn they were all the same person. How much they distaste her attitude and general Starness.

Marco wish he had the courage to tell her how he felt. How he's always felt. But he kept telling himself it wasn't the time, that Star wasn't in the mood, or they were having too much fun for him to ruin the moment.

He knew he was lying to himself. He didn't want to admit that, by some miracle Star felt the same way, it was impossible for him to ever be with her. A dream he didn't want destroyed.

As the 14 year old Marco awoke that faithful morning, he could feel something was wrong. He felt like a part of him was ripped away and an empty void had replaced what was lost.

Now I'm tired of repeating myself. Hey if you wanted the whole story, you shouldn't have fell asleep. Let's see princess kidnapped by scary monster, the one to save her gets to marry her, princes rush off and Marco, with his father's old armor and sword, following in tow.

Okay! Back to the good part.

As Marco sat on a rock, unsure where any of the princes were or even where his beloved Star was being held. Marco could feel the hopelessness setting in. He wasn't a fighter, he was a blacksmith and not even a real one at that. How could he ever save Star?

He was ready to call it quits and just head home. The loser returning to the only place he belonged, doomed to a life without the one person who could truly make him happy.

That was always his fate wasn't it? How else could it play out for the boy who tried to hold a star in his arms only to be burned by his delusion?

Marco stood up, so dejected and forlorn that even the coldest heart would grant him a shard of pity. As Marco stared to the sky, he couldn't help but wish. Not for a chance to prove himself or even to somehow stumble upon the beast but for Star's safety. Even he though all he ever wanted, no, craved was Star's affection, he couldn't be so selfish. As long as Star was safe and happy, he could be too. So he wished for Star's happiness, whoever that may be.

Marco sighed, his hopelessness overtaking him with the force of powerful wave but before he could head home, something fell out of the sky just in front of him, landing with a loud and sickeningly fleshy thud. Marco jumped in surprise, hurriedly drawing his sword from its sheath and frantically searching for the fallen object.

He found it as the murmuring of an injured prince was the sight he was greeted with. While the prince would be just fine, he was smoking an awful lot and crying as if he had seen something traumatic.

Hope surged through Marco: Not only was that one less prince to worry about, that also meant the beast was somewhere nearby. Fatigue disappeared completely from his body and with a might leap, Marco raced towards where the prince had been thrown from.

Marco cleared the bushes and found himself in the middle of a massive clearing, the various princes sprawled throughout the floor, defeated but not dead. Before Marco could even take another breath, A flash of orange overtook his sight and he could his armor began heating up as Marco tumbled through the air. Pain shot through his back and Marco could see the sky high above him. Steam rolling off his armor, his skin felt sensitive as if he had just been broiled

Marco managed to get back on his feet when a voice called out to him "Watch out tin can!"

Something squishy collided with him and sent him sprawling to the floor once more. He let out a slightly annoyed grunt, struggling to get to his feet...again. "If this is how turtles feel" Marco muttered "Then everyone whose knocked them on their backs is an ass"

Yes I just said ass. Oh grow up I told you this story was going to be PG-13...What does PG-13 mean? It means it's funnier.

"I told you move it tin can!" the voice called to him somewhere in front of him, just as equally annoyed as he had been "Seriously who just stands there in the middle of battlefield?!"

Marco muttered under his breath "Someone who has no idea what they're doing" Marco managed to roll onto his side, carefully placing himself on all fours as his body strained to lift the million pounds of armor strapped to his body.

He managed to rise to his feet, the heaviness of armor pulling him backwards and nearly causing him to trip again

"NO NO NO NO!" Marco began shouting rapidly as a hand gripped his gloved one tightly and began pulling him along

"Thanks!" He called to his savior, the helmet's limiting vision allowing him only to see a long trail of familiar blonde

"Don't think me yet prince dumbass! If you keep just standing there, I am seriously going to let the dragon fry you next time" the voice told him matter of fact, the hand launching him forward and sending him into a dizzying spin, the forest swirling into indiscernible colors, the person chuckled at Marco's discomfort before leaning against the large rock the two were hiding behind

"Oh god I think I'm going to throw up" Marco admitted, his cough loudly echoing his own ears, the lack of fresh air causing his stomach to churn unhappily.

He felt his stomach push upwards, rising up against his throat and...

What...oh this is too gross? Seriously?

A little burp exited his mouth...You are very lucky I'm willing to take feedback.

"Eww...that was pretty gross" The figure told him, her sky blue eyes peering directly through the visor into his concealed brown.

"STAR!" Marco shouted in pure joy. Star looked absolutely radiant in a long, light blue gown with a small yellow star in the middle, her devil headband gracing her flowing, sun kissed hair. Yes sun kissed. It's a thing! STOP CUTTING IN!

the princess taking a step back and looking rather unimpressed by his reaction

"Yeah tin head that's my name, don't wear it out. Look I'm glad you at least know it but between my dad offering me up as a prize and you princely idiots trying to win me is not exactly winning _you_ " She roughly jabbed at his armor "the princess's favor"

"Huh?" Marco realized he was still wearing the helmet "Wait, wait Star!"

Star took a step back as weakest link began struggling to take off his helmet, rolling her eyes at his inability to function at all in his armor. The fact this prince had lasted this long as nothing short of a miracle.

"UGH! Seriously?" Star stamped her foot angrily "What kind of prince are you?!" she furiously made her way to the flailing, struggling prince before roughly tearing off his helmet off his head

Star's heart was screaming in joy as a pair of stunning light brown eyes widen as the sunlight shined off them, his normally well kept hair a wild mess (And very pretty attractive that way in Star's opinion) freed from the cramped space that was his helmet.

"Marco" Star whispered breathlessly, Marco taking a large gulp air, his stomach settling.

"That is so much..."

Star didn't even bother hiding it anymore.

Star rushed forward, her hands gently holding his cheeks in a soft embrace. Her oceanic sky blue eyes staring into light caramel ones, both reflecting so much tenderness and longing back to the other. She pulled him forward gently as she turned her head sideways in order to get as much of him as she could. Their lips lightly pressed against each other and Marco could swear his heart had stop. Then Star slid her lips further, parting his open and bringing a new sensation spreading through his body. Now he knew his heart stopped.

Marco's still lips exploded into eager movement awake when Star's began moving against his. Marco's hands wandered down to her waist, clutching her tightly as he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Star let out a gasp of surprise, Marco worried he had gone too far but then her still attached lips curved upwards forming a smile and Marco followed the suit.

The dragon peered over the rocks, catching full sight of the two lovers embrace and let out a loud, spine tingling roar.

Only to be surprised that not only had the two puny humans had not only not responded, they had actually held their hands together, rising it as one towards the beast with the index fingers of both being hold up in the universal sign of "Give us a minute"

The dragon felt awkward. This had never happened before. This wasn't in the guidebook for dragons, yes there's a guidebook for dragons so shhh. The dragon decided to fly away, maybe come back later when the humans weren't trying to eat each other faces out.

The pair finally broke apart, 20 minutes later, staring lovingly into each others eyes

"Does this mean you like me?" Marco asked hopefully

Star let out a good nature laugh, pressing her forehead against his

"No Tin can, I love you. I've always have...do you love me?" she asked timidly, unsure if her actions earlier had been unwanted. He totally wanted her right? He had kissed her back after all. But then again it was in the moment so maybe he was regretting it now?

"I love you too Princess" Marco smiled before catching her lips with his own once more.

The end.

….What do you mean plot holes? You want another story? Seriously it is like midnight, why aren't you asleep yet!? You are getting very greedy kid.

This ending sucked? Oh for the love of...If I give you a better ending, you better go straight to sleep. Go it?

Fine...umm...

So Marco and Princess Butterfly made their way back to the castle, the town abuzz with the fact the princess had chosen a lowly commoner for her true love. Which actually is quite inspiring for those think long shots aren't a thing.

The king was thrilled, not only had her daughter made her choice (Yes she had to make a choice. No I did not make that up. I'm 95% sure I mentioned it earlier. Shh!) but it was a the young boy who had grown into the perfect lad that won the princess's heart.

The queen was not convinced and as much as she hated to burst the bubble of Star and Marco, she could not allow the marriage to happen. Marco was not of royal birth and thus could not marry the princess.

Star was furious and with one swift motion, she took off her crown and decreed to everyone if Marco couldn't marry the princess, Star the villager would marry Marco.

"Hold on Mija!" A cheerful voice cried out from the outside

Marco felt his eyes popped out of his head as his mother and father made their way to the front of the hall.

"Dad?" Marco muttered with an embarrassed whine "What's going on?"

"Well Mijo" his dad told him full of joy "Your grandpa has just died"

Marco felt faint "I had a grampa?!"

Mr. Diaz nodded "A terrible man. Horrible man"

"Really?"

"Yes quite, he died when his pet tiger decided to try human meat for a change"

"Okaaaaay umm that's morbidly depressing"

"No it's not!" Mrs. Diaz shouted happily

"Okaaaaaaay" Marco said slowly, backing away form his clearly crazed parents.

"You see we were last in line. Number 23, I believe, for the throne of Earth"

Marco still wasn't sure where this was going. Earth was a neighboring country that was currently at war with Mewni. What good did it do Marco that his parents were 23rd in line to ascend to the throne?

"And since my power hungry cousins literally waged a full out war against each other, they all died!"

Marco felt even worse "Seriously that is too sad."

"Not at all because they were 1 through 22 in line"

"Which means?"

"We're are now the ruling family of Earth!"

"Meaning" Mrs Diaz cut in "We are royalty"

Marco felt the world slip under him "Which means..."

Star turned to him, kissing him once more "Looks you get your Star"

Marco let out a huge grin before dropping on one knee.

"Star Butterfly, will you marry me?"

Star began crying happily, nodding over and over as Marco rose to his feet and picked her up, twirling her around and around, his heart bursting with pure blissfully.

They got married, had 3 children and lived happily ever after

The end.

…..Now go to sleep...


	22. Star and the Idol (Request

Hellloooooo Fanfiction! Author here, sorry i am a little late with this one. Took longer than expected but i hope it was worth the wait. A great big thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites you lovely people give me. You readers make me want to write all day long and i really wish i could sometimes.

A special thanks to H mae (I am glad you enjoyed it so, i suppose i'll have to warn it when the story is for a night time read only and i cannot wait for the fan art but take your time)

SVTFOEfanatic (thank you for A, i love it and I give you an A for being an awesome Reader. all you readers get A's from me!)

Imaginstic (thank you for your kind words and i have a surprise fooooor you!)

Fanfictionfordayz (i was wondering where you disappeared too. no wrries, I'm just happy you got to enjoy the story!)

goldenflash (I love new reviewers, makes me happy and no! weak grammar is not okay even if i get these things out so fast. Thank you for your critique, I'm not mad i'm quite thankful you pointed that out to me but simply put i do the best i can and that's all i can really do. sometimes i miss the mark. hopefully this one knocks your socks off!)

Grim (Not bad for something based on a real life event huh?)

couple production (I have a feeling i'll be doing this a lot to my kids.)

88 (you are quite strange)

concerned reader (I thought that too but they wouldn't go to asleep without another ending so what are you going to do?)

Aleprettycat (i am sorry this wasn't your type of story but thank you for your review and reading it anyway. hopefully this one has enough magic to make up for it)

and my various guests (go to sleep was the literal last thing i told them before i walked out of the room, I'm thinking i will do the princess bride once i get my hands an a copy i could watch over and over.)

The idrawcartoon1314 are pretty good, my favorite is Marco hugging Star from behind

Thank you everyone for reading my funny, strange story even if you didn't like, i am very appreciate you did read it.

Now this AU request comes Imaginstic who wanted an Idol AU where a fan meets the idol backstage, the idol thinks fans are shallow and creepy and the fan thinks the idol is an ass. They keep running into each other randomly and slowly began to fall in love. However the idol forgets to ask the fan for their name but its okay, the fan got a backstage pass for the next show.

I love this AU but it took me a while to work on it because Imanginistic gave me the freedom to pick who was the idol and who was the fan in addition to how i wanted to do all this. So i decided despite how cute it would be for Star to be the idol, Marco would have the harder time trusting his fans and i could play up the spainish idol angle. I went crazy with this one, maybe not following the exact roadmap but hopefully both you Imanginistic and the readers enjoy it. Thank you so much imagine this was blast to write!

Now a few Author's notes (Been a while huh) Marco's stage name is El Suavecito which loosely translates to the smooth or so smooth. the first song he sings is Besame mucho *Kiss me alot* most famously sung by Andrea Bocelli. The second song is i want you to want me by cheap trick but i imagined Marco singing more like Diego Luna from book of life for that one. I did some translations for the first one so tell me how well it works.

Okay so last thing of note, guardians of Starco will be its own story so look out for that soon, maybe after a few more chapters of if i miss you. I hope you all enjoy this au, especially you imagine. If you don't like it, please do not hesitate to tell me. I don't mind! So thank you for all the reviews, favorites, follows you readers are the best! please enjoy the story and I own nothing!

* * *

The massive theater was shrouded in darkness, the blood red stage lights were the only source of illumination, basking the thousands and thousands of fans in its eerie glow. A top the stage, amidst the whirling light smoke and black smooth surface, were two large Spanish style amphitheater stands, dozens of men and women dressed in traditional Mexican clothing, their clothing alternating between pure white and pure black forming a visually appealing checkered pattern. They stood backs as straight as rods, their feet wide open while their hands were held loosely in the middle, palm over palm, clutching their various instruments as they waited patiently.

A single trumpet player at the very top of one of the stands raised his horn high into the air, playing one crisp, shrill note that seemed to vibrate into every single fan's very soul as the mechanically whirling of an elevator lift began quietly humming through out the hushed theater.

Everyone knew about the trap door hidden underneath the stage but his entrance was so anticipated, so perfectly executed that when he rose into view, seemingly appearing from nowhere, his silhouette in the swirling fog that masked him from his fans view, they had lost it. They screamed, cheered, clapped their hands with all their might. They whistled, they begged for him to sign his name on their various body parts. Every moment he was concealed from their sight was a moment too long for the fans.

The thud of a spotlight turning on was the second most beautiful sound the fans would hear all night. a silvery, pale moon-like light shined upon him, his stance confident, his outfit pressed against his body to show off his athleticism to his adoring fans.

The single note held, cutting through the sounds the fans were creating with effortless ease. They just stared, stared and stared, greedily drinking in the sight of him as he prepared to give them the show they were craving.

His outfit was strategically composed of a Traje de Luces, matador outfit to the American public, the same shade as the inky night itself. It's beautiful but modest golden decorations that littered the jacket and slacks caught the glow of the light, shining like beacons of pure gold through the smoke and dimness of the theater. His jacket unbuttoned revealing a crisp, well pressed white collared shirt underneath, a bolo tie hung loosely around his neck. His hands were graced with black gloves, a skeleton hands plastered on both sides so realistic they looked too life like for some. A top his head lay a red and black sombrero, tilted forward giving him a menacing and dangerous look. His light brown eyes and face were hidden beneath a calaca, Mexican day of the dead style mask, intricate and gorgeous flora designs and twirls of blue and light green colored upon the milky white skull, the lower half a solid row of square teeth that stopped just above his lips so his fans could see it was indeed him singing to them. And finally, carefully draped over one of his shoulder was a long, silky blood red cape that covered one arm completely but was thin enough to see through.

"Ladies and gentleman!" the announcers voice boomed from nowhere, startling nearly everyone in the room causing a ripple of laughter to make its way down to the stage. "I have great pleasure of introducing you're hometown, home bred Echo Creek Idol. Elllllllllll Suavecito!"

At the mention of his name, the masked man lifted his cloaked arm into the air, tossing the cape high before it gently fell towards the eager, waiting, innumerably countable pairs of hands desperately trying to claim the prize as their own.

He pointed to a random girl into the crowd, a dozen screams echoing back at him as microphone slid from his sleeve and into his waiting hand

He held it to his lips, the band members prepped and ready to go as he took a deep breath, a guitar strumming quick and soft rhythms, a soft tapping of a bongo player.

" _Beasme, Beasme mucho" (kiss me, kiss me a lot)_

His voice soft but thick with emotion, deep but not too deep. He waved his arm slowly across the sea of fans, looking at as many of them as he could, catching their eye for a brief moment before moving onto another.

" _Como si fuera esta noche la ultima vez" (as if this night was the last time)_

He smiled, bowing as gentlemanly as possible while the guitar's metallic strings filled the void left behind

" _Beasme, Beasme Mucho"_

The masked idol clutched at his heart, earning him the loving sigh of his female fans (And a few of his male ones as well)

" _Que tengo miedo perderte...perderte despues (For I am afraid to lose you, lose you afterwards)_

The singer held the microphone close to his lips, whispering as if he was shy and afraid

" _Besame...beseme mucho"_

* * *

45 minutes later

The entire band was lively as the fans began bouncing to and fro, the energy of their favorite idol infecting them all. It was some kind of strange Spanish style of a classic song but they were eating it up

" _I want you to want me!" the_ Masked man pointed to a screaming girl who fainted at his wink _"I need you to need me!"_

" _I'd love you to love me!"_

He began strutting across the stage, his jacket long since discarded and now wrapped around some lucky fan's shoulder.

" _I'll shine up my old brown shoes, I'll put on a brand new shirt! I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me!"_

The masked idol began clapping his hands, his fans more than happy to follow along

" _I want you to..."_ He held out the microphone, his fans screaming back " WANT ME!"

The idol smiled as the drummer began an electrifying solo, moving and grooving as the band held out the final note. With timing only gained with countless hours of practice, the idol leapt into the air, stomping onto the floor as the final note echoed through the now explosively loud music hall.

"THANK YOU!" Suavecito called out to his fans "YOU ARE THE BEST FANS EVER! I LOVE YOU AND GOOD NIGHT!"

He gave one last modest bow to his now wildly and rabid fans, waving to them as he made his way off stage...

and directly into his manager.

Marco lifted the mask onto his head, his hat lost sometime during the performance. His face was tired, beading with sweat and fatigue.

"That was great Marco!" Ferguson told him, the pair began racing through the bustling crowds of stage hands trying to set down the stage "Another sold out house!"

Marco grinned tiredly, taking a long gulp of a water some random assistant handed to him. He nodded in thanks to the blushing girl as he held the refreshing drink to his lips, his mind bursting with pride at the fact he managed to sell out another concert for the 3rd night in a row.

"That's great." Marco muttered breathlessly "is the limo outside or I am going in..."

Ferguson stopped in front of him, his arms waving in a rapid motion "Whoa, whoa, whoa big guy, you forgot? Tonight's your first meet and greet!"

Marco facepalmed himself. He had totally forgotten that he had agreed to a meet and greet with the fans. Between the extra practice today and the unexpected heatwave, it had completely slipped his mind.

"Right. Where is it?" Marco asked, trying not to let disappointment line his voice. He was dead tired but he would be damned if he was going to disappoint his fans.

"Your dressing room, better put on another jacket. Girls love the whole package "

Marco nodded, wishing the air conditioner had been fixed already. His clothing was great to look at but horribly humid to wear.

"And Marco" Marco turned to face his best friend, dissatisfaction etched in his face

"Please stop giving out the capes to your fans, they aren't cheap."

Marco shrugged "take it out of my paycheck"

"and the jacket?"

Marco bit his lip. This was the first time he actually ever thrown his jacket into a crowd. Equal parts to get rid of the accursed thing and to make one lucky fan's night. Of course that jacket was valued much higher than a handful of capes together

"Only time, I promise. I'm used to the heat so I know what to expect."

Ferguson nodded, beaming at proud how much Marco really did care about his fan despite a staggering large amount of...exotic ones.

Marco made his way to his dressing room, flanked by two burly security guards. He nodded in appreciation to them as he slipped into his dress room.

He leaned against the wall, sliding down it wearily until he was sitting on the floor.

"A minute" He muttered to himself, closing his eyes for brief moment of rest "a minute and I'll be ready to go"

Star Butterfly was beyond excited. She was beyond elated, she was beyond happy! She was beyond words because at this point she was starting to repeat herself. She was just minutes from meeting Suavecito, the hottest, newest and most talented idol on the scene.

When he stared 3 months ago, the whole Spanish idol seemed a little silly but boy did he sell it. He sang in two languages, was an expert dancer, played guitar once in a while, kind and sweet in the interviews. and the biggest selling point: No one knew what he looked like. He always wore that beautifully crafted mask and refused to reveal his name to anyone.

Star let out a giggle as she wrapped the idol's jacket around her frame. She had been incredibly lucky to get this item. She had just been walking back to her seat from a bathroom break, hurrying along, eager not to miss any more songs when the jacket floated down to her, covering her head and blinding her for a moment. She took a big reflexive whiff of air and to her surprise and glee, it didn't smell like sweat at all. It was a rather pleasant smell that she didn't have a point of reference to. It just smelled nice.

When she removed the jacket from her head, the glares of her fellow fans burrowing into her soul, she felt very afraid. This was the first time such a prize had been give out and telling by the high quality of the jacket, she doubt it would be given again. But the fans simply nodded in respect and went back to enjoying the concert.

She practically danced on her tip toes, letting out a girlish squeal when the scuffling of shoes could be heard ahead of her. She had a clear view what was going on given that she was next.

A crazed fan was pulled out of the room by two security guards. Her hand was outstretched towards the room and she was shouting things like "My name's Janna! You are like so hot! MARRY ME!" 'Janna' was carried out by the two guards, struggling to be free from their guards grasp. The pair of security dragged her down the hall, leaving the idol's room wide open.

Star bit her lip. She should really wait for one of the guards to escort her to the idol but at the same time she was next and she was a good girl. Not like that crazed fan they just pulled out. Surely it would be okay if she just went on in. Surely Suavecito would understand.

Star skipped her way happily towards the room, her hands inches away from the doorknob when the air conditioner kicked on, gently blowing a cool breeze she hardly felt and brushing the door open just a crack. She could hear soft murmuring and she peered through the gap, eager to catch some more of the singer's voice.

Star's mouth fell open, her eyes unable to believe what she was seeing. Suavecito was rubbing his eyes, gently massaging his face as he leaned over the table with the vanity mirror.

"They're all crazy" he muttered under his breath, pulling hands away from his face as he stood at full height.

Star could feel her cheeks flush as she took in the full sight of the idol's true face. He was incredibly handsome with well trimmed light brown hair, the most beautiful light brown eyes that seemed like chocolate. He had the cutest mole on the left side of his cheek and he seemed roughly about 19 years old, the same age as Star!

"he should really take his mask off more often" Star muttered in a daze.

The singer turned around, far too quickly for Star to hide. His eyes went widen with anger and fear before roughly putting his mask back onto his face.

Star took a deep breath before bursting into the room as casual and friendly as she could "Hi! Umm huge fan" She gave him a little grin but he did not return it "s-sorry for just you know coming in here...I...i was really excited to..."

"What's going on?" a burly voice called from behind.

Star let out a little eep before turning around, finding two very unhappy and unfriendly guards starring directly down at her.

"H-hi..." Star muttered nervously.

"Another crazy one" One of the guards muttered "Want us to get rid of her boss?"

Suavecito looked angry like she had ran over his mother or something. Instinctively she clutched the jacket tighter, hoping they wouldn't take it away from her or even just kick her out without letting get the signed autograph and picture she had came for. She paid good money for this backstage pass!

Marco was a mess of emotions. He was tired, sore, lacking sleep. At least 4 of the backstage pass fans had attempted to kiss him or pickpocket his wallet. Janna, the last one, had actually managed to steal his house keys before security had managed to wrestle them from her. They were all crazy and he was seriously regretting becoming an idol. Even though the money was more than enough to provide for his aging parents.

He let out a sigh. This one had actually been cocky enough to sneak in here and worse, knew what he looked like. He felt more exposed in front of this girl than he had dancing in front of a crowd of thousands. He wanted her gone...but...it wouldn't be fair for her to pay all that money to see him just for her to do something incredibly stupid and ruin that.

"She can get an autograph and photo then I want her gone" he muttered dangerously.

Star was pushed forward, him signing a photo of him rather messily and putting one arm very loosely around her shoulder, the guards taking a photo with her cellphone before shoving it into her hand and escorting her outside before she had a moment to apologize.

And while she stared at the now closed backstage door, the cold air still not affecting her thanks to the jacket the idol failed to get back from her, she huffed angrily. It was a misunderstanding and he blew it out of proportion

"He's such an ass!"

* * *

Marco let out a yawn, his feet tired from being up since 5:30 in the morning. A week had passed since one of his fans had discovered his identity and while he half expected the media to show up to his real house or fans rifling through his things in the middle of the night, no such thing happened. Something he was immensely grateful for.

Marco looked out the window of the coffee shop, body exhausted from idol practice. That was one thing they never mentioned on the television interviews: How much work was put into everything he did. 6 hours on his physical footwork, 5 hours in his singing, 2 hours putting the two together. Then there was the constant fan meetings, television spots, special guest appearances. And any moment he had to himself he often was alone, too tired to do anything and too alone in this city to do anything. He was raised here, born here but most of his friends disappeared into the various corners of the world, Ferguson and Alfonso were the only ones that had stayed but they were his co-managers and far too busy eating up the celebrity scene for him to join them. That is why he had an alternate persona so he could go out and still be a normal person without his apparently insane fans ambushing him. Whenever he was out as Suavecito, he was surrounded in a sea of fans but that was when he felt the loneliest. No one wanted to talk to Marco. Everyone wanted Suavecito.

His cell phone vibrated gently on the table, Alfonso's picture grinning back up towards him. He let out a slight smile as the call went to straight voicemail. His next concert was a week away and right now he should be practicing the new footwork for the new piece of music they managed to score for him.

What he was actually doing was hiding out in a nearby coffee shop, ditching his activities and enjoying the unknown status that came with being Marco Diaz.

"One day" he told himself "Just one day to myself, being boring old Marco." he told himself as someone shouted out "One chocolate milkshake blast"

Marco got to his feet, making his way to the counter. He knew the drink was his despite the fact no name had been called. The cashier had mentioned no one ever brought that drink so they had been no need.

Marco spotted his tasty beverage, steaming lightly as if calling him to hurry up and drink it already. To hell with his diet, he was going to enjoy this!

Marco smiled as he reached for the cup, his hand wrapping around another, softer hand that had beaten him to the punch.

He turned in surprise only to have the wind knocked out of him when he spotted _her_ greedily clutching his drink.

Her blue eyes glared at him, her pink heart covered cheeks sagging as her lips broke into a frown.

"You!" they muttered at the same time, trying their hardest to prevent their glares from turning into open ogling.

He had thought about the blonde who knew his real identity often, not because she was cute or anything but just you know out of fear she would blab to the news outlets. Though if Marco was going to be honest, which he wasn't, he had to admit she was very breathtakingly beautiful, something he hadn't noticed when he had been under the crushing weight of fatigue last they met.

Star wouldn't admit it out loud, or even to herself, but she had been dreaming about the man under the mask for the last week now. Despite how much of a jerk he had been, he was constantly invading her daydreams and paying her nightly visits. She couldn't wrap her head around how someone so handsome could be such a jerk but that didn't stop her from fantasizing given he acted more like his Suavecito persona than whoever was in front of her.

"What are you doing with my drink?" Star bluntly asked him, trying ignore the warming of her cheeks and how nice his hand felt ontop of hers.

"This is my drink, I ordered it first" he spat out, more out of fear than real malice. This girl knew who he was, one word and his private life was over. Crazy fans, Marco thought bitterly

"I always order a chocolate milkshake blast! Stop trying to steal from me!" she shouted, pulling the drink towards her but finding very stiff resistance from Marco.

"They told me no one did and since I was here first, it's mine!" Marco tugged the drink his way, with enough force to bring it closer to him but not enough to pull the infuriating girl's arm off. He might've disliked her but he was raised to be a proper gentleman.

The two growled at each other, eyes sparking with anger as the shop stood quietly and watched the lovers quarrel before them.

"Chocolate Milkshake Blast?" another cup of the tasty drink was slid onto the counter, surprising both teens.

They stared at each other, realizing they had both ordered the same drink.

Marco let go of the drink, quickly grabbing his own and shyly turning away from Star held her glare towards him

She opened her mouth to tell him off when she could hear him shyly whisper under his breath.

"I-I'm sorry...I...made a mistake."

Star had been floored how shy, sincere and genuine his apologize sounded. It wasn't full of sarcasm or even a mocking tone. It was an honest, embarrassed apology and it warmed her heart a little.

Marco refused to look at the girl, feeling like a complete and utter asshole. How could he have been so stupid? Other people could order the drink! And she must've been here first because he hadn't seen her walk in the whole time he had been here.

The coffee shop door opened and Marco's blood froze when he heard a familiar voice talking loudly on a phone.

"Yeah Alfonso, I know he's missing. Well yelling at me isn't going to get anything done!" Ferguson shouted into his phone

Marco wildly began searching for an exit. He couldn't let Ferg see him here. If they caught him now, they would never let him out of their sight. He had to at least have the rest of the day off.

Star turned to the new arrival, memory straining to remember why he had looked so familiar. The answer had hit her like a ton of bricks. That was Suavecito's manager. She had seen him a few times during their joint interviews early on in his career.

Star looked back at the idol, his attitude having gone from angry coffee patron to escaped prisoner convict. She began to reach for his shoulder when he suddenly bolted, rushing as causally as he could out the side door.

Marco ran down a few city blocks, using every ounce of his willpower not to turn around to see if Ferguson had spotted him. Given that no one was wheezing and screaming at him to stop, for the love of god stop, he knew Ferguson hadn't. He loved Ferg but he was way too out of shape to keep up with Marco.

Marco ducked into his favorite little bookstore, tucked away in a corner of a rarely populated shopping center.

"Hello Marco!" A cheerful voice called behind the counter the moment he had entered the store.

He nodded in response "Morning Shelia"

The blue haired, diamond cheek covered older lady smiled at him "A little early I see, normally I don't expect you till later in the afternoon."

Marco gave a nonchalant shrug "Took a day off from work."

Shelia nodded in approval "Good for you. Every time you come in here, you look like hadn't gotten ounce of sleep and you are about to drop dead from exhaustion."

Marco gave a cheeky smirk, thinking to himself how right on the money Shelia was.

Marco had discovered this shop during his rare excursions out into the city. He loved to read but since his dual identity had just began, he was very weary of larger, more populated stores. This was the perfect place to sit back, relax and just be for a while.

"Oh by the way, you just missed my daughter"

Marco let out a restrained sigh. Well mostly sit back, relax and just be.

Marco enjoyed talking to Sheila but when she had asked why didn't he bring his girlfriend to the store, he let slip he wasn't dating anyone, very accurate given how much he worked and how insane his fans were. When she gave him Cheshire grin, he knew he had fallen straight for her trap. Since that day, she began pushing for him to meet her lovely daughter. A girl about his age who was currently studying to be a dancer.

And while he had always narrowly avoided meeting her no name given daughter just by mere moments, he had discovered quite a bit about her. She was very bright if slightly reckless girl, she was very popular and she was quite friendly, more than willing to show him around town (Sheila was under the impression Marco was new to town) but the deal breaker was the fact she was absolutely obsessed and in love with that new idol Suavecito.

Even if Marco could date and wanted to, he knew the moment she discovered his other persona, something bound to happen given how bad at lying Marco was, she was going to be a crazy obsessed fan and given the proof the fans had given him this last week, he did not want that.

"That's a shame" Marco muttered politely.

Sheila gave him a knowing glance before waving him off towards a stack of books she had organized just for him. He was her favorite customer and often spent a great deal of money on books.

Marco sat down in a little niche, pouring through the books in a quiet and peaceful contemplation.

Star walked down the street, still confused why an idol would be avoiding his manager. Judging by the manager's exasperated and annoyed mutterings to the other person on the phone, Suavecito had ditched practice completely, disappearing off the face of the Earth to hang out in some small coffee shop.

This piece of information brought up an interesting idea to Star. How often did idols practiced? She had to admit despite how much a jerk he...was, Suavecito seemed to effortlessly dance and sing his way onto the top charts. It was easy to forget how much practice he actually had to do to achieve such skill. His managed had mentioned he hadn't arrived when he was suppose to at 6 a.m. Star felt a surge of respect. She could barely get up at 8. 6 in the morning sounded like an impossible task.

Star shook her head as she pulled open the door to the shop she was heading for. Regardless how skilled he was, there was no excuse for being an ass. Though, Star pondered back to that night, he seemed awfully tired...

"Star!" Her mother Sheila Butterfly's voice dragged her out of her train of thought "Excellent timing"

Star smiled brightly at her mother. Even though she didn't leave with her parents anymore, she often would check up on them at their home in the bookstore though today she had planned on checking on her throughout the day.

"Hey mom, how are you?" she asked quizzically. Her mother looked like she was about bounce off the walls with joy, something Star was used to doing but not seeing.

"I'm good, I'm good" she muttered quickly, clearly trying to get something off her chest.

"How's dad?"

"Still in Florida for the Lovecraft role playing game."

Star nodded like she had the slightest idea what the heck her mother was talking about.

"Mo..." Star started only for her mother to grab her wrist tightly, pulling her as she made her way around the counter "Whoa mom where's the fire?"

Mrs. Butterfly gave her daughter a smirking grin "He's here! Finally got you both in the same place"

Star looked confused before it dawned on her what her mother was talking about.

Star tried pulling her hand free from her mother's iron grip but like throughout her childhood, once mom grabbed you, there was no escape.

Star felt butterflies rushing around her stomach. So she was finally about to meet this Marco her mother had been pushing for her get to know.

It started a few months ago when her mother mentioned she had met the sweetest, kindest and handsomest boy that was perfect for Star. Star remembered how apprehensive she was at the idea of meeting another boy so soon. It had been a year since she broke up with the rock star Tom who was everything she didn't want and more. It had been a vicious, terrible and long fight to get rid of Tom and she was in no hurry to do that again.

Mrs. Butterfly never liked Tom, having vibes about his true personality and always told Star the fact. But Star hadn't listened and paid the price. Her mother's instincts well honed to perfection but the idea for Star to met someone her mom picked out for her was strike one. The fact that she was embarrassed that her mom was scouting out her dates was strike 2. and strike 3 was the fact her mom probably had been bugging the guy to meet her which meant he was no doubt annoyed at the idea of meeting Star.

"He's right through here" Mrs. Butterfly told Star, heading straight to Star's favorite little niche to sit down and read books all day.

Star wasn't sure what to expect. A short geeky man with glasses and some kind of bad acne? Star hated to stereotype but she was determined not to like this man her mother chose for her, regardless how perfect she thought he was for her.

His back was turned to them, his arm reaching for a book just above his head. Star frowned, his clothing and hair looking very familiar from the back.

"Marco, this is my daughter!" Mrs. Butterfly shouted, launching Star forward while sneaking out of the room.

"Mom!" Star yelled after her mom, unwilling to believe she just forced two strangers to meet like this.

"I-I'm really sorry about this I..." she muttered nervously as she turned to face Marco only for a very familiar face to stare back at her.

"You..." she muttered breathlessly. Marco's eyes widen as well, completely caught off guard at the sight of the girl's sky blue eyes staring at him like he fell from the sky.

"You..."

"You're...you're Marco?" Star shyly asked. This was the kind, sweet man her mom wanted her to meet? The one that brought her family food once in a while with enough leftovers for Star to eat or who helped around the store every so often. The one that bought books by the truck load. The one who seemed reeked of loneliness. The one who had a job that constantly tired and drained him.

Marco cleared his throat bashfully, unsure how to handle this situation. This day was getting more and more surreal. Sheila 's daughter was the fan who knew who he was. Well really knew now.

The two stared silently, unsure what to say. This day kept getting stranger and stranger, as if someone had written these impossible outcomes just to force them to meet over and over again.

"So..." Star began "You are Marco..."

Marco the idol flushed, unsure what was the proper response was. This fan was crazy and had too much over him. He could practically feel his freedom slip away from his grasp.

"...so...is that why you're tired all the time? Your...umm, work? That's what my mom told me anyway" she muttered softly.

Marco nodded

"I...spend most of my time working on...my... _job_ " he cleared his throat "Any free time I get...well...I'm not a fan of crowds..."

Star was confused "then why do you do what you do?"

Marco bit his lip, nervous to share such an intimate detail but maybe he could make her understand why he had been so mean last week.

"It pays very well" he admitted "I'm able to pay for my parents 5 star retirement home no problem and I've always loved entertaining people so I figured...it be the perfect job for me..."

Star nodded, her heart giving her love goggles at Marco's honest and very personal, private confession. She could just feel how genuine he was with every word.

"Of course they never told me how much work I have to put in. I-I don't mind, I'm slowly getting used to it but it has only been 3 months since I started..."

Star nodded, it was easy to forget that once upon a time no one knew who Suavecito was.

"And when...when I became more popular than I thought I would..." Marco trailed off, becoming more shy each passing moment the beautiful girl kept staring at him with her crystal blue eyes.

"I...I get it..." Star felt terrible, she had spent the last week bad mouthing him to anyone who would listen but it never occurred to her how hard he must work. He did everything he could for his fans but everyone didn't see that. Sometimes they forgot he was just a human being.

"I should go..." Marco muttered, walking passed a stunned Star.

Star opened her mouth but found no words were forming. She felt shame, she felt embarrassed, she felt awestruck that Suavecito...no Marco was...was more amazing than she ever dreamt.

But by the time she had regained control of her body, he had already stated he had other business to attend and thanked Sheila for everything, stating he'll come back for the books but it may be a while.

"Work's really going to have their hooks in me for next week." he said with a strain smile.

And like that, he was gone

and Star just stood in the doorway, trying to find him in a sea of people.

"You know Star" her mother told her from behind the counter "a man like that only comes once in a rare while...if even at all."

"Yeah" Star answered, unable to get over the shock of how wrong she was about her favorite idol.

"So why are standing there like a fish out of water? Go after him!"

"Huh?" Star turned to her mother, unsure what she was hearing.

"Star, go after him"

"But..." Star mumbled, feeling like a lost child once more.

"I saw the way you two looked at each other. Something is there. Now go out there and make sure its yours!" Mrs. Butterfly gently began pushing her daughter outside, locking the bookstore door behind her.

Star looked at her mother like she was mad. How could she and...him...he was an...an idol! The most wanted man in the country at the moment...

but as her mother stared at her, the knowing look she had when Tom lied to her face, when Star had tried to hide how wrong she had been about him, whenever her dad would lie about setting the toilet on fire, she would know and she was never wrong.

Star felt some small spark just being near Marco...she was scared and wanted to believe he was an ass so she can pretend it didn't existed...but it did. The moment she had met him, she felt that spark even among the angry response he had and the tense, awkward moment in the coffee house, the spark was there and it was ready to erupt into a blaze. Her and idol. An impossible dream...

star glanced around for a moment before rushing off into a random direction.

* * *

Marco sat on a bench, staring up to the night sky, the pale moonlight basking him a lovely glow. After a day of just wandering around, he decided to end it at his favorite place, a nearby park. He knew he should go home but no doubt Ferguson and Alfonso were waiting for him there. The moment he entered his house, they were going to watch him like two very, very pushy hawks, preventing him from wandering around alone for the next week.

He let out a depressed sigh, leaning forward as he tried to enjoy the last moments of freedom he had.

"You know...I never got to say sorry..." a voice called to him.

Marco looked up to see the beautiful blonde girl he had ran into twice today standing there, clumsily waving at him.

"...sorry for what?" he muttered softly, eying her as he moved over on the bench, allowing her room to sit down.

Star didn't move "For sneaking up on you like I did" she gave a tense smile "...for thinking you were an ass...for...for being so rude"

Marco shrugged "Well I'm sorry for being so,...impatient and angry with you...you didn't deserve that..."

Star let out a scoff "i totally did! I mean you had just dealt with a crazy ass fan that had to be dragged away! I mean I would've gotten mad if I was in your shoes too..."

Marco let out a small chuckle "i was just tired and keyed up from that...no excuse really..."

Star bit her lip "It is a good one. You are so good at your job we all forget how hard you must work to do it so well..."

Marco leaned against the bench "Why did you sneak into my room? If you aren't a crazy fan..."

Star flushed, unwilling to face the idol "I...I was just excited to see you...you make me smile every time I hear you sing...listening to you fills me with so much joy and happiness. I mean" She motioned to him, making direct eye contact with him ".you were this...you are this cool, amazing idol...and to think someone..." she shrugged "like me was going to meet you...it..."

She trailed off, hands twisting each other as she nervously glanced away.

Marco let out a small, ironic laugh "Everyone wants to meet Suavecito..."

Star took a step forward, unsure if what she was going to say was going to be remotely believable.

"I don't..."

Marco looked at her, unsure if he was willing to let his guard down even for a second...no matter how fond of the girl he was.

Star took more steps forward, playing with her hair as she got closer to Marco "I want to meet the man who brings my parents food, food that I eat when I get too caught up in my troubles to properly cook my own meal..."

Marco tried his hardest to control breathing but for some reason, this girl sounded...sounded like she really did want to meet the real him.

"I want to meet the man who helps my aging mom around a bookshop he has no obligation towards. I want to meet the man who has a deep love for books like me. I want to meet the man who works hard and loves what he does for his fans...for his family."

Star finally sat next to Marco, hair now twisted in a braid.

"I'd like to meet Marco..."

Marco was thrown for a loop.

Marco stood up and for a moment Star thought she had gone too far.

"Come on...I'd like to ice skate."

Star glanced up only to find Marco lightly smiling at her

"I don't know how." Star admitted, hoping she hadn't ruined her night.

Marco's hand gripped hers tightly, lifting her to her feet

"I'll teach you."

And he did. Star and Marco couldn't remember the last time they had so much fun. They spent countless hours ice skating, exploring the city, laughing as they began making up their own dialogue and stories for people on the streets. The night had stretched forever, turning into day when Marco dropped Star off at her train stop.

"I...I had lots of fun" Marco admitted shyly

"Me too" Star showed her pearly whites.

Marco coughed nervously "I'm having a concert next week..a...a little thing."

Star smiled widely "A little thing huh?"

"I'd love it if you came..."

Star pretended to think about it "I'll have to move some stuff around buuuuuuuuut I think I can make it"

Marco couldn't stop the silly grin on his face "cool...I'll send you a backstage pass."

Star nodded "Awesome..."

The pair wanted to say more but Star's train had pulled up, its doors beckoning for the young girl to come inside.

"I won't be able to see you at all this week huh?"

Marco shook his head "I'm about to head to idol jail. Won't have any freedom until the concert's done."

Marco felt his brain slow to a stop when Star gently kissed his cheek.

"I guess I'll have to make sure I see you at the concert"

The two shared a smile, Star waving to him from behind the train glass, Marco staring like a dope as the train disappeared into the tunnel.

"..." Marco took a deep breath before a horrifying thought occurred to him

"I DON'T KNOW HER NAME!"

Star cradled her head in her hands, unable to believe after all that bonding, fun time, she never once brought up her name!

"Stupid, stupid, stupid. Wait he can get the inform from mom!" Star cheered before remembering one final detail she had forgotten that dragged her spirit down.

* * *

Marco stood dejectedly in the middle of the elevator shaft, all set to perform his newest concert, dressed as he always did when he portrayed Suavecito

He had tried to contact Sheila about her daughter only to discover she was gone, left to Florida that very night to be with her husband.

Alfonso and Ferguson were relentless, preventing him from searching for the lovely blonde girl he spent an incredible night with because the biggest shot Marco had was coming up and he needed to be ready for it.

Tonight a well connected record company promoter was in the house. If Marco nailed this, his dream of being a worldwide idol would be one step closer.

But all he could think of as the elevator hummed softly, rising him up to center stage is how much he wish she was here. It was amazing how one night made him crave a person so badly.

He let out a depressed sigh, the platforming creaking to a halt as thousands upon thousands of fan screamed his stage name.

And as he slid the microphone hidden in his sleeve to his waiting hand, raising it to his lips, he spotted the most beautiful sight he could ever hope to see.

There she was, draped in his jacket she had gotten from that concert where they first met, holding a large sign that said "My name is Star Butterfly and I can't wait to meet you" holding up a backstage pass for him to see

Marco's eyes shined brightly behind his mask, something that sent Star into a giggling mess when she realized she had been the cause of it.

Marco took a deep breath, determined to make this the best concert ever and to finally see Star after the longest week of his life. He had a feeling they had to a lot to talk about and he couldn't wait to meet her either

" _Beasme, Beasme mucho"_


	23. Hero to Zero Part 1 (Super AU RANDOM)

Helllllooo fan fiction Author here. Happy, writing, being silly. A very very deeply appreciative thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. They mean the world to mean and its because of you amazing fans that writing is so much fun and just a joy to do.

a special thanks to H mae (It was extremely fluffy! made with the fluffiest clouds! melting everyone who reads it!)

SVTFOEfanatic (I wish i could tell you the movie but it's eluding me too, sorry buddy. Also reading can be amazing beautiful, not that i think mine is, but it depends on the details. Reading is done purely through imagination so words and description are my greatest friends when i write. plus i try to feel every emotion my characters do and viola. I am glad you enjoyed it so.)

FanfictionforDayz (AWESOME! which might be forever because i don't plan to retire any time soon)

imaginsitic (I am immensely happy you enjoyed the story even if i didn't follow the map. and i want to thank you for coming up with a fantastic and awesome plot to work with. This story would've never been written without your idea. so thank you)

Goldenflash (I'm glad my grammar improved. Like i said sometimes i'm golden and other times i miss the mark but i love what i do and just try harder next time. thank you for your kind words)

Aleprettycat (Thank you for the review and I'm glad i did capture the lost magic back. though heads up i don't think this next story is to your taste but i hope you enjoy it a little. as for the accents, i use a free writing program that works like microsoft word but does not hold your hand like word so i didn't know how to properly place the accents and i figured i could try again later. the words came directly from the song so i know they sounded a little off but that's how it is in the song. and in this universe, his mole is on the left :) though in all seriousness thank you for the helpful advice, the review and you fangirl to your hearts content. Fanboying is what got me to write these stories!)

Left2craft (I will address that in a second but thank you for leaving a review, i'm glad you enjoyed it so)

Rayfe (I agree this might be my best work yet but that's a little scary for me since the bar is set so high for me but i can only do my best and keep on moving forward! i figured it was time for Star to be the one who felt a little out of her league.)

Grim (Thank you for amazing reviews and words)

Sughman (imagine me, i wrote it and i was like sooooo fluffy, must finish...)

xboxrica (I am glad you loved it. and thank you for your comment. It means the world to me, all you readers do)

Secret Sauze (I am so happy you enjoyed it. I think this would be a pretty sweet episode or book)

IDC1314 (first of all thank you so much for your review and second of all Of course! We all do amazing work for our favorite pairings so when someone sends me towards a fellow artist, i have to check it out. Your doodles are cool and it really means a lot when i inspire others to draw my work. Seriously it is amazing feeling and it is so cool to see my story come to life with your art. Just like H mae, i get so happy when i see any awesome Starco and other great works and i feel so honor such wonderful artists chose to draw what i wrote. Keep up the good work. loved that star age progession too. I recommend checking H mae's work, she's an excellent incredible artist and for you readers out there wondering what I'm talking about that's idrawcartoons1314 on instagram and hains-mae on tumblr

and i cannot forget about my guest reviewer, i love the idea of Marco being a celebrity and not sure what to do with it

Now a little note about the idol story. I think it was one of my best works i have ever written. I just lost myself and everything just lined up perfectly. I know a lot of you want a sequel but here's the thing. I'm not sure i can do a sequel as good as that one. It was tough and i didn't give myself much wiggle room for one. I mean i can totally create conflict *As this story will show* but as for a straight sequel, i dunno. I'll think about it but i cannot make any promises. it's like those people who like nightmare before christmas. It's sequel has to be better in every way possible. for now it is a maybe but i hope you keep enjoying the stories that i write and you amazing readers come up with.

Now on to this story, its an superhero AU where Marco is a down on his luck ex hero who gets the break of a life time when Star Butterfly hires him to rescue her parents. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea and that's cool. I had this idea in my head and i decided to go for it. It'll be two parts because i don't want you lovely people to be reading forever and a half especially when the subject matter may not appeal to you. Still i hope you enjoy the story.

So that's about it. Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, favorites! I've almost been doing this two months. wow two months. i honestly can't believe it. Thank you amazing readers, you make writing so much fun! so enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

Marco Diaz was not happy. He was the furthest emotion from happy. Actually that wasn't true since the opposite of happy would be sad. No, he wasn't sad. He was furious. He could not believe his friends would do this to him.

Upon a delusion, Marco Diaz had been a superhero. A damn good one if he was going to be honest with himself, but he never was. He had been much younger and more naive when he started his career as the Red Fist, hero of Echo Creek and fighter for justice everywhere. He was an expert marksman, black belt in karate, tinkerer of machinery and gourmet cook. He did well for the first year and halfway through year 2, he gained the attention of The Superhero Allegiance, probably the worst thing to ever happen to him other than his ex-girlfriend Jackie.

Lucas, the aging leader and the other heroes invited him to join their group. He said yes. And boy did he regret it. Their stuffy rules, their strict and frankly baffling guidelines and the fact they expected Marco to follow orders without question. Was not a fun experience.

And then they threw him under the bus.

Marco had been a good sport, following most of their orders and everything but when their orders had accidentally blown up a prominent citizen's mansion, they cast the blame on the person who had actual pulled the trigger: Marco. After a long and very public disavowing of the Red Fist, they tossed Marco onto the street with nothing to his name.

He understood why they had to do what they had to do. They were as much a powerful politic force as any other nation and poor standing would weaken their ability to negotiate. What Marco didn't like is their refuse to help him at all in case somehow someone could track the money from him back to them. They were crippled by the Geo-political landscape when they should be doing what was right for everyone.

So Marco spent the last 6 months building a life from thin air. A shitty life but it was something...a debatable something

Marco rubbed his eyes, trying his hardest not to snap at his friends.

"Why...did you rent me out?" Marco muttered softly, calmly taking deep breaths

Ferguson and Alfonso were two of Marco's childhood friends but just like all friends, their paths took them onto two wildly different routes through life.

While Marco was fighting crime as the Red Fist, Ferguson and Alfonso lived the life of crime. Ferguson had gone by The Opossum and while the name was absolutely ridiculous, Ferguson's skill as a burglar were not. Of course he wouldn't have gotten far without Alfonso, better know by his hacker name 8-Byte. Talented with a computer and a master engineer, Alfonso was the brains behind the operation.

Marco spent months tracking them down only for be completely surprised it was his childhood friends. They made a deal: Ferg and Alfonso would go straight and Marco would never admit he found them out.

They agreed.

Mostly.

Alfonso routinely steals from rich online profiles that deserve retribution and donates them to various charities, refusing to keep a single cent for himself.

Ferguson just steals. Apparently he's a kleptomaniac. Something that wasn't too surprising to Marco.

After booted from the Superjerks Alliance, Marco moved in with them and now the three of them struggled to make ends meet. Marco had no references he could use, no money to his name and the fact he was 23 years old with no prior history of job experience and his skill set wasn't something he should exactly be advertising, Marco was going nowhere fast. Actually he wasn't even heading to nowhere because he was still trying to get his feet planted solidly on the ground.

Which leads to today's headache.

Ferguson looked nervously at Alfonso who simply shrugged and pushed Ferguson forward. It was his idea and his responsibility to inform Marco of their decision, so it was also his job to take Marco's wraith.

"Look dude we need the money, end of story" Ferguson told him as straight forward as possible.

Marco glared at his friend "End of story? Fine, start at the beginning since I'm still quite confused how this story's going to end."

Ferguson bit his lip nervously "Okay so I was out with my cousin to this really cool like Van Gogh vs Picasso type art fair deal. I was totally going for Van Gogh, I mean have you seen his Starry night? Beautiful though I have to admit Picasso's..."

"FERGUSON! Starry Night is beautiful, no one doubts this. Get on with it."

"This gorgeous blonde business lady comes up to me and..."

Marco rose from his seat, clearly agitated and angry "no no no! you just said 2 of the most troublesome words in the English language"

Ferguson couldn't believe him, he never thought Marco would think that way "What Blonde and Lady?"

Marco lightly smacked Ferguson's arm "No, Business and Gorgeous." Marco roughly poked Ferguson's chest, ignoring Ferg's annoyed grunt "That means she's first going to have an ulterior motive and second she's going to try to do anything to get her way"

"I'm afraid that is not a solid first impression you are making on me Mr. Diaz" A frigid, calm voice called from the door way.

Marco turned to see the woman of the hour standing there, arms crossed and lips pursed in disappointment.

She was indeed a real eye catching woman. Her bright, long yellow hair done up in a tasteful and professional looking bun with two long strains of her hair flowing over either of her icy blue eyes, her nearly buttoned up dark blue business jacket crisp and well kept just like her pink collared shirt tucked underneath. Her matching pencil skirt hardly seemed like it had a crease on it and her long heeled shoes made her just half an inch shorter than Marco who was the tallest of the trio. Marco noticed a large amount of makeup on her rosy colored cheeks. Hiding something from view.

"You told her my name?" Marco turned to Ferguson, pure murder staring straight into his soul.

"Well..." Ferguson started but the blonde cut him off.

"Mr. Ferguson brought your name up in a conversation and when I inquired that you were in fact Marco Diaz, formerly known as the Red Fist, he simply confirmed my suspicions."

Ferguson turned to run as quickly as he could but it was no good. Marco caught him quickly in a death like grip, slowly applying pressure to Ferg's collar bone. Ferguson let out several cries of anguish but it fell upon deaf ears.

"You" Marco started slowly to make sure Ferguson understood the depth of trouble he was in "Told her who I was?"

"Well t-to be OWW f-fair she OWW alrea OW already knew!"

Marco let go of Ferguson, crossing his arms as he faced the blonde "No, whatever he promised you, whatever he agreed to help with, the answer is no."

Star frowned, a childish act that broke her professional disguise for a moment. She was in a big mess and she needed the trio's help if she was going to save her parents.

She carefully watched each member of the trio carefully, trying to get a good angle on her hopefully future teammates.

Ferguson clearly was past his prime, chubby though clearly did some type of exercise but he was easy to get along with and even easier to please. Also looked like had never been in a fight in his entire life.

Alfonso, whom she only knew because Ferguson had called him out during their meeting together, was the near opposite of Ferguson, being taller and skinner than his orange haired friend. He also looked like he never did a push up or ran any time since the mandatory gym class. Scrawny would be a more accurate description than skinny. Star was pretty sure she could take him down, even without her karate lessons

Of course there was Marco. Tallest and clearly well fit as his loose white t-shirt and shorts showed. His eyes narrowed at her, clearly catching on she had been looking for him specifically. His eyes shone with a dangerous intelligence and if he was indeed the former Red Fist, he was master hand to hand expert and sharpshooter. Smart, fit and trained. A very dangerous combo.

Star opened her mouth but Marco crossed his arms, flexing his well honed muscles for her.

She bit her lip subconsciously.

She had to admit when she was asked to find the Red Fist, a hero that had gone so underground that it was widely thought he was dead, she hadn't expected to actually find him.

She needed his help. She couldn't get her parents back without him.

"Mr. Diaz" She began but Marco coughed loudly

"Call me Marco"

Star was confused but went with it "Marco..." she started slowly but once more Marco stepped in

"Since you know my name, how about I learn yours?" His eyes hadn't changed from predator gaze "I was raised with proper manners after all. Be rude if I didn't learn my guest's name"

Star whistled internally, he _is_ good

"My name is Star Butterfly"

"Miss Butterfly, let's not dwell on false modesty. You obviously know I am formerly the hero known as Red Fist" Star felt her throat close but gave a small nod to indicate she did in fact know "And it is very obvious you were looking for me" Another nod. "now there are only two people in this world that would be looking for me. A fellow hero, which you are not or more likely..."

Marco stepped straight into her personal space, her eyes trying their hardest to focus on his face and not...anywhere else.

"A villain. Which is it?"

Star gulped uneasily as she opened her mouth to speak

"I need your help" She muttered weakly to the young man "It's my parents. They were kidnapped"

Marco saw the true despair written all over her face. The fear, worry, sadness, deep sense of loss. This girl put on a brave face but deep down inside she was terrified and she needed someone.

"Sit down Miss Butterfly" Marco muttered gently, carefully leading to an incredibly small table.

Star slipped into her mask of professionalism though she felt her heartbeat pound loudly when Marco pulled out her chair and pushed it in for her like a true gentleman.

Marco took a seat across from her, Ferguson and Alfonso standing close by to hear her story.

"So...what happened?"

Star told them. It had happened a week ago. Star had visited her parents only to find them missing with a note that said if she was to bring 50 million dollars to an abandoned shipping yard in 2 weeks or she would never see them again. Mr. Butterfly turned out to be a brilliant combat suit engineer. Revolutionary stuff. Star couldn't go to the police: if anyone found out her father was missing, his rivals and their spies would no doubt attempt to steal his research and without his voice commands, there was no way to seal up the house to prevent theft. Star also couldn't access her father's fortune due to very complex and unnecessary security measures.

"So...for your much needed service" Star concluded "I am willing to give you half of the ransom money in exchange for the safe return of my parents."

Ferguson pouted "Why not the full 50?"

Marco flicked his ear, leaning back looking carefully at Star. Something was off. "Because he is a weapons designer, not a business mongol. They aren't that rich"

Star bit her lip once more. This was getting to be too much. She didn't know if she could handle all this stress. So much was on the line, so much was relying on the three complete strangers in front of her and there was too much to lose.

"We'll do it"

Star looked up, eyes wide and bright and Marco felt his face trying to flush against his will.

"We got six days to get ready" Marco stood up, stretching his body as the others stared at him in disbelief.

"Why six? It's a full week for the drop" Alfonso asked, unsure what was the plan that was forming in Marco's head.

Marco gave him a cheeky smile "Because we don't want them to be ready when we sneak in. I mean if you want to face a fully armed force, be my guest. Me?" he smiled at Star "I like to have my life a little easy for once"

Star gave a small smile back, her heart beating wildly. They were in. It was going to happen.

"Now Miss Butterfly" Marco said with a mischievously, catching Star off guard "We're going to need an allowance."

6 days left

Star was going to be completely honest. When she had hired Marco, she hadn't expected him to be so gun ho about saving two people he'd never met before but it warmed her heart to see him, and the others, working so diligently to make sure her parents were safely returned. Even under that jaded exterior, his heart still beat like a true hero.

Within an hour the small, cramped, falling apart apartment turned into a headquarters for all out war.

Ferguson was sent out for runs whether it be food, weapons or even parts though Star noticed he spent an unusually large amount of time outside the apartment, coming back sweaty and winded.

Marco and Alfonso began working on various tools and equipment Marco may need during the rescue operation. As the only one with actual superhero training, it was decided that he was to be the only actually going on the mission despite Ferguson's puzzling claim he was still useful and Alfonso's skill laid solely behind the laptop.

Star admitted that their ingenuity was extremely impressive. Between the two of them, they had made incredible makeshift gear cobbled out of random parts and stuff they randomly found: a very powerful grappling hook, a wrist mounted dart launcher, a wrist communicator, suction gloves and shoes.

Star tried her hardest to not freak out about how much she was sweating inside the stuffy apartment, even after discarding her business jacket and rolling up her sleeves

Every time she glanced around, she felt a sting of pity for the people who lived here. It was a horrible, barely functional mess of a home and it was disheartening to think one of the most promising hero now called this a place to live, forced to create makeshift gadgets and gear from discarded electronics and random pieces of junk.

But as Star caught Marco mid-laugh for the third time that day, his eyes twinkling with a fire that had not been present the day before, she knew. Marco missed saving people. He missed helping those who needed help. He cared not that his reputation had been ruined, his life was in tatters or even now he was force to scrap for anything to get on by. He just missed the reward of saving those who needed a hero in their darkest moment.

Star let out a guilty sigh. This was so unfair to him.

5 days left.

"What...is that?" Star muttered fearfully, surprised what exactly she was looking at.

Marci looked at her, face indifference as he inspected the barrel of the 9 shot Le Mat revolver in his hand.

"My old gear" he said simply, twirling the revolver expertly before sliding it into a holster hanging loosely off his chest

Star bit her lips. Firearms? In an infiltration "Aren't you sure this isn't overkill? I thought heroes don't kill"

Marco shrugged, loading the twin sister of the revolver "Hopefully I won't need them but I rather be sure than wishing I had them when the time comes. Besides" he walked passed her, the barely concealed contempt in his voice "not a hero anymore"

Star rubbed her arm uncomfortably. This was starting to get intense.

4 days left

Marco uneasily stared at himself in the mirror, not at all liking what he was seeing.

Once upon a time, he would've have his custom outfit. A blood red cape, a mask formed from the hardest metal known to man, thick bodysuit with built in gadgets like scanners, different types of vision, sleeping darts, smoke pellets, the ability to blackout an entire area, a grappling hook that he could use a zipline, a voice changer, and a direct line to the Thor, the mobile floating space station in the sky that could see everything everywhere. And every inch of him bulletproof and highly resistant to edged weapons and explosives.

What he got now was heavy, black and white motorcycle jacket, a bulletproof vest he had stol...borrowed from a police car, some fragile cameras glued to the back eye sockets of a hockey mask equipped with different lens filters, black work jeans and thick, solid mountain climbing boots.

He was trained to always use what you had on hand, that a true hero was able to fight without any need of gadgets or special equipment but he must admit those things really did help...alot.

Marco let out a depressed sigh, determined not to let his fall from grace affect his mood but it was hard. So much lost over something he had no control over.

But when he turned to see Star laughing, her hand covering her mouth in an attempt to remain professional but failing horribly as Alfonso began to chase Ferguson around demanding his toolkit back, he let out a smile.

She was still hiding something as the heavy makeup on her face suggested but he was getting more fond of that girl the more her business disguised slipped. She wasn't as ice queen as she tried to make herself out to be. She was very goofy and silly and it was affecting him in a way he hadn't felt for a long time.

Like when the two had gotten over an argument about how best to approach the shipping yard and out of nowhere, Marco had accidentally snorted. Star's face lit up like a firework show and she couldn't stop giggling at Marco. The sound of her laughs to his ears was beautiful, cute and absolutely devastating to Marco's heartstrings.

And right now when she turned to him, catching him off guard with a small smile she was unaware she was giving him, he couldn't help but smile back, causing both their faces to flush uncontrollably

He motioned to his makeshift super outfit, embarrassed and wishing he shut the door but as Star gave him a wide smile and a thumbs up, Marco realized maybe the outfit wasn't _that_ bad.

3 days left

Star was officially declared all exposure to Marco as dangerous.

She tried to keep the business angle up, the professional, not silly girl she actually was but Marco kept knocking that mask off and peered directly into her soul

and seemed to like what he saw.

Like when the trio had taken a break to watch her favorite television show Sailor Moon. She scoffed at them, telling them how childish it was to still be watching cartoons at their age despite the fact all she wanted to do was sit down right there and then and watch it alongside them.

Ferguson and Alfonso ignored her, focusing on the lovely Sailor Scouts but Marco looked up at her from his cross legged position on the floor. Before she could even pretend to get mad about him staring at her with those brilliant light brown eyes, he gripped her hand tightly, sending a shiver down her spine and forced her to sit on the floor next to him.

Star turned to him to see him focusing directly on her, his eyes even more breathtaking up close as he gazed at nothing else. she was happy the heavy blush makeup she applied to her cheeks was now camouflaging the real one she was engulfed in.

"I am a disgraced hero, Ferguson was a kleptomaniac Possum"

"Opossum!"

"And Alfonso once dated a supervillian named Pixie Queen, no one here is in any position to judge you. Besides" Marco turned to her with a smile "It's a good show. Even if you don't like it, you probably like something inspired by it."

Star smiled softly "yeah..."

Star found herself laughing and cheering alongside her fellow teammates. Just getting wrapped up in the sheer insanity that was amine though it wasn't lost on her how she was practically sitting in Marco's lap when the next episode came on.

And how tempted she was to actually leap into his lap.

2 days left

Marco eyed the location careful. It may have been abandon at some point but it clearly wasn't now. There were a few armed goons, shipping containers scattered everywhere, stacked high with enough of them to make their own little valley.

Marco glanced carefully at the photo Ferguson managed to take on one of his recons. Directly in the center, away from the abandoned office buildings to one side and the valley of containers on the other, was a specific white container all by itself. It always had at least 2 armed guards stationed in front and the few times it's been opened, Marco spotted two hunched figures inside, tied to chairs with a third guard watching them.

It was the Butterflies and they looked like they needed to get out now.

Marco didn't tell Star. He couldn't bring himself to cause any tears to fall from her baby blue eyes...

1 day left.

Marco let out a tense sigh, the night air feeling good against his skin. One day more and his big moment would come. He had to admit he was nervous. He hadn't done anything like this in a long time...and now saving two people was the first order of the day.

Marco was incredibly terrified he was going to fail. Star was a great girl despite their rocky start and the last thing he wanted was to fail her in any way. He developed some pretty strong feelings for her the last few days, their relationship feeling incredibly natural.

Still, he wouldn't be asking her out. It was weird, it was out of nowhere and since he technically became a mercenary when he took the job, he supposed it was unprofessional too.

He stared in the direction of the shipping yard, a million emotions churning through his stomach. There was no failure, he had to success. For Star.

"You should be resting" Star's voice called to him

He turned to see her hair in a bun, n her pencil skirt and white blouse, switching her heels for some Mary Janes.

"I suppose I could be telling you the same thing" Marco said, turning back to face the quiet city night.

Star tried to stop the thumping of her heart, the guilt plaguing her stomach as she stepped closer. This wasn't fair, this wasn't right. She never thought she'd ever fall for the guy!

And here he was, sitting at the edge of the apartment rooftop, on leg casually on the brick and mortar, the other dangling as calm as can be over empty air, the moon perfectly silhouetting him against the night sky. All she wanted to do is march over and plant a big, passionate one right on his stupidly cute lips!

She coughed as she reached him but he made no motion aside from patting the brick next to him.

She slowly took a step, trying her hardest to stop her racing heart and not drool at the sight of him.

"So where's Ferg and Alfonso?" Star asked innocently enough, hoping the two were nowhere nearby so she could spend some alone time with Marco. The one thing she craved was the one thing she could never get enough of.

"Sleeping. Alfonso got a big day tomorrow and Ferg always sleeps early" Marco murmured softly, trying to stop bright red cheeks from appearing at the idea of being alone with Star.

"oh!" Star replied, happiness clear in her tone "That's good..." She leaned closer to Marco "Why aren't you asleep?"

Marco shrugged "I've never been able to sleep before big missions. Even back when..." Marco coughed awkwardly "The night calms me. Relaxes me I guess..."

"That sounds fun" Marco turned to her, her heavy blush makeup coating her face as she gave him a smile

"Why did you pick me?"

Star was taken aback. She bit her lip, unable to tell him the real answer but deciding to tell him an answer that was just as real and able to be told.

"I...I remembered you...from when you were a hero. I lived in Echo Creek" Star explained, her feet kicking air, unable to directly at Marco, not now when revealing such a personal secret "I...I remember how safe everyone felt knowing you were there, that no matter the odds, you would always find a way..."

Marco smiled weakly, staring at the sky alongside Star who just kept looking up

"I guess I wanted someone I knew could get it done...and who better than the hero that protected me the first time?"

Star turned him, a shy smile dancing on her lips, puffing out her cheeks in the cutest way

Marco couldn't take it anymore and leaned forward, hand gently cupping Star's cheek.

"M-Marco?" Star wasn't sure what was going on aside that Marco was getting closer and holding on to her cheek. They weren't about to kiss were they? Because Star was not at all okay with the idea of feeling his soft lips against hers...running her hands through his hair...eyes twinkling at each other, reflecting the bright moon and the countless, astounding stars watching them as they shared their first of many ki...

Marco gently began wiping at her cheek, Star's eyes widening when she realized what he was doing. She raised a hand to stop him only to be shocked when his free hand gently gripped it, lightly squeezing as if telling her to trust him.

Her body relaxed as Marco finished one cheek then worked on the other.

Star felt incredibly embarrassed when her dark secret was revealed, closing her eyes while shouting at Marco "Go ahead! Laugh!"

silence was what answered her but she still refused to open her eyes.

Until Marco's hand cupped her cheek once more.

She slowly opened them only to jump out of her skin at the sight of Marco just inches away from her. If she moved her head just a little bit she could totally...

Marco smiled, a pink heart on either cheek staring back at him

He wanted to say they were beautiful, as beautiful as Star. He wanted to say that they fit her perfectly. He wanted to steal kiss from her just to see if those hearts lit up like how her smile lit his.

"They're cute" he finally settled, smiling brightly at her,

"R-really?"

Marco nodded "They fit you...you shouldn't hide them you know?"

Star down shamefully "But they make me feel like a freak...almost every just..."

Star felt Marco's soft lips press against first one heart, then the other.

"Those people can suck it. I like them" Marco smiled slyly at her.

Star could feel the world slipping. She couldn't do this any more. She couldn't hold it in.

"Marco, there's something I need to tell you..." She muttered softly, catching Marco's attention far greater anything else she could've done.

"Star?" Marco couldn't hide the worry in his voice.

She opened her mouth only for the gentle buzz of her phone telling her she had a message.

She smiled uneasily to Marco, checking the message she hoped never to receive

"Get here. NOW"

Star felt sick to her stomach and Marco saw her shift in behavior

"Star? Star! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Marco held her tightly but she pulled away shakily

"I should go. I...tomorrow..." she mumbled, standing to her feet uneasily "I need rest..."

Marco nodded in agreement, the horrible vibe in his stomach getting worse each passing second.

"Don't worry Star" he said with a confident grin "I'll save your parents!"

Star smiled, grateful at all his hard work before the guilt stabbed her in the heart, his caring smile becoming too much to bear.

"I-I won't be with you. Important meeting tomorrow" She whispered under her breath "got to keep up appearances so they don't...see you coming..."

Star clutched her heart, it begging her to just tell him the truth before it was too late, before the point of no return was upon them!

"G-good night Marco"

Star turned, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as Marco whispered back, full of worry "Night Star...sweet dreams..."

1 am. Rescue operation day

Star looked uneasily into the thick wall of shadows surrounding her, scratching her arm apprehensively as she began sink deeper and deeper into the silent darkness.

She had finally gotten out of those stupid business clothes and changed into her familiar bluish green sleeveless dress, her pink boots and her devil hairband but even her favorite clothing did little comfort the poor girl.

Star couldn't stop the tears from falling from her face. She was horrible, she was such a bad person...how could she...

"Is everything going according to plan?" a voice called from the darkness causing her to jump in fright, it's reedy tone doing nothing to diminish the pure hate dripping from every word.

Star nodded, shame growing out of her heart and infect every single part of her body.

"And he suspects nothing?"

Star shook her head, every single happy moment she spent with Marco running through her heard, causing her to let out a quiet sob. She could still feel his warm lips on her hearts.

"Please..." she said from a veil of tears and choking sobs "I did everything you asked. Please! Just let my parents go..."

the voice chuckled, two spotlights shining from the darkness and illuminating a picture Star really wished she hadn't seen

Her mother and father wrapped tightly, helpless squirming in chairs surrounded by a number of terrifying armored guards, cloaked in a dark blue uniform.

Her mother was fine. Her eyes alive with malice and hatred towards everyone that wasn't her family but when they landed on Star, her mother's harden eyes soften, wishing she could comfort her daughter.

Her father was in worse shape. He was spotting several bruises, cuts and it was clear they had roughed him up some more while Star was away. He gave a cheery grin which told Star not worry but did nothing to soothe Star.

"You know your father's suit is quite remarkable. Quite deadly"

Another thud and spotlight shone a little away from Star

Star felt a feeling of dread at the sight of the humanoid shaped sleek purple metal of the suit, its body slightly bulkier and bigger than a human. It's twin butterfly wings softly fluttering as its heart shaped eyes stared emptily at Star, the two cones on its head looking like horns. There was a little swoosh of air escaping as it's front split apart, opening to reveal the cockpit of the machine, ready for an adult size human to take it for a spin.

Star backed away from the machine only to run straight two guards, both gripping her arms tightly as they began to force her towards the machine.

"You can't make me do this! Not after everything I've done!" Star cried, tears running her face, the sense of betrayal starting to make her physically sick. She couldn't do this to Marco, she couldn't!

"I had your father modify it a bit. Even if you are in the suit, I will be the one controlling it! So it doubles as both a cage and a weapon."

Star began screaming Marco's name before someone taped her mouth shut.

The guards roughly shoved her in, one forcing her to stay still while the other began locking her in, the restraints preventing her from escaping and trapping her inside.

Star thrashed wildly as the suit began to close, sealing her within.

She let muffled screams as the suit came to life. She tried desperately to move the suit herself but it refused, citing "remote control active" taunting her as the words filled the screen

Her eyes widen when the suit began to move, her limbs forced to copy its motions to the letter giving the illusion she was controlling this horrible machine.

Star tried and tried but no matter how hard she fought, how badly she wanted to escape, the restraints refused to budge.

She began crying uncontrollably.

"Marco" she prayed with all her heart, as the suit turned dark once more, dimming the light inside and preventing her from seeing or hearing the outside world, "I'm sorry, please...save me."

The voice laughed loudly, its master plan ready to unfurl on the unsuspecting hero.

"I'm coming for you Marco Diaz"


	24. Hero to Zero Part 2 (Super AU RANDOM)

Hellooooo fanfiction, Author here. Thank you wonderful, amazing people for your awesome reviews, favorites and follows. They mean everything to me and remind me why i love writing for you all!

a special thanks to H mae.(thank you for your comments, i couldn't pass up the idea of Mewberty iron man like suit. and excellent theory, let's see shall we?)

SVTFOEfanatic (I'm glad you liked it and the plot twist. and sorry about cutting it into two parts. I love me my happy endings but i'm not afraid to throw you a gut wrenching, tear jerking one either. When, we shall see.)

Imagintisc (Thank you for the review and we are going to find out tonight.)

Snipaush (Well you are about to tremble with excitement! For there be action here)

goldenflash (Not as grateful as I am for you taking the time to read my stories! it means the world to me. I work very hard to update asap for you epic readers! but that's always been in ingrained me thanks to jazz. Go big or go home!)

grim (I'm glad you liked it so much and i hope you like this one too!)

IDC1314 (Of course i mentioned you! I don't mind giving you awesome readers exposure, there are a lot of talented, wonderful people out there and if i can give you a little publicity, it'd be my honor. i cannot wait to see what you come up with!)

and of course my guests, thank you both for the reviews but I am saying this right now. Twilight AU? sorry my awesome fans but neeeeeeevvvvveeeeer going to happen. Dracula? totally, twilight. umm...sorry Author's gonna veto.

Now before i let loose this massive part 2, just a few updates. First is that someone tried to take credit for H mae work. erased the signature and everything. none of you wonderful people I'm sure but Basically what i'm saying is we're all fans of the series and work hard to show our love of the story. If you see someone clearly taking credit for someone else's work, if you can, please let the owner know. Just so they can be aware. sometimes a little mention is all the permission you need. This has been my public service announcement.

SV fanatic has asked me to remind you that keep being awesome is theirs and trademarked. Just passing a message along

Next is if you follow my other story, if i miss you, you'll notice surprising lack of updating. I've been extremely busy and slowly updating the story. So more than likely next week you will be getting two chapters as my way of saying i'm sorry i made you wait so long.

Okay this is part 2 of a superhero AU. It's long, massive and big. I left it open in case i wanted to come back but at the moment its staying as a two part. Many projects and i can only do so many at a time. If this gets too confusing because i was trying to describe action scenes, please let me know and i will rewrite it.

So thank you all you wonderful, amazing, super awesome readers! I appreciate every single review, follow, and favorite. They mean the world to me and they keep me writing for you all. please enjoy the story, let me know its too confusing and you all have a great week! I own nothing!

* * *

3 A.M. Rescue Operation Day

No one had seen the storm coming. It was as if it formed out of nowhere simply to punish the city for some unknown misdeed. the icy pouring rain felt like something was drilling the cold directly into the body of any poor soul unfortunate enough to be caught outside.

The shipyard was supposed to be abandoned. The import company that once owned it had been mercilessly absorbed into a faceless corporation who refused to use it for any purpose other than slowly rotting away until all that remained was a decrepit shell. Of course no one was foolish enough to believe that it had fallen out of use. The armed security force patrolled it constantly with shoot to kill orders, shifty people of questionable backgrounds routinely came in and out of the fortress-like location and sometimes a hunched figure of one of the rare "guests" could be seen silhouetted against the night sky within the building or worse, held in the central shipping container that seemed reserved for such a purpose.

An impossibly tall fence with razor sharp barb wire that was able to cut through steel closed off the shipping yard from the rest of the world, a maze of containers towering over the near silent area like a canyon of cold metal, the heavy torrent making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front yourself. The once bright yellow shipping crane groaned angrily as the rushing winds from the sea and sky caused its ancient metal frame to rattle, rocking it softly back and forth.

There was a flash of lightning, the loud boom of thunder echoing through every inch of the metallic maze, making it sound like the thunder had struck the ground nearby rather than crackled in the sky.

The crane swayed back and forth a bit more violently, its moaning masking the splashing of displaced water as a shadowy figure hunched at the very top of its arm, carefully surveying what could easily become a battlefield.

"I'm in position" Marco's voice spoke into his earpiece, muffled from the mask he wore to conceal his identity and hopefully to intimidate the guards. They were trained professionals but Marco was hoping for a lucky break.

A few dozen feet away, tucked into a small alleyway that was all but forgotten, Ferguson and Alfonso sat hidden in a jet black van, its cargo a collective and convoluted mess of wires, electronics and computers.

"Read you loud and clear Red" Alfonso replied, never taking his eyes off of the laptop screen, typing in various and indecipherable lines of code.

"So why are we calling Marco Red again?" Ferguson questioned, squishing his stomach back and forth in an attempt to keep himself busy while waiting for Marco's signal. He knew the answer of course but he was just playing dumb to pass some time.

"Because I don't know how encrypted our signal is. Better safe than sorry" Alfonso replied, slightly at annoyed at Ferguson's attempt to keep entertained "Switching to infrared now Red. On my mark 3..." the clicking of keys rapidly filled the van "2...1..." Alfonso pressed enter with an unneeded flourish "Switched"

Marco closed his eyes, the wireless cameras in the eye sockets of the hockey mask he was wearing receiving the command signal, switching the screen filters turning most of the world into a faded dark blue tint, the guards outlined in a swirl of lime green, orange and bright yellow.

"I'm counting 7 guards" Marco stared carefully taking a slow, very concentrated sweep of the area, his eyes blink in a random pattern, his eyelashes brushing against the cameras causing them to zoom in and out depending on how they were touched

Marco really missed the old suit.

"Confirmed. 7 guards, 2 in front of the container, 4 randomly patrolling the area and a sniper on the roof of the building."

Marco nodded more out of habit than anything else.

The sniper let out a chilled puff of air, his sniper resting on a tri-pod, its laser pointing straight ahead, undisturbed. He rubbed his hands together in effort to stay warm. Normally he just head back inside the building but he would just be teased. He had been the only one recruited from the urban warfare division. His experience with the cold was a brisk 70 degrees. It wa least 60 or maybe even 50 degrees and that had been before the icy cold storm appeared from nowhere.

The sniper took a deep, icy breath in as he glanced through the thermal binoculars, scouting the area for any unwanted guests.

His eyes widen, the sight of a silhouetted figure hunched on the very top of the dysfunctional crane nearly invisible against the dark air came into very. He peered closer. It had to be a person! But the thermals were showing zero body heat. If it was someone, they were dead.

The sniper pulled away, rubbed his weary eyes before checking once more. The silhouette was there but there was a flash of lightning, the thunder shocking him and causing a loud yell.

"Everything okay up there scaredy?" his hand held radio crackled to life

His eyes focused on the crane as the light lit up the area, showing no one. Nothing but thin air and rusted metal.

"Y-yeah. I'm not used to lightning"

the sniper glared at the snickering that burst out of the radio. He clicked the stupid thing off, his heart racing incredibly fast.

"Stupid idiots" the sniper muttered, rising his hands to breath as much warm air as he could on them

"Yeah, they're the worst huh?" a cheerful whispered behind him.

Before he could even react, he felt a gloved hand grip his shoulder and pulled him backward, a thick, muscular arm secured itself around his neck. He couldn't make a single noise as he slowly blacked out from the force of his assailant.

Marco gently laid the sniper on the ground.

For a brief moment he thought his planned hadn't worked but he let out a grateful sigh. He taped several ice packs to the back of his jacket, concealing his body heat while dropping it to impossibly cold temperatures. Marco had faced worse conditions while he was training with the Alliance. Icy rain with a bunch of ice packs strapped to his back was nothing.

Marco preached himself on the railing, careful not to be seen by the random beams of light from the patrolling guards.

"Switching to enhanced view" Alfonso called in his ear "3...2...1...go"

Marco burned the positions of all the guards into his memory, his eyes focused as the screen switched once more the blurring of the rain blocking anything that wasn't 20 feet away but that was okay. his two most important targets were easily within reach.

Marco leapt off the railing, dropping into a roll to slow his momentum the instant his feet touched the floor.

The two guards stationed at the container let out two matching sighs, bored at of their minds for the 6th day in a row. Why were they even on duty? No one knew what went on here and even if they did, no one cared enough to do anything about it.

There was soft hissing and the sound of rushing air but before either could react with their famed reaction time, a grappling hook latched onto one of the them, digging deep into his shoulder before dragging him into the inky darkness. Marco clutched the grappling gun tightly, tumbling forward into handstand, his legs wrapping around the incoming guard's neck as he pushed his hands off the ground, twisting and turning in mid-air, shifting his body's forward and down to increase speed and weight before smashing the helpless guard face first into the ground. Marco rolled forward, falling into huddled position, the rushing of the gun pulling back the hook as he pointed his wrist launcher to the other guard, a tiny dart slinking into his neck while body failed to respond to the brain's commands as he fell.

Marco paused for a moment, two. There were no sudden of rushing guards or panicked cries of alertness.

Marco stood to full height, carefully and quietly unlocking the container before taking a step inside. Somehow it had been darker inside, Marco unable to even see an inch in front of his face.

"Alfonso, I need a little light" Marco whispered as he took a few more steps deeper into the darkness.

"Oh, did you need a little light?" a voice boomed from the darkness "let me help!"

It felt the sun had been turned on, the lights overloading the cameras anti-flare lens and blinding Marco for a critical moment. The container doors shut closed by itself, sealing Marco inside as the blaring whirl of an electronic lock echoing loudly throughout the inside of the container.

Marco could feel his heart break in half, the air inside the container becoming stale quickly. He tried his hardest to hold in the tears but he couldn't help but let one escape. He shook his head disappointingly, completely crushed at the truth of the situation.

"She set me up" he muttered, deplorably and absolutely forlorn "Star set me up..."

Marco reached inside the back of his jacket, ripping off the now soppy melted ice packs from his jacket, tossing the useless bags onto the floor as he reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a small breathing device with enough air for 20 minutes.

Carefully Marco bit down onto the device, taking shallow breaths as his body struggled to get warm. Not from the icy rain water he was basically swimming in or the packs that wet his back. No, warm from the betrayal that Star had done. It hurt a lot to think she was lying about...well who knows. Maybe everything. Maybe even being her...her hero.

Marco let out a depressed, strangled noise, desperate not to shed any more tears as he drew one of his revolvers from the holster.

"I knew it...nothing ever goes right in my life. I never win" Marco muttered, mentally berating himself for letting his guard down much further than he originally planned. He hadn't expected to fall for her...

"Marco, Marco!" Alfonso screamed into the mic, getting static response.

Ferguson and Alfonso shared a disappointed look. Turns out Star was really betraying them.

"That sucks. She was so cool! And fun." Ferguson muttered, slipping into behind a curtain area.

Alfonso said nothing. He couldn't even begin to understand how Marco was feeling. Even against his gut instincts, that feeling this ran deeper to this kidnapping, Marco held the belief Star really needed his help...and later, maybe she even liked him. He wanted so badly to believe this was legit, that Star was in danger that he let that stone cold heart crack open just a bit...only for Star to force her way through and settle deeply within.

Alfonso began checking the cameras that Ferguson had set up around the area during his nightly visits to the shipyard. the two guards dragged off to the side while others stood in front of the container, guns ready and waiting but still pretty far back to secure a prisoner. A brightly lit electronic lock held both of the doors closed.

"Alright! I am ready for action baby!"

Alfonso turned to Ferg and couldn't help but laugh despite the dire situation.

His costume was as ridiculous now as it had been back then. There was nothing else that could be said. he was a giant opossum. Just black costume, pouch of tools, tail, everything. It was basically the equivalent of mascot attire.

Well, Alfonso thought as Ferguson flexed his razor sharp claws, not an exact equivalent

Alfonso handed Ferguson a small crossbow and some random crossbow bolts.

"Get Marco out of there and see if you can find Star's parents..." Alfonso muttered, unconvinced that Ferguson was going to find anyone actually held hostage but still betting on the long shot.

Ferguson nodded in agreement. They weren't stupid. This was all a set up to get to Marco, to bring him down. Normally him and Alfonso would've just take out the trash and leave but not Marco. Marco would look Star straight in the face, eyes weary, face frozen in indifferent, the words coming from his mouth being "You are under arrest" Unable to care any further. Only because he would've been too tired at the point from running around, this way and that, chasing every lead, every possibility that Star was innocent until there was no other choice but to accept it. Marco would go the extra mile to make sure of the truth. That's why he was the hero. Why he was better than Alfonso or Ferguson. Why he didn't deserve the bad hand life dealt to him. It just wasn't fair.

So, for tonight at least, Ferguson and Alfonso weren't going to hold themselves to their usual standards. They were going to hold themselves to a higher one. Marco's. The standard of a hero.

Alfonso paid careful attention to the guards waiting outside the container, muttering under his breath every single prayer he can think of.

Ferguson looked at the impossibly tall fence with disdain.

"Seriously? This is pretty insulting" Ferguson murmured, annoyed and offended on how lax security was. With no real effort, Ferguson reached towards the fence, pulling the poorly concealed opening he had cut into it a few days ago during his runs.

Granted it was some kind of new type of metal, extremely durability and utterly annoying to cut but Ferguson's claws were up to the task. He just had to keep coming back to make sure the job was done right.

It was slow work using his suits claws to rip open a hole over the last six days but Ferguson was very happy Marco suggested a way to get him into the compound unseen. Ferguson missed the thrill of the stealing from tough, impenetrable fortress, pride he felt when his enemies widen their eyes in surprise at his thick but graceful and subtle movements escaping into the night, even the fittest among them unable to catch up to him.

Ferguson slipped in quickly, silently moving behind the various shipping containers, his footsteps making no noise while he raced through the furious storm and massive lakes of water.

Ferguson extended his claws, digging them into the side of the metal boxes, effortlessly and softly making his way upwards towards the top of the towering stack, the pop, pop of his claws sinking into the metal walls masked by the pounding rain.

Ferguson let out a disappointed sigh when he reached the top a few seconds later, unhappy with how long it had taken him to climb 4 stories.

"I am so out of shape! 12 seconds?" He let out a soundless grunt "Got start breaking into more museums."

Ferguson slipped his trademarked raccoon styled goggles on. He knew thematically raccoon goggles didn't go with his opossum suit but what kind of thief would he be if he went breaking into places with a bright white set of goggles just to fit some silly motif. A horrible one! White did not blend in with the night at all! It screamed "Hey look! Guy in the shadows right here?!"

He shook his head, making his way to the corner of the container where he had a clear line of sight to the trapped Marco.

"Hey...how long are we suppose to wait?" one of the guards asked, Ferguson pulling out the crossbow from his pouch.

"Dunno. That thing's air tight, gotta be out of air" another replied as Ferguson loaded a red tipped bolt.

One of them lifted a tablet for closer inspection, trying to see through the blinding water "According to the sensors, he's still pacing back and forth."

The guards let cries of disbelief

"Seriously?!"

"He cannot be human!"

"Maybe the app isn't working right

Ferguson aimed carefully, the goggles preventing the rain from getting into his eye but the rustling wind making it hard to line up the shot. Ferg was no sharpshooter though he's recently been taking lessons from Marco

"Hope this makes up for me accidentally shooting your leg!" Ferguson shouted, squeezing the trigger. The quiet plunk fell on deaf ears as the bolt sailed through the veil of rain.

One guard began to pace uneasily back and forth "All that's stopping him from killing us is some freaking metal doors!"

"Look that is a magnetically sealed lock. It''s unbreakable. It's even shielded from EMP's. He's not getting out unless we punch in the code.

The crossbow bolt smashed against the top of the container, the red let turning bright green as it began sending out a signal, a list of all nearby wireless electronic devices feed directly into Alfonso's laptop.

Alfonso chuckled manically as he began typing away at his laptop,

"See this is why not everything should have wifi built into it" Alfonso muttered, line after line of command filling his screen. His finger hovered over the enter key, trembling as he took a deep, dramatic breath. With a practice flourish, his finger came crashing down and sent the commands sailing the air.

The guards jumped, their cellphones having turned themselves on, playing embarrassing music that no one was comfortable admitting they liked. the radios echoing each others feedback in an endless, increasingly distorted loop. Emails were deleted, bank accounts were hacked with their life savings withdrawn to Alfonso personal, hidden savings, social media sites bombard with falsified and mortifying posts and pictures.

And among the confusion, the lock received the unlock key code, twisting itself unlocked before falling to the floor with a heart stopping clang.

The guards turned at the slowly opening container doors, the lights off once more. The guard with the tablet pressed the light on button over and over again, each time hoping the machine would response.

"The lock had a wifi signanl?!"

a guard winced in pain, a small dart sticking its needle directly into its chest, a vial of green, slowly bubbling liquid beginning to boiling uncontrollably

Before anyone could react, the vial exploded with the force of a bomb, spraying the guards with glass that cut deeply into any exposed skin.

As the guards staggered back, the container doors were thrown open, Marco racing out, gun drawn.

Marco aimed carefully at a nearby guard, squeezing the trigger of the revolver. The sound was incredibly soft underneath the heavy rain, the guard collapsing to the floor as Marco began unleashing his fury on the rest of the guards.

Some of them foolish tried to take him out hand to hand but Marco used revolvers as makeshift batons, blocking blows with its barrels before smashing the butt of the guns against any exposed be it neck, hand or other.

Those who tried to out gun him met with loss of fingers and shots Marco bounced off near by surfaces, striking the security forces from all angles.

Marco was ruthless, each shot taking one of the guard's life as Marco systemically made his way through the outclassed security force.

Marco quietly unloaded the empty bullet casings from his revolver, Ferguson nearby unable to decide what was the proper choice of words

"Heeeeey buddy" he began "You okay?"

Marco made no reply, slowly refilling his gun with even more ammo. More out of habit and training than real intent since the security force had been completely wiped out.

"I...I know...this...umm..."

"Thanks for saving me Ferg" Marco muttered so quietly Ferguson could barely hear it over the storm pouring down on them. Ferguson felt pity at the sound of Marco's voice. Thick with mixed emotions, none of them positive ones.

Marco let out a sigh. This hurt so bad he just wanted to sit down and cry, letting the falling rain covered his tears as he tried to mend any piece of could find of his broke heart.

"Come on" Ferguson patted his buddy's back "We still need to check the building in case...we..."

"We weren't wrong" Marco spat out, venom lined in every word "She sold us out. This was all a stupid trap. She was never in any trouble"

"Marco,..." Ferguson couldn't let this end this way. Star must've needed their help, she must've been at her wits end, there must be a good reason for all of this. "Maybe Star is in trouble...maybe I got careless and they spotted me or..."

Marco held up a finger, the hidden sound of mechanical wings beating rapidly and a small engine growing louder each passing second

"Star's not in trouble, we are"

Lightning flashed against the sky, the booming of thunder did nothing to cover the whimper of white, intense burning jets as the figure streaked the sky, twin trails of flame chasing after it as it twirled and twisted midair, the fires dying down to a small burst when it turned to face the two men.

The figure hovered just above Marco and Ferguson, its heart shaped eyes gleaming at them from the darkness of the night.

The rain picked up causing Marco's camera lens to strain to make out the figure. It was a sleek, purple color, two butterfly wings quickly and furiously beating to keep it steady as its jet powered feet kept it in the air. Two nasty looking cones on its head that could serve any number of purposes. A robotic suit, probably with someone inside manning it.

No one took a breath as the robotic figure just stared blankly at them, waiting for some unknown order to be received.

Inside Star thrashed wildly, a dry trail of tears running down each cheek as the crystal clear picture of Marco's costume and a rather large possum-like man filled the screen, various words and phrasings marking them as targets to be eliminated at once.

She yelled out Marco's name, begging him to help her, pleading for him to forgive her but thanks to the tape over her lips, all that came out in the hollowed shell were muffled cries of anguish and fear that could barely be heard within the suit and not at all on the outside world.

The suit tilted its head in wonder, almost appearing if it was bothered by the appearance by the sight of Marco. Marco felt a cold that had nothing to do with the chilling water gushing onto him. Star was in there. She was the mastermind behind this entire plan!

Marco could feel his heart shatter into smaller, unfixable pieces.

The suit raised its arm, the whine of something dangerous sounding charging up filled Marco's ears.

Star screamed for Marco to move, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Ferguson, move!" Marco shouted, aiming his grappling hook to the nearest container he could latch onto while Ferguson raced around the corner, climbing the walls of metal as fast as he could.

For a moment there was flash of blue light that cut through the darkness of the night, a soundless thin beam of energy connecting to the ground below before a sonic boom shook the canyon of metallic containers, physically moving the several ton boxes several inches in different directions.

Chunks of concrete and dust rose to the sky, a car sized hole cut into the ground where Marco and Ferguson once stood.

"Targets evaded" The robotic voice told Star, taunting her further at her helpless situation.

She glared at the screen, thrashing some more.

"Marco..." She thought to herself sadly.

Marco's gloved hands tried to grab anything he could before he skidded off the top of the container but the surface was too smooth and moist to grip anything tightly enough and the shockwave was too powerful to fight against

"Damnit!" Marco shouted, his entire being hovering for a moment as he slipped right off anything solid, his free hand wildly clutching at air as his body began to freefall towards the ground, gravity starting to firm hold of him.

Marco fired his grapple gun anywhere he could, holding on best his ability while his body was pulled in a random direction, flailing and twist in any and all ways before slamming him into back first against against another container.

He let out a pain groan, falling weakly onto the makeshift floor the canyon was providing. He felt exposed, helpless. He lost his guns during the blast and his wrist dart launcher had been severely damage when he slammed his wrist into the corner of the container.

"Sound detected" the robotic voice coolly teased Star, the screen showing little waves coming just beyond a row of the metal boxes.

Star could feel her body mimic every cruel motion the suit made. She felt ill at the idea every time her body move, Marco would be injured in some way. This was the worst form of torture: Marco thinking Star had betrayed him and Star forced to feel every single movement, all designed to end Marco's life.

She let out another sob. She deserved this. She deserved every second of this horrible nightmare.

I am a terrible person, Star thought to herself as the suit flew towards its prey.

Star let out a gasp at the sight of Marco, weakly on fours trying to catch his breath from the onslaught.

Star raised her arm, following the suit's intention. The panels on the outside forearm of the suit slid open. There was a series of pops as tiny, pencil sized rockets flew out of the opening and fueling burning and flaring to life, 4 or 5 of them heading straight towards the distracted Marco.

Marco heard the whistling of rockets heading straight for him even though he could barely see them. He rose to his feet and raced towards the wall, throwing all his weight as high as he could while his boots connected onto the smooth surface and began running up it. At the apex of his climb, Marco leapt as high as he could, his hand just grabbing onto the edge. He swayed in the wind for a moment until both hands had a solid grip. With a might tug, Marco lifted himself high into the air, flipping upwards and onto the top of the metal canyon.

The rockets did not follow Marco, instead sinking deep into the metal walls one after another with a dull thud, thud, thud.

Marco was briefly confused until he heard the crashing and churning of the waves behind him, violently smashing against land with a force not often seen.

Marco cursed loudly as the rockets exploded, the force of the blast uplifting the shipping container backwards, pushing it far enough that its momentum took over and was about to plummet it and the hero to the sea.

Marco tried to steady himself as he began falling towards the raging water below, the creaking and grinding of metal on metal too loud in his ears. Marco ran forward, fighting constant rising metal wall trying to shove him overboard. He jumped high into the air at the last moment, the container's top barely missed clipping his feet. It fell into the sea with a large and deep splash. Marco shot his grappling hook towards the shipping yard crane, fatigue and depression slowly overtaking his will.

"Oh come on!" Alfonso yelled, the red x on his screen telling him he had failed again. He rapidly typed more commands and lines of code, skipping theatrics and pressing enter the very millisecond he was done.

A loud buzzer sound appeared with the X once more, frustrating the hacker.

The suit was protected by a very excellently written security program and while Alfonso would normally tip his hat off to such a creator, right now all he wanted to do was rip their throat out and shoved cherry bombs down it.

This suit was fast, dangerous and outclassed Marco a million times over. It was only due to Marco's experience and their joint effort at tool creation that he was lasting this long. But those tools were cobbled together by crap, crap and crap and Marco had nothing in his arsenal to fight back. The gear wasn't going to hold up long under this kind of attack.

Alfonso let out an angry roar, his hands aching from his aggressive and rapid typing but there was no time for that. With Ferguson out of contact, Alfonso was Marco's only hope.

Ferguson made his way into the building, tiredly crawling, the world below him upside and making the blood rush to his head. He normally loved climbing on the ceiling but right now, after that massive shockwave, his body was weary from weariness. But he pushed himself on, catching little sights of Marco's battle with the killer butterfly thing.

Ferguson winced in sympathy as he saw Marco's side colliding with the crane's railing at full speed, attempting to give himself room to maneuver. But there was no moment of rest as trails of smoke hit against random areas of the crane.

Marco's silhouette dove off the platform, a series of tiny but powerful explosions shook the windows of the building, breaking the crane in half as it quietly let out one last metallic groan before sinking beneath the stormy sea.

Ferguson shook his head and peered into the next room, eyes widening at the sight before him.

There were two adults tied to chairs in the room: A male and female. A single guard watching over them, gun trained careful on one then the other. Ferguson let out a happy smile, recognizing them from the pictures Star provided.

It was her parents!

Ferguson let out a happy whoop before closing his mouth. Shutting his eyes as the soft footsteps of the guard approached the door.

Ferguson could feel his heart racing, beating out of control as the footsteps grew louder and louder.

And when the door was thrown open, light shining in his eyes, Ferguson held up his hands to protect himself from gunfire.

"Huh...that was weird."

Ferguson opened his eyes, looking up to find the guard below him, upside down and confused at what exactly at what he heard.

He let out a silent chuckle. He had forgotten he was on the ceiling.

Mr. Butterfly let out a sigh. All these horrible things done all to get revenge on a young man. And Star was forced to play a direct hand in it.

Mr. Butterfly watched the guard at the door carefully, hoping the opportunity to freedom would present itself soon.

The guard let out a strangled gasp as a rather large possum tail wrapped itself around his neck before lifting up straight up, the sound of a head crunching against the ceiling before the guard fell to the floor, a giant possum man landing right on top of him, grinning victory.

"Mr and Mrs. Butterfly?" the possum man asked.

The two stared at each other. A rescue was a rescue, no matter how strange.

Ferguson skipped his way over, cutting the two free with his razor sharp claws.

Before either could react, Ferguson picked them in a massive bear hug

"I knew Star was good! I knew Star hadn't betrayed us!"

"Star?" Mr. Butterfly asked, smacking the possum's head to get him to put them down so he could properly explain "how do you know my daughter?"

Mr. Butterfly wasn't sure he liked the idea of Star hanging out with giant possum men, no matter how helpful they appeared to be.

"Sooooo long story short. Star hired us to save you guys from being all kidnapped but as we were planning, she started getting feelings for my friend Marco who was once Red Fist. Of course this is all a trap for him and now he's heartbroken at Star might've used him because he's like totally into her and right now he's fighting off your super awesome but quite honestly terrifying robot suit"

Mr. Butterfly's eyes widen "Star's in that suit! She's trapped inside, forced to helplessly watch herself take out this Marco fellow."

"wow that all kinds of suck"

Mr, Butterfly clutched at his beard "If I had a computer, I could use the override code to cancel out the remote control feature!"

"Hey, my friend has a laptop!"

Marco tumbled against the floor, mask cracked and half and lost somewhere in the chase. His body was starting to give out at the constant assault from the battlesuit. He clutched his stomach, the bulletproof vest stopping the bullets that the machine rained on him but the force of the bullets impact bruised his skin. The rain stopped, thick, dark clouds hung over ahead almost like they were watching Marco's struggle. The struggle he faced his entire life.

The suit landed just in front of him, staring lifelessly with those heart shaped eyes. Marco strained his body to get up but he couldn't. It was too much right now. He needed just a moment of rest.

Star couldn't stop the tears as the suit inched closer to Marco, a hopeless, defeated look on his face searing itself into her brain. She never someone look so low, so defeated, so heartbroken. All she wanted was to hold him, apologize, beg for his forgiveness. She wanted to feel the softness of his lips against hers, just kiss all his worries, troubles, pain away.

The suit reached for Marco's throat, closing a fist around it as he was lifted into the air, his weak blows ineffective at freeing himself

Star let out a gasp of horror as she could feel Marco's soft skin underneath her fingers, his body struggling against the suits iron grip. She felt it all as if she was doing herself. She was killing Marco, the person she loved most.

Marco's vision began blacking out, the world melting into a whirl of colors as the syrupy feeling of defeat began slipping into his weary bones.

Why fight it anymore? It was time to let go. Every time he tried to do good, he was just punished for it. Punished for trying to help others. Punished for opening his heart. Punished for existing. It was time to give up. It was time for Marco to just die.

Star couldn't stop the sobs, tears running down her cheeks. She wanted to save him, why couldn't she be strong enough to save Marco!?

A grim sense of determination replaced Star's despair.

No, she was going to save him. Even if he hates her forever, she was going to save her hero!

Star took a deep breath through her nose, straining her fingers against the closed fist of the suit.

The suit began fighting back, trying to force her hand to comply with its wishes but Star was tired of being some stupid puppet to hurt others. She pushed herself further than she ever did before, putting everything into moving her fingers just enough save Marco.

Her fingers erupted in pain, her bones arching at the pressure the suit was fighting her with but Star refused to give up. She couldn't let this stupid thing hurt Marco anymore!

Marco was surprised when his vision started clearing, the fist around his throat loosening, fresh air rushing towards his oxygen deprived brain. He greedily took deep breaths in, the suit still holding him up but no longer choking him.

Marco reached for the knife hidden in his boot, carefully holding on tightly as he slipped it into between the cracks of the armor.

His muscles screamed at him to stop, to stop pushing himself but he had to know, he find out for sure if Star was really behind this. The suit creaked under his efforts, the metal groaning as he slowly but surely pried the suit open

Star's eyes grew wide and bright as the rising sun's light began shining through the opening of the suit, the image of Marco straining to open the suit filling her with hope.

Marco put everything he had into getting this stupid thing open, each second the suit giving way to his relentless advance. With one last might push, he heard the joints snap in half as the suit stopped fighting him, the compartment sliding open.

Marco found himself staring at Star, her eyes bright with a mix of emotions. She was locked in the suit, restrains holding her in place while a piece of tape prevented her from speaking.

She began to let out muffled cries, eyes pleading for him to help her.

He felt heart flip between joy and sadness. Was this a trick? Was this a lie? Had she been a victim? Or the one behind it all?

His eyes landed on her pink hearts and his war between his emotions became worse.

Star's vision began to become blurry, her weeping overflowing her sight. Marco didn't trust her. He was confused, lost, scared and hurt. She could see it in his eyes, plain as day. She had done this to him. She hurt him far worse than anyone had and now Marco was afraid of her. Terrified of what she would do next.

She closed her view of the world, unable to witnesses the destruction she had caused. Why hadn't she just told him the truth? Why had she couldn't have been brave like he was?

Her eyes shot open when Marco cupped her cheek gently, his touch brushing a heart both fearfully and eagerly

"I still think its cute..." he muttered, clearly at his limit, both physically and mentally

He dug under the tape carefully, slowly removing it as not to hurt Star.

Star was at a loss for words but as Marco finally got the accursed tape that prevented her from speaking from the heart, but before she could utter a single word, he slumped in the suits grasp, too exhausted to keep this up.

"MARCO!" Star shouted, unable to keep the fright out of her voice "Marco, answer me please!"

No response.

Star struggled weakly to get out of her restraints, letting out an angry moan when the suit refused to budge.

"Auto control, disengaged." the voice told her gently almost as if apologizing for what had happened.

Marco dropped to the floor like a discarded toy, unmoving as the restraints clicked open with a satisfying pop

Star fell on all fours, crawling her way to Marco as fast as she could, gently pressing hand against his cheek.

"Marco...Marco please wake up! Please I'm so sorry" Tears began dripping onto his face "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! My parents..they were...and I was..."

She pressed her lips against his. She admitted it felt amazing to kiss Marco but she hoping somehow that would somehow revive him into consciousness so he could kiss her back.

She pulled away only to see him lightly breathing but his eyes failed to flutter open.

"Marco..." she murmured, holding him close.

"S-Star?" Marco's raspy voice called to her.

She let out the biggest smile when his eyes weakly opened, unfocused and unsure if he was awake.

"Marco..." she muttered breathlessly.

She was ready to surge forward to give him another kiss when someone had roughly shoved away from him, Marco falling against the pavement with dull thud.

Star looked up to see a man in black military gear, a white skull of some kind of monstrous creature covering his face like a mask.

"L-Ludo?" Marco muttered feebly, trying to stand before Ludo planted his thick looking boot on top of Marco's chest, a pained grunt escaping Marco's lips.

The man shifted all his weight forward, the cracking of some ribs filling Star's ears with despair as he held a gun loosely towards Marco.

"I've waited a long time to get even with you. First you lock me up!" Marco let out another pain grunt as Ludo stepped harder on his chest "Then you disappear before I never get a chance to get even."

Marco's breath became labored, his hands uselessly attempting to get Ludo off of him

"But thanks to blondie over there" Ludo smiled towards Star, his eyes dripping with false praise and gratitude. Star realized he was trying to play Marco's fears against him "I found you"

"No it's not true! He made me work for him!" Star cried, the look of betrayal and disbelief filled Marco's gaze towards her "Marco I..."

A gun shot rang out and Marco screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice filled torturous agony.

Ludo pulled away the gun from Marco's side, blood dripping onto the floor below him

"I'm going to enjoy this" Ludo spat out full of hatred and bitterness "I'm going watch the life drain out of you and I'm just going to..."

Star yelled bloody murder, lunging herself towards Ludo who simply shoved her back to the floor, her hands scraping against the pavement.

Ludo smiled evilly, watching Marco slip in and out of consciousness

Another gunshot rang out and for a moment Star thought Ludo had decided to end her life alongside Marco's

But the metallic ping of the bullet knocking the gun out of his hand told her it wasn't Ludo who shot.

Ludo snarled as an unknown force began to surround them. Dressed head to toe in futuristic gear, a dozen or so of them at different angles and heights, all with weapons aimed at Ludo.

"Ludo, this is K.N.I.F.E. Surrender now and step away from the hero" the closest one called to him.

Ludo glared at everyone present before a swirl of smoke cloaked his body, no trace of his presence when it had cleared.

Star crawled over to Marco, placing her hands on the wound in attempt to stabilize him.

His face grew paler each moment and Star couldn't stop her hands from shaking

"Marco, Marco, he was lying to you!" She pleaded with him "Please Marco believe me! I would never hurt you on purpose! MARCO!"

a pair of hands pulled her away from Marco but she thrashed and shouted his name over and over again. the mysterious uniformed figures loaded him on a stretcher, giving him medical treatment as a helicopter appeared from behind the building, landing so they could bring him aboard.

But as the helicopter flew out of view, Star fell to her knees. Who had just taken Marco? Where to? Would she ever repair the damaged she had caused to her hero?

The uniformed force left as quick as they had arrived, answering none of her pleads or questions.

Star screamed Marco's name into the sky, praying for him to come back to her.

* * *

Marco awoke with a start, his body covered from head to toe with a dull, arching pain.

He let out a restrained sigh, his memory struggling to piece together what happened.

"You, my dear hero, are lucky to be alive"

Marco turned only to see a well dressed woman staring at him intently, her blue eyes friendly but cautious. Marco frowned at the memory when he last saw that blonde, single strain blue dyed hair.

"Jackie" he coughed out

Jackie gave him a tense smile. He was taking her presence better than she thought given the last time they met, she absolutely crushed his heart. It haunted her to do it. She hated that assignment to watch over Marco but it was duty to her nation. He was still a wild card at the time and they needed to know where he stood.

"...where the hell am I?" Marco muttered.

Jackie made her way over, not too close given how defensive Marco's body become.

"a secured location."

Marco rolled his eyes "Stop trying to be cryptic. I'm at a K.N.I.F.E medical center. The question is why am I still here?"

"Easy" a voice called from outside the door "You work for us now"

Marco tried to stop the glare from forming as his least favorite person walked into the room.

"Marco dude" This man was dressed to horse around. Some khaki shorts, a head neckerchief around his neck, his long, untamed hair covering one of his green colored eyes, his fang like teeth grinning at him as if they were best buddies.

"Oskar" Marco replied tensely.

"Simply put man, Ludo's after you, we're after Ludo. So you work for us until you catch him, clear?"

"and if I refuse?"

Oskar shrugged "I will ship you back home..." His eyes became cold "In a box."

"Rest up buddy" Oskar clicked his tongue and pointed at him, before lazily making his way out of the room.

The room became silent, filled to the brim with awkwardness

"That's whose in charge? That douche?" Marco muttered angrily.

Jackie shrugged "he knows how to get stuff done."

"Still can't believe you left me for him"

"me either."

Marco turned to her, questioningly

Jackie gave a small shrug "We broke up"

Marco looked away, unable to process this new piece of information on top of everything. He hadn't completely gotten over Jackie...Almost but not quite.

Marco let out a depressed sigh "I'm not going home until we catch Ludo huh?"

Jackie said nothing.

"Can I at least call my friends? Let them know I'm okay?"

"You know you can't. You are special asset. You knew what you were getting into the moment you signed the paper when you joined up with the Alliance"

Marco scoffed bitterly "No, I knew what lies you were feeding me."

"Rest up Marco. The sooner you find Ludo, the sooner you go home."

Jackie left without saying another word.

Marco sat up, rubbing his eyes wearily as he brought his knees to his chest, holding his head against his legs as the tears started falling.

Heroes do not cry but Marco wasn't a hero. He was just a man. A poor, worthless man.

Every single moment he spent with Star flashed through his mind. Watching Sailor Moon, accidentally brushing her hand once...twice...six times. That special moonlit moment on the rooftop. Her smile, her laugh, that twinkle in her eye. The idea that maybe he could...they could...

All of it lies, tricks used to get him to lower his guard down so he could play the mindless doll. Just like Jackie had done. Just like the Alliance. Star was just the newest name on the list of puppet masters that managed to fool Marco.

"Why can't I ever win?' Marco sobbed "Just once?"

* * *

Star looked out to the city skyline, lonely, guilt ridden but determined. Alfonso and Ferguson stood next to her.

Once her father explained the entire situation, those amazing people took her back without question, without doubt. It was good because she needed them. She spent endless nights crying, sharing her sorrow with the two others at the loss of Marco.

It had been weeks since he disappear, vanishing into thin air as if he never existed.

Star nearly shut down, guilt gnawing at her

Until Alfonso discovered what K.N.I.F.E

"It means Knowledge Negation Inception Findings Extrication Squad. The S is silent."

"Government's secret army of spies and assassins, must've forcibly recruit Marco for a job."

"Can't you say no?"

"No one can say no. there are no rights when it comes K.N.I.F.E.."

Since that moment, Star became determined to find Marco and luckily so had Alfonso and Ferguson.

Star took a deep breath as the sun set on their last day of freedom.

"You know" Ferguson started "We're about to track down a secret, shadow organization that the government doesn't want us to know about"

Star shrugged "So?"

"I'm just saying it's not going to be easy. We'll probably be tricked, mislead, forced into dead ends, diving deep into the underbelly of this country."

Alfonso nodded calmly "I know"

"and there's no guarantee we'll ever find him."

Star shrugged "If we stay here, that's the outcome anyway"

"Besides" Alfonso shrugged "What could go wrong?"

Ferguson thought about it "We could killed, labeled traitors of our country, hunted down like wild dogs, sent to prison for the rest of our lives, brainwashed, tortured, experimented on. Really a lot of things"

"So you in?" Star asked, knowing the answer but wanting to make sure.

Alfonso nodded "good to me"

Ferguson laughed "Sounds like a fun ride."

Star smiled brightly at them "Yeah it does."

Star looked up to the night sky, the stars twinkled at her, reminding her of the night Marco kissed her hearts, claiming her real one for his own.

"I'm going to find you Marco" Star promised to the shining lights "I'm going to find you and tell you how I really feel."


	25. I don't want to get married! (Random)

Hellllllloooo fanfiction Author, being an author. A million thank yous for every single review, favorite, and follow i get. You readers are the best and you make so happy to write for all of you! Seriously you readers rule!

a special thanks to H mae: I am really happy you liked this completely shot in the dark experiment, this was random and it will have a few more chapters. Hopefully Marco gets his ending and Star gets her Marco. at the moment, i do not know if it will be a stand alone given how many i have already in the works. We shall see

SVTFOEfanatic: this is not the end though this is being shelved for a bit. Hopefully Marco can pull himself together. Thank your review! hope you like this chapter too.

FanfictionforDayz: Excited? i am very happy, i wasn't sure how well this was going to go and i am very surprised and excited at all the support you've all shown. thank you so much!

Imaginetisc: I am so happy enjoyed this story. you made me curious how you think this story ends now.

Goldenflash: Thank you so much for your kind words. I've got dozens of AU's stacked up hidden away in my computer and i could write for a long time. Thank you for your support and i hope you keep enjoying the stories!

Grim: there's a part 3 but it'll be awhile. Marco needs his rest after such a devastating reveal.

Sugheman: I'm glad these help us all get through the lack of official Starco in our lives. I am a starco pusher and we must survive until it returns!

IDC314:: Thank you for your kind words and support! i am honored you like my stories enough to draw them. Thank you so much. This isn't part 3 but i hope you enjoy it all the same.

Snip: No worries, it still will go on...some time soon. Kinda want to work on my last requests and cheer up marco.

Jv2en3: thanks for the review. i love seeing new reviews, makes me happy in all kinds of ways. Thank you so much for your kind words. I would be nothing without all you amazing readers. I hope this chapter is to your liking.

There are some questions at the end i got tagged by H mae to answer. I'm suppose to tag 11 people but i'll just have you wonderful people decide if you want to answer my questions i have for you or not.

Also a special mention, Fanfictionfordayz has written a goofy, sweet inducing Starco called on his you are my wish come true about a kissing booth. All his stories great but this is the one that made me puke they all did but this one was really too cute and it also inspired me to do my own version, if that's cool with fanfiction. Please check it out and prepare from some sweetness overload. great job fanfictionfordays! keep it up! i'll leave you a review soon!

So quickly, this AU is about an arranged Marriage. Star is forced to marry Marco who she hasn't seen in 7 years and the last time they meet, it was not under the best of conditions. I had a lot of fun writing this, a light version of the dual perspectives. but i do feel it is a little weak but it is what it is. Any case i do hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think about it.

Also Marco and Star's cover names are two of my favorite characters from a certain mini-series i am debating about turning into a series of oneshots. if you can figure it out, please let me know what you think of the idea.

So that's about it for me. thank you all so much, you are incredible people and readers and without you, i would have no one to write for and thus nothing to write. Keep being amazing! let me know what you think, so enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

14 year old Star Butterfly let an angry scream, tossing any and everything she could onto the floor. Even huffing and puffing, a face of pure rage, she looked beautiful in her light and naval blue royal dress.

She tugged at her golden locks, she stomped her feet, cracking several of her possessions in half as she kept struggling to form solid, audible words.

"Icjak yous -he lsjsljf fdj here and gfhs fsh" Star pulled hair her tightly before falling face first onto her bed.

"She's taking this rather well" Her father King Butterfly nodded, surprised at his daughter's calm reaction.

"Agreed" Queen Butterfly murmured coolly., eyes narrowing at Star's unruly behavior.

Star's face rose from the bed, her blue eyes peering intently at her parents before shifting into a glare.

"NO!" she shouted, rising to her feet once more, pouting as she slammed her foot against the floor over and over again "NO, NO, NO!"

"Star, sweetie..." King Butterfly began but Star just shook her head repeating once more "NO!"

"Star, please..."

"NO!" She shook her head wildly

"Star..."

"NO, NO, NO I WON'T MARRY HIM!"

Queen Butterfly simply stepped forward, Star's instinctive fear of her mother taking over and lulling the girl into a respectful silence.

"This has been decided years ago" Queen Butterfly told her daughter, her tone making it very clear this was not up for debate "You are going to marry him and that is final"

Star could feel bitter tears in her eyes, her hearts upon her cheek transforming from their natural whole state to heartbroken pieces with a stormy rain cloud drowning them in an endless torrent.

"Star stop overreacting. This isn't the end of the world" her mother chastised, turning away before her daughter could upset her further.

" **No"** Star thought bitingly **"It's just the end of mine"**

"Star, honey" Her father said, taking a step forward as he tried to calm daughter

Star burst into tears, rushing to her father and burying herself deep into his chest.

King Butterfly frowned uneasily, holding his child while her sobs soaked into his uniform.

"It's not fair! I only met him once! Why can't I pick who I want to marry? other girls get to pick who they're going to spend the rest of their life with!"

She pulled back, her blue eyes dull and faded "Why can't I?"

"This marriage will be good for the kingdom, for your people Star..."

Star hung her head in shame. She knew as the princess of Mewni, she could not be selfish. Everything she did must benefit the people she was born and raised to serve. Even at the cost of many and often under appreciated, personal freedoms. Including marrying for love. Everyone wanted to be the princess but nobody knew the true burden such a title was ingrained with.

"Besides" Her father patted her shoulders softly "I heard Prince Diaz has grown into a fine lad. Smart, handsome and eager to meet you!"

Star's face of acceptance did not match her internal scoffing at the name Prince Diaz. He was about the future king of Mewni, one of the most prosperous, powerful and well respected kingdoms in all the land with Star as trophy wife he would no doubt mistreat and break but she was forever bond to his side.

"Sounds great...dad" Star couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice but her father did not seem to noticed, grinning at her brightly before leaving her to her thoughts.

Star let out a depressed sigh, plopping onto her bed, staring at the ceiling in defeat, the bright yellowish blue stars she painted as a child and the blood red moon gem her father cut directly into the ceiling, basking her in its red glow brought her no solace.

She had met Marco only once when they were children.

She had just turned 7 years old, an adorable mass of cute and spunk that few adults could deal with properly. Her trademark hearts hadn't came in yet but everyone knew Star's name. Often because they were shouting at her, attempting to stop her from climbing the roof, stealing gold from goblins, or picking fights with the king's personal wolf.

Marco, she grudgingly admitted, was cute. He had light brown hair with equally light brown eyes. He was a skinny thing that looked like he hardly got out into the sun and he did not like Star.

During the week visit the Diaz royal family had came to visit, Star sought out the prince insistently, eager that she finally could play with someone new!

The problem was Marco avoided her like the plague. He refused to make eye contact with her, flushed red and his breathing became heavy with anger whenever Star hugged him from out of nowhere, actively attempted to hide from her, actually scurrying off to find a new place whenever she found him.

Over all he acted like he was far too mature and good to hang out with her and it irked (And hurt) Star deeply. She hoped this prince would be different than the others but he turned out to be almost a big a jerk as Tom! Though at least Tom actually talked to her. If you call berating and putting her down talking...

The only remotely positive memory she associated with Prince Diaz was the night before his departure.

Star just stole her father's prized necklace, gift given to him by her mother. Her father gave chase, eyes focused on his little girl, mouth locked in a determined but slightly upset frown. Of course at the time Star thought he was upset. She later found out that her father would put on that face while chasing her as of a way of playing with her.

As Star slid under tables, leapt over railings, bouncing every which way to avoid her father gaining on her, she remembered turning around the corner before tripping on a loose rug. Her tiny little arms flailed before she slammed straight into someone, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Star groaned out in pain, head spinning from the rush of motions she wasn't used to. That's when a hand appeared before her and offered her to help her to her feet.

She took it and was surprised to find the prince on the other end of it. They shared a moment of...reflection before Marco ruined it, pulling his hand away like she was infected with a nasty disease and his cheeks dusted with that familiar angry red hue. Star frowned at him, sending a glare his way before the shouting of her father echoed from behind her,

"Move it jerk!" She yelled at him, bending forward to pick up her father's necklace before pushing past Marco and racing off to her sanctuary.

The prince's voice called from behind but she was much too angry (and hurt) to listen.

When she got to her room, she let out a giggle before jump onto her body, happy with her successful theft.

As she laid on the bed, staring at those ancient paintings of stars and the blood red moon gem winking at her as the moon rose into position, she couldn't help but feel sad

"Why doesn't any prince like me?"

She let out a crushed sigh. Her mother told her one day she would have marry a prince and they would spend the rest of their lives together.

Star thought of every prince she met and realized she wasn't looking forward to being stuck with any of them. Especially not that stuck-up meanie pants Prince Diaz.

Star brought her crushed fist to her face before opening her closed hand. Her eyes widened. In her mad rush she not only had her father's blue diamond necklace clutched in her chubby hands, she accidentally picked up another item.

It was a beautifully crafted star pin. A golden outline with with a swirl of red and blue mixing together in a beautiful spiral in the middle. It was incredible pretty and Star could feel her eyes widen at amazing.

There was a cough at her door and Star dropped the pin and necklace onto the bed. She sat up only to see Marco standing at her door, looking everywhere but at her.

"Oh, it's you" she muttered unexcited at her guest , steadily getting angry at the fact he still refused to meet her gaze "What do you want?"

Marco coughed before pointing at her bed "You took my pin" his voice controlled carefully, not even giving her the tiniest bit of emotion.

Star snapped. She put up an entire week of this and she wasn't going to take it anymore.

"You want it so much" Star stood on her bed, taking the pin into her hands while praying to every deity she could think of that her parents wouldn't walk by and see her "Come here and get it!"

Marco still refused to look at her, not willing to play so childish a game

"Come scaredy cat!" Star felt a hint of guilt. She had never been so mean but she couldn't take Prince Marco's behavior any more "or do you want me to keep it?"

Marco finally caught her gaze and she was surprised to see a wealth of emotion in those light brown eyes.

Marco rushed directly at her, with a speed and ferocity that seemed impossible for the young man. Star was startled and by the time she had recovered Prince Marco climbed onto of her bed and had gently gripped her hands in attempt to pry his pin from her.

The struggle was intense but brief. Star pushed Marco forward, his hand grabbing onto hers and dragging her down with him.

There was a soft thud of the bed and Star found herself pinning down the young prince,

"HA!" she exclaimed before getting her first proper look at the young boy.

The moon rose into position, covering both Star and Marco with a soft , almost supernatural red light.

"umm..." The word escaped Star's mouth before she realized it but Marco's appearance threw her off.

His light brown eyes seemed charming and lively at this range, catching the red rays in a hypnotizing fashion.

His light brown hair blew softly each time he left a strained breath, flowing back and forth. Star wanted to touch it to see if it was a soft as it looked.

His right cheek had the cutest little mole she can not believe she had never noticed before.

Under her hands, she found not thin noodle arms but rather thick, developing muscle.

Marco looked like someone had hit him with a shovel and as the light of the blood red moon faded into regular moonlight, Marco made his move

With surprising strength, he lifted Star off, sending her into a shock state before carefully putting her down on the bed.

She said nothing as Marco retrieved his pin and hurriedly made his way out of the room.

Present day Star laid sprawled on the very place the memory she was lost in took place.

She let another angry shout.

Tomorrow they were to be wed. Literally the next day. No time for a meet and greet or how you look better since I saw you 7 years ago, change your asshole attitude yet?

She let out once final sigh before her eyes caught sight a tattered old cloak and mask.

"I can't marry Prince Diaz if I'm not here" she muttered to herself, slipping out of her clothes.

Marco shrieked away slowly, the sounds of Star's rampage telling him she was not happy that the wedding had not only been pushed up, but was happening tomorrow.

"Give her some time Prince Diaz" Queen Butterfly told him gently, throwing a dirty look towards her daughter's room as the rampage quiet down.

"That's okay" Marco muttered softly "I'll talk to her some other time."

Marco slowly made his way back to the guest room on the other side of the hall, his red and black military uniform failing its goal of impressing Star.

Marco had met Star once, 7 years ago when they were both children.

Marco was a terribly shy boy growing up, preferring to stay inside and read rather play outside with the other princes and princesses who routinely made fun of him and mocked his thin stature and frame.

"Safe kid, safe kid. Rather read than be a proper kid!" they teased through the window.

The princesses were worst, often calling him a loser and a poor excuse for a prince. Told him he was going to die alone and that nobody would ever want him.

Marco's social skills were poor for many years as a result of the kids brutal torment and unfortunately it was during that time frame that he met his future bride to be Star Butterfly.

When he was told he was going to be wed to princess Butterfly when they both of them turned 14, needless to say he a bit shell shocked.

"ME, married?!"

Okay, very shell shocked. The idea that anyone willing to marry him nothing more than a dream, one pushed far away from reality due to his treatment at the hands of others.

"Yes, make a good impression on her. She is a lovely girl and I am sure you two will be the best of friends."

Marco doubted that. All princesses were the same. They wanted the strong, dumb, pretty boys who could care less about anyone's feelings and just wanted to pick on those weaker than themselves. Like Marco

But he decided if he was going to be married to her (Still a foreign concept in his head today) he should at least get to know her.

At first, Star was nothing like the other princesses. She was adorably cute, with her blonde hair held together by twin ponytails, her blue eyes excited at the sight of everything and anything and her lively energy. And most importantly, she was very kind.

And of course Marco screwed it up.

Somehow Star terrified him, crossing into his personal space repeatedly, actively sought him out of her own free will, randomly ambushing him with warm, gentle hugs that just made him melt. Marco had no idea how to deal with it. He couldn't make eye contact with her, his face turning into a shy and embarrassingly red mess every time she drew near. He ran from her, this new situation both making him feel happy, scared and confused. He had known but malice and mistreatment from the other royal children so when kindness was shown to him, he did not have experience to draw from on how to handle these new situations. He only knew one way to deal with anything: Run and hide.

He remembered the one memory of Star he could never forget. She had crashed into him and like a true gentleman, he helped her to her feet, unaware at that moment it was the first time he touched his future bride.

When her wide, blue eyes stared at him in amazement, he felt like a spotlight was shining down on him. He held her hand, marveling how soft it felt under his touch. Suddenly he didn't want to let go of the princess's hand.

The princess!

He let go of her hand like it was boiling, fearfully she was going to start calling him names for such a bold act.

"Move it jerk!"

Marco's teared up as she shoved passed him. Now he really had done it.

He sighed, ready to retreat to his room when he noticed his lucky star pin was missing!

It was gift from his mother. A special one. His mother told him that his true love would steal the pin from him, unaware of what she had done and when Marco took it back from her, they were meant to be and bonded for life.

It was rather silly but gave him hope for the future...a little anyway.

The young boy craved so badly that there was someone out there for him but the other kids made it clear nobody would willingly want him, not even Star appeared thrilled at the idea of marrying him.

"STAR!" he cried out, realizing he held the pin in his hand before Star crashed into him.

Star did not respond and with a nervous step, Marco raced after her.

He approached her room slowly, just in case she was still angry at him. He coughed, his throat dry from the sudden burst of running.

"Oh. It's you" a cold voice muttered from within."What do you want?"

Marco let out sigh, looking anywhere but at the girl as not to enrage her further.

"You took my pin" Marco meekly replied, pointing at the glittering pin winking at him from her bed.

"You want it so much" Star shouted, standing on her bed as if remind Marco how insignificant he was "Come here and get it!"

Marco refused to look at her. His mother taught him never to fight a girl. Well not to fight anyone. It was mean and not very nice at all.

"Come scaredy cat!" She taunted further "or do you want me to keep it?"

Marco felt a rush of anger towards Star. He just wanted the pin back. The one his true love was supposed to take from him without knowing and he was supposed to take it back. Star knowingly took it just to spite him. She wasn't any different than the other princesses, she was just as bad as the rest of them! Maybe worse!

Marco rushed as fast as he could towards the girl, catching her off guard and nearly managing to nearly grab the necklace away from her person.

The fight was intense but short, Marco unwilling to use his full strength against Star even if she was a meanie head.

He fell backwards, Star crying out in victory as he reached for her hand, grabbing it and pulling her down with him.

He remembered closing his eyes, the impact of the bed far softer than he had expected.

When opened his eyes again, he was greeted with a beautiful sight never once matched by anything else he would ever see.

Star was cloaked in a soft, ruby red light, her blue eyes widen and surprised but enticing to him. Her long, yellow blonde hair seemed to shine in whatever the light was. He felt a moment of surprise when he realized Star was holding him down, her soft fingers touching his exposed forearms.

The light turned back to the normal silver and before either could properly processed what happened, Marco snatched his pin back, running away from Star before he embarrassed himself further.

Present day Marco sighed. He was marrying a girl he hadn't known in years. Tomorrow. No meet and greet. No, hey not a mean bitch anymore?

Marco turned to see his riding cloak and a mask his father must've brought along for some unknown purpose.

"...I need some fresh air."

Star climbed the outer castle wall with easy. She kept telling her mother to install more sentries or wall eater plants or she was going to sneak out one day. Like she currently was.

"This is why you should listen to me more mom!" Star mumbled under her breath, her body straining to reach the very top and careful not to put too much weight backwards or the regular vines that grew here would snap and sending her falling to the floor.

Star strained her body one last time, moving her feet over the top of the wall before scooting herself forward, free falling into the little village that surrounded the castle.

Star landed on her feet, stumbling for a moment due to the momentum that had dispersed everywhere upon her landing.

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard another plop nearby, just behind her in fact!

Star swung her leg around, aiming right for whoever dared to sneak up on her.

Star felt a moment of fear when the person managed to grab her attack mid-swing, her strength unable to overpower his.

Marco put her foot down before falling into a fighting stance. Why was there a hooded girl attacking him? He literally just left the castle.

"What is your deal?" Marco cried, clearly annoyed, his simple white tunic and black leggins peering out from under his long, black cloak.

"My deal!" Star shouted back, her cape swishing backwards to reveal a humble blue dress and black leggings underneath."You snuck up on me!"

Marco let out shout of disbelief "I just came from the top of the castle wall, how could I..."

Marco covered his mouth quickly. He wasn't suppose to reveal he was from the castle.

Star paused for a moment "You're coming out of the castle too?"

Marco caught on quick "Did you escape too?"

The pair marveled at each other silently, unwilling to believe someone else had the same idea to escape the castle.

"Who are you?" Star took a step back in case this strange man tried anything.

Marco bit his lip before giving into his training and manners.

He pulled the hood back

Star looked wearily at the man, no teen in front of her. Light brown hair glowed softly under the pale light, light brown eyes stared at her curiously from behind a black domino mask, the ones superheroes often wore.

"my name is M...Wirt. One of Prince Marco's guardsman." He bowed.

Star slowly removed her hood "I'm not a fan of Prince Marco. I am Beatrice, one of princess Star's handmaidens..."

Like Marco, this Beatrice was wearing a domino mask, her long blonde hair flowing freely behind her, two crystal blue eyes staring intently at him as a pink heart upon each cheek graced his eyes.

"You don't look like a Beatrice" Marco started, arms crossed unimpressed.

"What kind of name is Wirt?" Star shot back, hands on her hips defensively.

There was a moment of silence before the two burst into laughter.

"Wirt? Seriously?"

"Beatrice does not fit a girl like you"

The two smiled at each other, somehow comfortable with each others presence despite having just met each other in the worst way possible.

"So...one of Princess Star's handmaidens?" Marco started, seeing a chance to get more about his future bride.

"umm...yep" Star replied "You're one of Prince Marco's guardsman? What are you doing out here?"

Marco scoffed "I could ask you the same thing Beatrice!"

Star bit her lip nervously, settling on telling the truth. At least half of it "Fresh air. It...it gets really stuffy in the castle and Princess Star is very nervous about tomorrow"

"Likewise. Prince Marco is incredibly scared about it."

"Why?" Star got defensive "He's about to get everything he wants. Power, a beautiful wife, respect. Why is he scared?"

Marco looked away, gaze distance "Not what he really wants"

Star scoffed "What on Earth could the soon to be most powerful teen want more than all those things?"

"Someone to love him"

Star couldn't stop from pulling back a little bit.

Marco sighed tiredly, eyes still away from hers "He was broken boy when he met Princess Star. Teased mercilessly. he...he didn't know how to explain anything, how to talk to anyone and he met the princess during the worst time of his life...he's afraid Princess Star would be very unkind to him. Especially given her recent rant."

Star let out a soft O. Marco heard her. She shifted guilty

"I don't think he's got too much to worry. Star is a good girl. She's just a little impatient sometimes...She confused Prince Marco's behavior when they were younger for...something else. If he explained it to her, I'm sure she'll listen"

"He's tried"

"He should try one more time. I think she'll listen this time...do you think they could work?"

"He's an okay guy. Even if they don't love each other, they could work something out"

Star muttered, wanting to believe it to be true "Yeah...maybe."

An awkward silence ensured, the two important members of the royal wedding trying to internal what they had just learned about the other. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad

The two turned to each other and muttered shyly at the same time.

"So Beatrice"

"I'm sorry I should..."

"Oh..." Disappointment was etched all over Marco's face. He was hoping to spend more time with Beatrice in hopes of learning more about his future bride but it appears she wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. Story of his life.

Star bit her lips nervously upon seeing Wirt's eager face disappear into disappointment. He clearly wanted to hang out with her and Star admitted she would like a little company

"Umm...so Wirt?" Star began, trying to ignore how foreign that name sounded on her tongue "Since you're new to town, how about I show you around?"

Marco shifted uneasily under her gaze, it was clear this was out of pity. "No, no it's okay I don't want to bother you."

"I don't mind. I don't want to go to the castle yet. it...it's pretty tense"

Marco agreed "Okay Beatrice...umm lead the way!"

The two smiled tensely at each other, vowing to learn as much as they could about their future spouse.

And forgot all about everything that wasn't the other person by their side as they began to hang out even more.

Marco had to admit Beatrice was fun, caring, smart, lively, beautiful and just a breath fresh air. The two of them felt so...natural together.

She grabbed onto his hand, tightly holding on as she began showing him Mewni and it seemed like she knew every street, every place that served excellent food, where the most beautiful plants could be fun and the best places to watch the moon.

His favorite moment so far was without a doubt when she forced him into an eating contest, never taking her eyes off him as he began disgustingly shoving down as many pieces of chicken wings as he could like he was the most interesting thing in the world.

His heartbeat fast when they accidentally angered some guards and without a second thought, she latched onto him, pulling him this way and that into an endless maze until they found a small niche to hide in, breathing heavily while staring deeply into each others eyes, his hand on her waist, her hands on his chest. Just waiting for the guards to pass on by.

Marco was falling for the handmaiden behind the mask.

Star knew she was in trouble when began using any excuse to touch Wirt's hand. Showing him around Mewni, tapping his right arm rapidly as she showed him the best spots to sit and be. Even reaching for it, holding onto it while they made their down the street. Two masked people out for a stroll. Even thinking about it felt natural to Star.

Wirt was kind, gentlemanly, handsome, sweet, caring and considerate.

Star suddenly felt warm at the idea of merely being in the presence of Wirt, no matter how strange his name was.

Star flushed uncontrollably as Wirt surprised her with an ice cream cone. Her favorite favorite vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. She turned to him, eyes watching carefully as he contently eat his own chocolate ice cream, seemingly happy just to be next to her, a girl he just met.

Star flushed. He had gotten her her favorite flavor and topping...like he knew her.

Star let out a sigh, catching Marco's attention.

Marco gently placed his to the side, rising to his feet and offering to pick up Star up.

"Wirt, what are you doing?" Star asked the guardsman.

Marco just smiled in response, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes "How about you grab my hand and find out Bea?"

Star hesitantly held his hands, curious but nervous about what the guardsman had in mind.

Marco lifted Beatrice to her feet, holding one hand tightly in his own while the other held onto her waist, slowly swaying back and forth.

Star flushed as she began slowly dancing with Wirt, her hand snugly fitting with his own, the other holding down on his well developed shoulder.

As Marco twirled the handmaiden back and forth, he wondered where all this had came from. Was the mask which held his true identity a secret? Was the fact that he just was too worried about tomorrow, living today in a wild hope that the sun would never rise? Maybe it was the fact he felt so connected, so in sync with the girl. The handmaiden.

Star admitted this was crazy. She was dancing with a complete stranger, under the pale moonlight, onto of a rooftop on the night before her wedding! It was insane, ridiculous!

And why did it feel like the best night of her life? Why did it feel like Wirt was the perfect fit? That she just wanted this night to go on and on, forever trapped in this moment with Wirt, dancing the night away with someone she felt so close to. So in sync with.

Marco twirled Beatrice this way and that way, this way and that way, the space closing between them each passing second while he held her waist, spinning them around in a dance that felt as fast as their heartbeats.

His heart was racing, his palms were sweating. He couldn't be falling for this girl. He just met her! Today! He was getting married tomorrow. This...this couldn't be happening.

Star wrapped her arms around Wirt's neck, carefully drawing him in as his hands wandered downward and found themselves on her waist.

This wasn't real. She was falling for the guardsman when she was supposed to be getting ready to marry the prince! Why did it feel so right dancing in the middle of the night?

They stopped as one, peering deeply into the others eyes.

"...can I...remove your mask?" Marco asked quietly, shyly.

Star nodded, lost in a trance "if I can remove yours..."

Marco went first, carefully bring his hands to her face, his soft touch sliding against her cheeks, sending a warm feeling coursing through her body.

He pulled the mask away and found himself staring at the most beautiful girl he ever laid his eyes upon.

Her bright, sky blue eyes stared at him in shock as if some grand secret was revealed. Her hearts on her cheeks looked even better freed of the mask.

"You're beautiful" Marco muttered, unable to shake off the somehow familiar sight before him.

Star flushed realizing he hadn't recognized her as the princess. "It's your turn"

She reached slowly, her incredibly gentle touch caused his cheeks to flare up. She pulled the mask away, staring into chocolatey brown eyes that felt like she was sinking in them, light brown hair that danced familiarly around her memories.

"You're very handsome." Marco gave a small chuckle, she had no idea he was the prince.

Marco gulped, leaning in just a bit "I'd like to kiss you...i...if that's okay with you?"

Star nodded "It's okay with me...I want that too..."

The two leaned in, meeting halfway in a soft embrace, their lips lightly touching each other, unsure if it was the thrill of the situation or the fact they had fallen for the other in a span of a few hours...

The two began moving their lips greedily against one another, unable to get enough of this joyous feeling. It felt so right, so perfect, like two broken halves were completed at last.

It was simply perfect.

The clock tower rang loudly, its bells chiming that it was now midnight.

The two pulled away shock and surprise all over their faces.

How did they let it get this far? How did this happen? They couldn't do this, they had their people to think of.

"I'm sorry" Marco apologized.

Star shook her head "I'm sorry"

"We should..."

"Get back..."

the pair was silent as they made their way back to the wall, Marco helping Beatrice up, unable to say good bye to the only girl who ever understood and cared for him.

Star looked down at the guardsman, heart heavy with regret as she simply flung herself into the castle walls, unwilling to say good bye to the one person who seemed to know her best.

The two pair made their way back to their rooms, slumped against their bedroom doors, silently crying, while letting out a whisper at the idea of their lost love.

"Why can't I have a happy ending?"

Marco stood there, well dressed in his clothing, staring into the veiled covered face of Princess Star.

He shifted uneasily, eyes wandering for the Beatrice the handmaiden but she was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was for the best. The shock Marco kissingStar might be took much for the poor girl to bear.

Star took deep calming breaths, standing across the blocked face of Prince Marco. This was for the good of her people, the good of her family even if it wasn't good for her.

A horrifying thought occurred to her! What if Wirt was out there? Standing nearby? About to see the young girl he had shared a sweet and tender kiss the night before was in fact the princess.

Star wanted to face palm herself. How could she be so reckless? So stupid? Now she was going to have to break Wirt's heart along with her own.

"Since we can't have a wedding without the groom and bride seeing each other at least once, Prince Marco, please remove the veil."

"Here we go" he muttered under his breath, fingers nervously clasping the ends of the veil, lifting it slowly as to better prepare himself.

Star closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for a lifetime with a stranger.

"Maybe it won't be so bad" Marco and Star thought together as the wedding veil finally reached the top.

The crowd grinned happily, cheerful at the expression of pure shock and joy etched in both of their faces.

Marco took in every sight of the princess before him. Every line, bit of her smooth skin, her pink hearts, her blonde yellow hair done in ringlets. It hadn't been 7 years since he last saw her. It was just last night!

Star's eyes couldn't believe it, the smile lines, the chocolatey brown eyes, the seemingly soft brown hair gelled back, his cute little mole that she had seen but did not process. 7 years had gone by but she just saw him last night.

Marco blinked quickly, unsure if what he was seeing was real "Beatrice?"

Star tilted her head quizzically "Wirt?"

the priest coughed loudly "You're names are Prince Marco and Princess Star, remember?"

The two's face broke into matching grins, realization drawing on their faces as they muttered the others name softly as if an impossible dream had come true.

"Star..."

"Marco..."

The priest looked at them annoyingly "yes those are your names now..."

Marco took Star's hand, clasping them tightly while leaning closer, Star following the suit as the pair shouted in unity

"I DO!"

The priest rolled his eyes "I know pronounce you man and wife, you may now..."

they wasted no time, Star's arms wrapping around Marco's neck as Marco's hands found their way to Star's waist, their lips crashing together, eagerly awaiting to resume where they had left off the night before.

"Well, that went over well" King Butterfly murmured happily, holding on to his wife tightly.

"I told you they would both sneak out" King Diaz smiled brightly, leaning against his wife contently as Marco lifted Star high into the air and began twirling her around like he was never going to let her go.

* * *

Tagged by H mae.

Rule one: always post the rules. Rule two: answer the questions the person before you wrote, then eleven new ones. Rule three: tag eleven people

Questions: 1. Favourite colour? Blue

2\. Most recent seen movie. Ant Man

3\. Truth or dare? Both!

4\. Favourite snack? Gummy Worms

5\. Do you wish to go back in time? I like how i and the world came out so no thank you.

6\. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? using mystical musical instruments to active different powers of reality...or the ability to create sushi out of thin air.

7\. (In relation to the previous question) Why? Because their cool that's why!

8\. Favourite T.V. show? Star vs the forces of evil (I've made that very clear haha)

9\. Least favourite T.V. show? at the moment most things on fox

10\. How do you overcome artists block? I write the story in different ways and styles until it clicks for me. if that doesn't work, i write random stories i don't plan to publish until my brain gets warmed up. if that falls, i sit in the dark listening to music, relaxing until the ideas come to me.

11\. What inspires you? Life, art, music, comics, cartoons, nature. my readers, my fellow writers, artists, my friends, my family. everything inspires me.

my questions. Umm questions 1) favorite tv show? Question 2): What inspires you? Question 3): What is your favorite type of story genre? questions 4): What is your favorite show? Question 5): What is your favorite pairing? Question 6): Favorite type of music? Question 7) favorite video game character? question 8) what two pairings would you like have meet each other? Questions 9) Recently read book? questions 10) Favorite painting? Questions 11) What drives you?


	26. You weren't paying attention (Random)

Helloooooo Fanfiction, Author here! Back soon? indeed. Thank you sooooo much for every review, favorite, and follow. They make me incredibly happy and when i am happy, i get writing. Seriously, you readers rock and make me so happy to write for you wonderful people.

a special thanks to H mae- they just screamed wisegirl and seaweed brain huh? seriously building you a walk in freezer, you keep melting. not entirely sure that is healthy. thank you so much for your kind words and i hope you enjoy this one too! and of course i answered your tags!

SVTFOEfanatic- it was incredibly cute and this chapter might be just as cute in a different way. At the moment Scott is on the shelf because i want to focus on if i miss you. that being said, i will probably post its own story and new chapter sometime next week. Until then, hope this holds you over!

Imaginstic- BRAH! thanks for your review and i totally am. Planning to make it an AU but at the moment, got a few other things on my plate. You know you are the first person i met that isn't that big of a fan of her. trippy

Goldenflash: thank you for you praise. it means alot to me that you enjoyed it so much! but please hold onto your hat, i've got another chapter for you! well different AU

left2craft: A huuuuuuuge fan!

Rayfe- haha yes they escaped over the garden wall found in the castle :) I'm glad you enjoyed it so and thanks for the review.

moonlight: I'm glad you thought so. thanks for dropping a review, means so much to me.

Heatherfeather- I am very honored you read all my story. and i hope to keep bringing happiness and stories to you wonderful readers who bring me just as much happiness. thank you

anerak- you can't stop the OMG! umm IDK

and of course my guest review, i shall make it so because you wish it to be! More stories away!

haha all silliness said, thank you so much. I've been doing this roughly two months now and never dreamed of the support, helpful reviews or any of this when i first started. It means the world to me and makes me want to just write more and more stories for you wonderful people. Thank you every single one of you.

This AU was inspired by a combo of a goofy movie (Where max is trying to get Roxanne to notice him) and just general school based sitcoms. So this one plays more like a cartoon, silly and wild because that's how i was feeling. I mean you readers made me soooo happy yesterday that i couldn't help myself and just had to write some more. so i really hope you enjoy this random, silly AU

So thank you all so much for your support and love of these stories. It is so much fun to write for you all. If you enjoyed this style, please let me know. Umm that's about it. so thank you, enjoy the story and I own nothing!

* * *

The sun rose quietly over the small city of Echo Creek, it's presence always seen, always felt and always reminding everyone it was 5:56 A.m. And it was time to face the long, grueling day of life once more now before you were forcibly awaken by that annoyingly alarm clock you had set the night before.

In a two story Mexican American style house, painted a beige color to match the desert like lawn and the totally out of place white picket fences, one Marco Diaz slept soundly, dreaming of the last day he was forced to school before winter break set him free

The alarm on his phone went off, loudly ringing in the room in an attempt to wake the boy up.

" _It's gonna get a little weird, gonna to get a little wild."_

Marco's eyes shot open, a groggy moan of complaint escaping his lips as he blindly began patting every space he could think of in an attempt to shut the blasted alarm off.

" _I ain't from round here, I'm from another dimension"_

"Oh, man where is that stupid phone?" Marco sat up sleepily, his eyes half closed in their search for his cell phone that he concluded, from his wildly groping search, was not on his bed.

" _Gonna get a little weird, Gonna have a good time! I ain't from round here, I'm from another woohoohoooo!"_

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, waking himself enough to spot his phone blaring a synthesized keyboard with pulsing bass and strumming acoustic guitar strings in his direction from his side bedside drawer thing.

Marco slid his finger over the off button, taking a moment of relaxation as he fought off the syrupy feeling of falling back to sleep.

Marco eyes closed once more, his body leaning forward as he slowly edged back into slumber.

" _It's gonna get a little weird, gonna to get a little wild."_

Marco's palm slammed against his phone once more, panicked and wide awake but he was confused why the song hadn't stopped and why did it seem much further away?

Marco threw the blankets off his body before they coil him into their sleepy cocoon once more.

Swaying unevenly on his feet, Marco tracked the music not to his phone, not inside his room but outside his window he left open the previous 7 years of his life.

He made his way onto the balcony, lazily leaning against the railing with his elbows as he stared directly at another balcony with an open window, foot away from his, it's pink colored walls blinding him this early in the morning.

"UGH I'm up, I'm up!" A girl's voice cried out in annoyance as the song shouted back at her _"I'm talking rainbows! I'm talking puppies!"_

The music shut off as the girl rose to her feet, still in her blue sleep dress, her blonde hair a wild mess as she tiredly rubbed her eyes and reached for a pair of thick, black rimmed glasses on her night stand.

She blinked once, twice, three times, a fourth for good measure her eyes focused to see Marco staring straight at her, his blue jam jams, his hair wildly messy which wouldn't be much longer given Marco's need to keep everything about him organized.

Star's eyes softened at the sight of Marco before adopting a playful smirk, her pink hearts glowing softly.

"So, ready for today?" Star started teasingly, trying to show support for her best friend's insane plan. Again.

Marco scoffed, pretending Star had wounded him in some way "Gee thanks Star! No good morning?" he let out a false gasp "Here let me show you how it's done."

Marco stood up straight, clearing his throat as he pretending to fix his nonexistent tie and with the most overdone, refined voice he could think of, bowed before her "Good morning princess."

Star giggled before gently smacking him on the back of the head "Morning dork"

Marco gave her a sheepish smile, rubbing where Star "struck" him.

"That's better" he gave her a goofy smile as he made his way back inside his room.

Star smiled back, following Marco's example.

In perfect sync, the teens closed the curtains, but not the windows, to their room to prevent the other from seeing within while they got ready for school

"So what am I suppose to be ready for?" Marco shouted, sliding on his black jeans, hopping on one foot when he became unsteady.

"You're insane master plan? Remember?"

"OH! Is it the last day before winter break?" Marco shouted back, raiding his closet .for the perfect shirt, a mountain of black, white and gray undershirts piling behind him.

"Marco, you haven't seen Jackie, so what's your excuse for being so scattered brain?"

"It's the morning!" Marco shouted before his eyes grew in excitement, finally finding a gray shirt that looked no different than any other one he had thrown behind him.

"Riiiiight. You're just being nervous!"

Marco scoffed "Psst, me? Nervous? Perish the thought!"

"Is that why you going through a pile of perfectly good shirts to find the one special that is no different than any other one?"

Marco flushed "N-no, I don't do that!"

"TOTALLY!" Star called back, her footsteps echoing down her staircase

Marco let out an exasperated sigh before slipping his read hoodie jacket on.

Star made her way downstairs, noticing the absent of her parents which wasn't too surprising given they were the head managers of Mewni shipping and receiving, a small but well funded, connected import and export service.

Star took a small piece of toast with some jelly, biting down into it while she stared in the mirror, hands untangling her hair with a pink scrunchie at the ready for the final step.

Star took a moment to glance down at her outfit, making sure it looked okay enough for the last school day.

She wore a black, knee length skirt with matching black and red stockings tucked into some sneakers. Wrapped around her body was a baby blue hoodie jacket, matching Marco's in every shape, way and form aside color. Her pink hearts winked back at her and she touched them gently.

Star nodded in approval, tucking her hair into a ponytail, wrapping the butterfly scrunchie around to hold her hair firm as she could handle.

Star took a big bite of the toast, letting the rest fall into her waiting hand as she picked up her spiky turtle like backpack and made her way outside to wait for Marco.

She closed the door carefully, making sure it was locked up tight or else she'd get an ear full from her parents. She turned away from the German, British hybrid of architecture that was her home and waited on the sidewalk in front of Marco's, letting out a small sigh as she impatiently waited for him.

An explosion rocked the neighborhood, knocking Star off balanced as smoke began gushing out of Marco's window, a cry inching closer as something flew straight at her, landing on some bushes on Marco's side of the fence.

Star rushed over, worried for a brief moment before stopping a soot covered Marco laying in the bushes, clutching at his backpack against his stomach, eyes spinning confusingly before finally landing on Star.

"let me guess" Star said with a small smile "Mom's not home?"

Marco let out a groan as he got to his feet, swaying left and right unsteadily.

"Dad may be an inventor but he cannot cook to save his life..."

Star gripped Marco's shoulder tightly to help steady him "What did he try to make this time?" she asked quizzically, noting the large amount of smoke pouring out every window of the house, the firefighters sirens getting louder each second.

Marco answered grimly with a completely straight forward face. "Cereal"

The two teens walked side by side, laughing, joking and teasing one another as they made their way to school, more affectionately called prison.

14 year old Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly had been best friends for 7 years. Since little Marco defended little Star from some bullies who picked on the poor girl from her unique physical trait of two bright pink hearts on either cheek. Even out numbered, out matched and threatened with bodily harm, Marco refused to back down. When Star asked why Marco stood up for her, he replied with a wide smile and the most heartfelt tone she ever heard "I think your hearts are pretty cool!" Since that day forward, Star never felt ashamed of her hearts and Marco was always at her side through thick and thin. Especially supportive during her break up with Oskar 3 months prior.

"So" Star finally decided to stop peering around the bush "What's the plan today?"

Marco took a deep dramatic breath, grabbing Star's shoulders out of nowhere and turning her to face him

"M-Marco?" Star muttered nervously, unsure where this behavior had came from.

"I am going to...talk to her!"

Star stared at him, his face brimming with confidence and a drive not often seen. It was the look that made Marco a million times more appealing to the female population.

"Good luck" Star muttered softly, nodding like she didn't actually believe him.

Marco frowned, unhappy with Star's very unenthusiastic response. It was so out of character. Normally she was very supported and cheering him on but now? Well...

"Look Marco, you're my best friend but you've been trying to talk to her since 2nd grade!" Star explained, gently held onto his shoulder, getting close to make sure he understood clearly, her hearts glowing like she was nervous saying this to him "Give it one more shot Marco but if she hasn't noticed you by this point, I don't think she is going to"

Marco nodded, agreeing on the outside but failing to internalize Star's words.

Attempt #1

Marco took a deep breath, leaning against the hallway lockers patiently waiting for Jackie to walk by towards her first period class and directly passed him.

He stretched his body for his dash downstairs to his class room on the first floor. True that being on the 4th floor just to talk to a girl may have been a little umm forward and that Marco had tried this countless times, only to clamp up when she walked by, forcing himself look foolish sprinting to make class before the first bell rang but this time he was going to have something to show for it.

Marco felt his body tense, Jackie with her blonde hair, single blue colored strain of hair teasing him.

"Okay Diaz, this is it!" Marco muttered to himself, making ferocious faces to himself "I am going to talk to her, I am going to talk to her, I am going to..."

"HEEEEEEY MARCO"! A blur whizzed by, nearly knocking him over as it ran on all fours in frightened scurry.

Marco peered closer at the retreating, recognizing the opossum mascot while he darted past Jackie, rounding the corner after smashing into some lockers.

"Ferguson?" Marco called after the retreating figure, unsure of what he was seeing.

There was a thunderous stampede bouncing off the walls and lockers of the small hallway and Marco turned to see the entire football team, decked out in full uniform, angrily rushing right towards him

Marco pressed himself against the lockers, narrowly avoiding being trampled by the unruly mob who chanted "Get the opossum, get the opossum" With religious fervor.

Marco dusted off his clothes, eyebrow raised at what just happened,

"Ooooooookaaaaay" He murmured softly wondering why would the football team be chasing Ferguson?

A loud crash startled Marco, the sound of water slamming into metal ringing loudly in his ears.

Marco could hear the rushing of water, almost if a river had been let loose inside the school but that was impossible, right?

Marco turned around just in time to see a huge wave of clear blue water rose to full height, skimming against the ceiling before arching forward, ready to crash down on him.

"You've got to be..." Marco muttered in disbelief before taking a huge gulp of fresh air, the wave knocking him off his feet.

Marco lost sense of direction, being tossed and turn every which way, the clear water making easy to see the now flooded hallway and helped him avoid anything to could cause serious harm.

He glanced at one the passing the doorways, Jackie's face on the side of a closed door, full of concern as her eyes glanced around the hallway, obviously wondering if flooded hallways was a legitimate excuse for being late.

Marco gripped his hair angrily as the water made a sharp turn, bending him around the corner and rushing down the flights of stairs with reckless abandon.

Star hummed happily, pulling out the books she needed for the next two classes. Marco's locker remained closed, giving Star the idea where he was currently standing, waiting to talk to Jackie. Once more. On the fourth floor.

Star blinked, unsure if she was actually feeling her feet now soaked with ice cold water that ran to the bottom of her ankle. She looked down to see the first floor hallway was now lightly flood in about a foot of water.

"uuuuuugh..." a weak voice weakly moaned to the side of her.

Star turned to see Marco, lazily floating on his back downstream in her direction, a look of irritation and dissatisfaction all over face as he just let the water carry him away. His hair catch some random assortment of wet, wadded papers, a hair bow and a pencil stuck in his hair.

Star turned around, leaning over him, propping her glasses back into place when they slid off her nose

"Ferguson?" she asked

"Ferguson..." Marco replied tiredly.

Star stood back up, shrugged nonchalantly and followed the water logged floating Marco to first period.

Attempt # 2

Marco had only one class with Jackie, second period art. He was terrible at drawing, receiving a C for the semester but that was only because he did the teacher's taxes for him rather than his actual ability to art

Marco took a deep breath. Today's class was free paint or better known as do whatever you want and leave the teacher alone.

Marco smiled to himself, a smiling Jackie gracing his sight...as well as about 3 of her friends. Chantelle, Sabrina, and, Marco shuddered, Janna.

Janna was a pretty girl and cool if Marco was going to be honest. It's just her less than savvy ways to get Marco to talk to her or hang out with her was what terrified him. When someone is willing to steal your house keys, that's what we like to call a red flag.

"Why do girls have to travel in packs?" Marco muttered nervously "Seriously how I am suppose to talk to one calmly if there's 8 pairs of eyes staring at me?

Marco shook his head "Focus Diaz!" he caught sight of Jackie once again, his heart beating wildly.

Marco stood up, and as confidently as he could, strode his way over towards Jackie, the eyes of his female classmates eagerly taking in the rare sight of self-confident Marco.

Janna spotted him and her eyes shifted into a predatory glance, one that made Marco pause in mid-step.

" **No Diaz"** he thought to himself **"No one is stopping you today! Well I guess you can but that's not really the goal for...shut up and go Diaz!"**

Marco gave himself a nod and continued on his quest.

Janna stood up, moving to intercept Marco halfway towards Jackie.

"Janna" Marco said, trying not to let the fear seep into his voice,

"Maaaarco" Janna replied in a singsong way "Whatcha doing over here?"

Marco gulped, unsure what game Janna was playing "I needed to ask Jackie something"

"Nothing bad right?"

Marco shook his head "Nothing of the sort."

Janna give him a rather cute smile as she stuck out her hand "Shake on it"

Marco eyed her hand wearily. This was a trick, it had to be some kind of trick. It was Janna, of course it was a trick!

But Marco couldn't think of anything that Janna could do with an outstretched hand.

Marco kept one hand on his pocket, his free hand nearly grabbing a hold of Janna's.

Out of nowhere, Janna moved to Marco's side, the two of them facing the same direction as Janna's hand shot out, holding onto his hand tightly as her fingers slid in between the spaces of his.

"Oooh Marco" Janna cooed with a hint of teasing flirtation "Aren't we so bold?"

Marco paled, trying to get his hand freed before realizing Janna's plan.

"Super glue? Seriously Janna?"

Jana smiled mischievously at him "Not super, Super Crazy glue!"

Marco thought he was going to die when he had to march up the front of the class, hand in hand with Janna and asked the teacher if they could go to the nurse's office.

Marco tried to avoid eye contact with everyone, especially Jackie as he angrily marched his way out of the class room.

Star was doodling in her English, drawing whatever came to mind. A spider, Marco, a butterfly, a matador fighting a dragon.

She let out a sigh, wishing one of her friends had been stuck in this class alongside her.

She placed her head in her palm, wearily staring out the door when, for a brief moment, she saw a strange sight

Marco, face enraged and aggravated, holding hands with Janna who seemed to be dazed and completely lost in pure bliss.

Star bit her lip nervously

"So that's why Janna wanted to borrow some glue..."

Attempt #6

Marco was forced to miss both brunch and third period was...was just no. Sneaking out of class to see if he could to talk to Jackie while she was on her free period did not actually count. DID NOT COUNT THE COUNTLESS TIMES HE TRIED TO WALK UP TO HER!

when P.E rolled around, Marco was hanging out with the other boys, trying his best not to glare at Ferguson who was now hanging upside down by his tail on a telephone line.

Marco let out tired sigh when he spotted the girls P.E. Class on the other side of the field, Jackie's blonde hair waving at him from a distance.

Marco froze, never having realized that they had P.E. At the same time!

His face flushed, hoping she never noticed any of the embarrassing things that happened to him playing sports: Like the baseball to the face...the volley ball to the face...the football to the face...the soccer cleat cutting his forehead open causing him to bleed.

Marco was unsure if it was okay to walk over to the girls side.

Marco pouted "you know what, I'm not being safe kid! I am doing it!"

Marco nodded to himself, pumping himself up as he cracked his neck, stretch his legs, twisted his spine to make sure his back was relaxed and took a huge step forward.

Nothing was going to stop him!

"Watch out!"

Marco let out a confused gasp before turning towards the warning voice.

Marco's eyes fluttered open, the bright light above him spinning wildly as his eyes struggled to focus. His head dully ached and felt cold, each pulsing heartbeat causing him to wince a little.

"Oww...what happened?" Marco asked groggily

"Baseball to head." Star's voice answered from everywhere "Apparently you are a lot more thickheaded than I thought."

Marco's eyes finally cleared, Star's long blonde hair was just out of his peripheral vision.

Marco turned, the cold feeling sliding across his head as he faced Star.

She smiled softly at him, holding an ice pack to his head, her fingers holding his hair up so she could cover his forehead better.

"I'm the nurses office?"

Star opened her mouth to answer when the burly, manly female nurse shouted from the other room

"YES! And if you didn't want to come to school so badly, you should've just ditched instead of finding excuses to keep coming here!"

Marco sit up, Star supporting him as he took over ice pack duty.

"Why are you here Star?"

Star shrugged casually, her pink hearts gleaming lightly, probably from the ice cold she was administering to his forehead.

"This is my free period and when I got a text from Ferguson saying you've been taken out by a baseball, I figured it was code for 'come and pick up Marco'"

Marco let out a groan, the pain his head fading each second but still just a little uncomfortable.

"How's your head?" Star asked, staring in concerned for her best friend.

He gave her smile "I'm thick headed, remember? I'm fine. Just need to ice it for a bit more."

Star let out a false annoyed sigh, rising to her feet. "It's almost lunch time. I'll meet you at the table okay?"

Marco nodded, sharing a smile with his best friend before she calmly gathered her things and made her way out of the door.

The manly, burly nurse peered into the room and shook her head disappointingly.

"You don't learn do you?"

Marco opened his mouth only for the burly, manly nurse to walk away.

"I learn...I just learn to duck next time" Marco mumbled unhappily.

Attempt #7

Marco was finally released from grip of the nurse with the warning that should he return one more time, she was going to ship himself straight home.

Her eyes blazed with disappointment as she muttered under her breath "Doesn't get it" Before slamming the door straight in his face

Marco rolled his eyes "If I don't get it, why don't you tell me?"

No response.

Marco let out a sigh and turned to find the best piece of news he had gotten all day.

Jackie Lynn Thomas, alone with no crowds of girls around her like some kind of anti-boy barrier, just a few feet from him.

He nearly jumped in the air in joy but stopped himself as his knees bent ready to take the leap. She was not only within earshot, but also any sudden movement and she would catch his idiotic victory...jump? Dance? Marco wasn't sure what to call it.

Marco placed an open palm over his face, closing it into a fist with determination. He only had a minute and 30...29...28 seconds to talk to Jackie before the lunch bell rang and unleashed a torrent of shuffling students that would bury her in a sea of adolescence. He didn't why Jackie got out early, he didn't know why she was here. All he knew is he was going to talk to her!

Marco took a deep breath and step forward when there was a scoff of anger from behind.

"Leave me alone Tom!"

Marco frowned. That was Star and it sounded like her ex was bothering her again.

Marco let out a defeated sigh, not even hesitating as he turned away from Jackie and turned the corner where he heard Star's voice.

Marco's eyes narrowed at the sight of Tom. He was a year older than them, with flaming red hair done up in ridiculously stupid spikes. Two patches of hair were bleached yellow and gelled to look like horns. He was wearing a black skull shirt and some emo jeans or something. He was a full head taller than either of the two and he often made it clear he loved looking down on the two. Marco also forgot how pale Tom was.

Star had gone with him on a date once. To a Halloween ball...that Marco crashed...He did it because he didn't trust Tom but Star became upset at Marco, telling him that he failed to trust her to do what was right for her, whatever his intentions had been. It was a tense night and Marco was scared he had lost his best friend but Star forgave him, commenting it wasn't total loss since she had discovered Marco could dance, something he tried terribly to hide. The two danced the night away to horrible pop songs and buckets of his special super awesome nachos.

Marco shook his head at memory, now focusing at the matter at hand.

Star was trapped between Tom and her locker, her books clutched tightly against her chest with both hands while openly glared at him behind her glasses. Tom was inches away from her, leaning in as if to kiss her, blocking one side with an outstretched he used to support himself and trying to bait her into escaping through the opening on the other, ready to grab her the moment she tried.

Marco began sneaking towards the two, controlling his breath so Tom wouldn't noticed.

"Tom, what do you want?"

"aww Starship, I just wanted to talk"

Star let a "hmph!" Before stamping her foot cutely

"I don't want to talk to you Tom!"

"Sure you do Starship, come on why don't I take you to the Winter Ball tonight? Could be fuuuuuun"

Star stared at him completely deadpanned, trying not to let how relived she was when she saw Marco stealthily approaching from behind.

"No Tom"

Tom flashed a pin he had attached to his shirt "I'm taking an anger management class, 53 days anger free"

Star was not impressed.

Tom bit his lip angrily, trying not to lose it in front of Star and prove her right.

Tom felt a top on his shoulder, snarling at being interrupted by someone when he was clearly busy.

Marco slid over to the other side, moving his hand under Tom's arm, reaching for Star's.

Star shifted her books onto one arm as her hand tightly gripped Marco's, getting a gentle squeeze in response as Star ducked under Tom's arm and allowed Marco to quickly lead her away from her Ex.

Tom turned around to see Star missing but before he could track down her blue hoodie in the empty hallways, the rush of students poured as the lunch bell freeing from their prisons.

Marco and Star took shelter in a small space, laughing and trying to catch their breath.

"Thanks Marco" Star grinned at him "You know I could've handled it myself."

Marco nodded in agreement "I know but lunch was about start and I didn't want to wait for you."

Star glared before unable to keep the lie up anymore, bursting out laughing as Tom's angry shouts echoed through the hallway.

"He is so pissed!" Marco chuckled.

Star giggled before dropping her happy face for a serious one. "Seriously though, thank you Marco."

She leaned forward, wrapping one him in firm one armed hug, her warm cheeks rubbing against his own equally heated ones.

"Of course Star. I'm always here for you" he whispered into her ear.

She shivered like a chill wave went down her spine, the air conditioner blasting both teens with a rush of cold air.

Star coughed, turning on her heels and walking away from Marco rather quickly

"Star?" he called after her

"Sorry Marco" she called backwards, not even turning around to face him "I just remembered I have to return some library books first! I'll meet up with you later! Make sure to get me a pudding!'

"OKAY!" Marco shouted, Star disappearing from sight, his heart beating wildly for no reason.

Attempt # 8

Marco let out one final sigh, trying not to get too embarrassed at his current predicament.

He glanced upwards, the gym floor just inches away from his face, bouncing up and down repeatedly as the streamers and banner flags wrapped around his body snugly, trapping him in a cocoon of string. It didn't get much worse than being tangled up, hanging upside down as Jackie began making her way towards him.

He met up with Star after school before being dragged away by the art teacher who demanded his help setting up the gym for the dance tonight in exchange for upping his grade to a B. Star told him she be waiting for him at the bleachers and Marco replied he'd see her soon.

While on the ladder, setting up layer after ascending layer the string and banner flags, Marco was thrown off guard when Jackie loudly shouted to Sabrina she was able to make it to help out with the decorations after all.

Marco was so surprised that he fell off the ladder before tumbling through the web of banners he just set up, become tangled and trapped in a net of his own creation.

"Marco?" Jackie's voice asked full of concerned, her blue eyes peering straight at him

Marco coughed, clearing his throat as he tiredly replied "hey...Jackie"

She let out a giggle that sounded nice..enough...he guessed

"I don't think that's how the banners go"

Marco nodded in agreement, surprised how calm he was actually talking to Jackie

"I know right?" Marco joked

Marco felt strange. Suddenly the idea of Jackie the crush didn't seem so...enticing

"Our first conversation in our entire lives and this is how it starts?"

Marco nodded before his eyes popped out of his head at her implication.

"What, you mean you knew I wanted to talk to you?"

Jackie nodded slowly "It's been obvious from day one. You really do seem to have a string of bad luck. I'm sorry" she patted his shoulder lovingly but all Marco felt was a tap of comfort like a friend

"Then why didn't you..."

"I didn't want to break the girl code"

the confusion in Marco's eyes was all she needed to know that he wasn't getting it

"The girl code. Unless the boy talks you first, you do not engage in conversation with the boy you and another girl are crushing on, to be fair"

"You like me" Marco muttered but the words rang hollow. The thrill of the chase, of the planning was over and suddenly while he still had a small flicker of feelings for Jackie, she didn't seem like the right fit anymore.

Jackie nodded "someone else does too and I think it's time you really thought about what you want"

"Huh?"

Jackie smiled, patting his cheek fondly, knowing full well she was about to lose him.

"I wasn't the one who wasn't paying attention." Jackie told him, planting a small kiss on his cheek before helping him get down.

Marco felt a small spark of response but nothing even as grand as he thought it be. Heck, he felt much more powerful feelings when...

Macao's eyes widen realizing his feelings for Jackie blinded him from his real feelings, feelings that been deeply etched in his heart for a long time now. Feelings he grew so comfortable with it became a part of him.

"I wasn't paying attention" Marco muttered softly, the answer shining in his face as brightly as her golden hair.

Star peered carefully at her book, trying not to openly stare at her wear best friend making his way towards her on the stands. Telling how defeated he look, something bad happened.

"So...I ran into Jackie at the gym."

"Really?" Star tried for casual, letting no sign that she was remotely surprised at this information as Marco slowly scooted his way closer "What happened?"

Marco shrugged, eying Star's disinterested look and glowing pink hearts, each inch he took closer causing them to turn just a shade pinker.

"Tangled up, she talked to me."

Star nodded, still not staring at her best friend "Cool, guess you proved me wrong. Congrats Marco!"

Marco heard it. The genuine happiness for him with just a hint of sorrow brilliantly concealed in the mix. Only there if you knew how to find it.

"And she even said she liked me"

Star tried to stop her arching heart from cracking in half, the realization that she lost Marco to Jackie weighing heavily on her mind.

"and kissed my cheek"

Star bit her lip, determined to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't Marco's fault he didn't...whatever made him happy.

Marco noticed Star's fingers clenching tightly on the book's edge, looking like she just read a very emotional passage but Marco knew Star better than that, she was upset.

That was all the proof he needed.

"I don't like her like that"

Star let out a small gasp of surprise, turning to Marco as if he grew a second head.

She jabbed at his chest roughly "Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

Marco let out a laugh, one that sounded amazing to Star's ears

"I realized...maybe it was the chase...maybe it was the thrill of trying my hardest rather than staying in place...maybe it was because..."

he paused, turning to Star, his light chocolate brown eyes reflecting her ocean blue ones.

"Why did you break up with Oskar?"

Star shifted uneasily. Marco had never brought it up and Star had just assumed he thought Oskar broke her heart, not the other way around.

"Well?" Marco pressed her, a calm look on his face

What was supposed to do, admit that the Oskar she built up in her head turned out to be her best friend, that she let her crush blind her, plastering the traits she wanted most onto Oskar when they in fact belonged to Marco? That all she's ever really wanted was the boy right next to her, not the bad keytar player?

"He wasn't what I built him up to be" Star answered

Marco nodded in agreement "Neither was Jackie...buuuuut I think I know someone who is"

Star huffed in mock annoyance, really more devastated that Marco had found interest in another girl so soon.

"Oh lord, at least don't wait so long to ask her out, took you 7 years with Jackie" Star teased, lightly slapping his back

"I won't. Come on Star, let's go see a movie" he rose to his feet, offering his hand to Star

Star looked at him, a glint of mischief in his eye like he knew something she didn't

"Why?" she questioned, unsure what kind of game he was playing.

"Because it's the first day I get to hang out with my best friend without worrying about school, duh"

Star smiled, grabbing onto his hand as long as she could. He might have someone else in his sights but at the moment, he was all hers and she was going to enjoy every last second of it.

"You're paying wild man.

"I know princess"

Attempt # 1

Star, her long blonde hair free of its ponytail and flowing down her back, and Marco, with his light brown hair unusually messy, were dressed for bed but had no intention of sleeping any time soon.

The pair stared up to the sky, the millions of lights twinkling at them with a luminous glow that could only be matched by the moon

It was past midnight. Star and Marco spent the last few hours acting like they always had been in their 7 years together. Teasing, laughing, talking, fooling around with each other only separating when their individual chores needed to be done and dinner with their families required their presence.

But right at 7, the two dressed for bed and continued where they left off, the hours of separation nonexistent in their eyes.

Star was trying hard to pry Marco's new crush out of him but he was adamant about it being a surprise.

The two sat on the railing of their balconies, Star not so subtly holding onto Marco's hand to "Make sure he didn't push her off lest she drag him down with her." From this height it wouldn't hurt but with both of their parents out of the house, the idea of being alone with Marco made her nervous enough. Explain to her parents why her sleep dress was covered in dirt? Terrifying.

Star couldn't deny how nice it felt to hold his hand in hers and the warm feeling that her stomach gave her whenever he softly squeezed hers was just amazing.

"So, you going to tell me who you like?" Star answered, deciding it was better rip off this band aid sooner than later.

Marco nodded "Fair enough, you waited long enough"

Not the answer Star was hoping for, wishing he had stalled a bit longer but she took a deep calming breath

The pair turned to each other, Marco's hand still gripped in hers

"So..." Star started

Marco gave her a cheerful smile before pressing a finger on the bridge of her nose.

Star was confused by the action. "Marco what are you...?"

Marco flicked his finger upwards, lifting her glasses up, catching her off guard when the world turned blurry for a moment and distracting Star.

Marco leaned forward, catching her lips with his own, waiting a second or two before allowing the glasses down to let her see again.

Star couldn't believe anything her brain was telling her as Marco kissed her. How soft his lips were, how warm they felt, how wet, the fact he tasted amazing and indescribable how her lips were moving against his on their own with no prodding from her mind.

She finally closed her eyes, getting lost in it all when Marco pulled away, Star pulling forward in a trance before opening her eyes to see a smirking Marco.

"So" he coughed, a red tint coloring his face "Answer your question?"

Star placed her finger on her chin, ignoring the heat from her hearts as she thought carefully before shaking her head.

"I've been hanging around you too long dork, a bit thickheaded. Mind running it by me again?" Star smiled shyly and mischievously

He bashfully smiled back "Of course Star"

"I warn you...it...it might take a couple times to sink in"

Marco chuckled before leaning forward again

"That's okay I'll explain it however long it takes to sink in. I got all the time in the world for you princess"


	27. Marco's Practice Date (Canon random)

Helllllo Fanfiction! about time this thing gets back online huh? Author, glad I can finally upload this story. Seriously i wrote this 2 days ago and blam, unable to load it. Well a million thanks you to you readers. Every review, favorite, and follow makes me so happy and fills me with pride. You readers rock!

A special thanks to H mae-so we've gone from melting to puddling? I think i'm getting a bit dangerous with these stories. thank you so much for your kind words. I think i'll be doing more cartoon style stories in the future

SVTFOEfantic- i am simply trying to make you amazing readers happy. though i suppose too much cuteness can't be good in a row. well too bad! have some more Starco! Yep Star and Tom are normal humans here and Star knew Jackie was going to the gym and didn't want Marco to go but she also didn't want to get in the way of his attempts *Girl Code* I honestly just love being subtle with Star, it was way too much fun write he rthat way. And yes Star has been waiting for years.

Left2craft- awesome an Ign score. and they didn't say there was too much water! haha

xboxrica- a bit ironic. I used to get up around 6 to go to school but i always woke up at 5:57 or so, so i was always like do i get up now or do i go back to sleep and let the stupid alarm clock wake me. thank you, i am glad you enjoyed the story!

Grim- thank you for the review. I did say inspired by a goofy movie. Hmm maybe i'll do a goofy movie AU. could be fun might be a 2 or 3 parter. and i'm going to have to arrest you because clearly you've been sneaking into my AU vault and taking peeks inside. I do actually have one plan but I'm saving it for a special occasion.

Sughman- Not as much as I love your review! Seriously thank you and everyone else for leaving one, it makes me feel so happy. and one day we shall all bask in the Starco love.

IDC1314- I am about a humble writer, you readers are the amazing ones for taking time to read my work. I love writing for you people. I won't lie, this one is one of my favorites too. I dunno about coming back to this au but i might try more college, high school cartoonish AUs. My favorite line i wrote is when Star tells marco not wait so long to ask the next girl out and Marco replies "I won't. Come on Star, let's go see a movie" haha smooth as ice I saw your drawing and the others you've done. awesome work, keep it up!

Mabelpines101- I dunno about you but when i was in kindergarten, i told every girl they were pretty. when I was in 5th grade, i would tease the girl i liked about her hair because i was terrified whenever she got close. sooo. you know. Also you're mabel! this is right up your silliness level!

and of course my guest reviewers! Hope you didn't wait too long *curse you fanfiction shut down) i am very glad you enjoyed both stories. Each one is so much fun to write but i might've gotten a little more involved with the latest one. I just couldn't help it, it was way too much fun

So here we go, a new chapter, late unfortunately but here nevertheless. This story takes place in the canon universe, after the Blood Moon Ball and is set directly at the end of freeze day where Marco decides not say hi to Jackie but take it several steps further. At a loss, Marco goes to the only person who can help him out! Staaaaaar Butterfly! I really hope you wonderful people enjoy this chapter.

Okay! umm some announcements. H mae over on her tumblr hains-mae has some epic new drawings up including an anime couple i've never seen before and a really cool Dipper and Mabel drawing. She also drew a fantastic comic based on Axis's "Nothing comes easy" (A great read if you haven't already) Idrawcartoons1314 on instagram drew some cool ones as well including a very flattering and awesome scene from the previous AU, Star with Waddles, Star in her blood moon outfit. They are very good and i recommend checking them out. I also think if you need more Starco in your life, Watermalone's For old time's sake, The Diaz Family Road trip from unluckywrites and Starfall from golfalphamike are some excellent reads and you should check them out.

thank you so much for all the love and support you've given me. There is a part 2 to this but right now I am working on if i miss you though it is entirely possible this one will be updated first. You readers keep being amazing, enjoy the story and I own nothing!

* * *

"Did you just ask me out Marco?"

Marco Diaz gave the girl a thin smile, unsure how to recover from the lack of thought process that plagued him for that brief instant.

Jackie stared at him quizzically, short blonde hair with that one cute blue strain swaying back and forth as she stepped off her skateboard, taking a step closer to ensure she was hearing Marco properly.

Marco's smile was wide and nervous, his face looked sickly as Jackie closed the distance between them.

"Umm...well..." Marco muttered under his breath, wishing he had simply stuck to the hello instead of jump straight to step number 16 today.

He wasn't sure what compelled him to ask Jackie out. In between the 60 plus hours hanging out with Star while the world was frozen in time, the adventure to push the wheel of progress forward and simultaneously helping Father Time find a much fairer way to keep time moving, Marco realized how long he was reenacting step 4 of his 23 step master plan.

So when Jackie skated by, Marco slinking instinctively into the nod, it hit him. If you have the time, why waste it?

Marco took a deep breath, his body tense with determined and confident energy only found when he was helping Star fight off Ludo's monsters. His eyes followed her as she raced by and without a moment of hesitation, called after her.

"Hey Jackie! Did you want to go out tonight?"

Marco's eyes widen when the words tumbled out of his mouth, the confident and lively energy consumed by the swirling vortex of regret faster than Star eating an entire box of fortune cookies.

"I...umm...well..." Marco stammered out, refusing to make eye contact with Jackie as his head sunk deeper and deeper into his hood.

Jackie's face was unreadable, a hint of red dusting her cheeks as she leaned in closer and closer, preventing Marco from getting to far away from her.

"...Sure Marco! That sounds great!"

Marco's head popped out of the opening of his jacket, eyes glazed over and mouth hanging loose and open.

"Really?!"

Jackie nodded "Janna and I were going to see a movie today, why don't you and Star come with?"

"Sure, sounds great Jackie" Marco replied, zombie like and still lost in the sweet bliss of Jackie Lynn Thomas saying yes to him. It was clear he wasn't actually paying attention to anything that was actually being said.

Star's bright, encouraging smile turned into a small frown. Marco wanted to go with Jackie, Jackie wanted to bring both Star and Janna along.

She didn't want go and ruin Marco's big chance to get develop his relationship with Jackie. On the other hand, if Janna was going to be there, Star could run interference and help Marco along.

Star glanced over to Jackie and was surprised to see her eyes staring straight at her, the discreet (Not that Marco would notice) begging for Star to refuse to come with.

Star gave a knowing smile causing Jackie blush a little as she glanced away from the two.

"It's okay Jackie. Thanks but I'm good!" Star smiled politely, smirking at Jackie's plan. Turns out Marco wasn't the only one who had it bad.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. Maybe next time?" Jackie said, genuine disappointment mixed in with a small drop of gratitude.

"Next time Jackie" Star nodded happily.

Jackie turned to Marco, gently brushing her hair over her ear "Well me and Janna will meet you at the movies around 7 okay Marco?"

"Okay..."

"Bye Star, b-bye Marco!" Jackie turned quickly, on her merry way while keeping her head down as the first period bell rang.

Marco just grinned after her retreating figure, still completely stunned and locked into lovey dovey mode.

"Wooooow Marco, you asked out Jackie! Congrats" Star nudged him in encouragement.

No response.

"Marco?" Star peered closely, wearily he was getting back at her for pretending to be frozen in time during the freeze spell.

No, he was clearly breathing, eyes blinking to prevent themselves from drying out.

"I'm going on a date with JACKIE!" Marco shouted, startling Star as he leapt upwards, doing a little dance before grabbing tightly onto Star's hands, spinning her around wildly and with a rare reckless abandon for the safe kid,

Star's eyes shifted from surprise to joyful, laughing alongside Marco as they kept twirling in a circle.

Marco gently slowed and released his hold on Star, letting out a loving sigh in the direction Jackie disappeared towards.

"Wait..." His back stood straight up like someone shocked him back to reality "I just asked Jackie on a date?!"

Star giggled and patted his shoulder in complete support "See I told you could do it wild man!"

No response

Star walked in front of her best friend, his eyes frozen in shock and fear

"Marco? Maaaaarrco?" Star waved her hands in front of the boy's face. The lights were on but nobody seemed home.

Marco's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his body shifting backwards before falling onto the floor with loud and comedic thump.

"Marco!" Star cried in a panic at the now passed out form of Marco "Oh boy...I wonder what happens when he finds out Janna isn't going to be there at all..."

Marco took deep breaths, making sure not a single centimeter of his hair was out of place for the big night. True he would have to deal with Janna as well but tonight was the night he was going to get his foot in the door with Jackie, no matter the obstacle.

Star smiled at Marco's antics. It felt nice to be on the knowing end of something and Marco being left clueless. She knew Marco never meant it out of ill will or as a mean spirited joke but Star wasn't used to being so far behind the cultures and ideas of a dimension.

Star knew he planned this moment for a long time with Jackie, since she was standing right next time him when the time eye thing showed them their past. But it wasn't until he finely ironed his shirt, pants and even a previously unopened red hoodie that was tucked away under his bed that Star realized how much this really meant to him.

He waited his whole life for a chance with Jackie and he was unknowingly preparing for a pseudo date with her.

Star briefly felt the need to tell him Janna would not be there but at the same time Marco must learn to deal with things not going according to plan. He was a bright, smart and clever boy but he tended to freak out when something unsuspected came up.

Though she did regret she wasn't going to be able to see his nose scrunch up in that cute way he does whenever he gets caught off guard.

Star paused, surprised at her own train of the thoughts. Marco was cute when his nose scrunched up? Not entirely inaccurate though to be fair Marco was always cute and adorably dorky.

Star shook her head, unsure where these wild and runaway thoughts were coming from.

"Well, how do I look?" Marco called from their shared bathroom.

Star peered in and clapped her hands excitedly.

Marco looked like Marco but much...nicer looking if that were possible. His hair was pressed down to sharp, well kept Marco spikes. There was not a single trace of creases or fold lines on any of his clothing. And the nervous look that graced his face. Too cute.

"Whooooa Marco, don't you look ready for a date? Remind me to ask you to iron my clothes next time I go out!" Star gushed, very impressed by best friend.

Marco let out a good nature laugh, smiling brightly as he mentally went over the checklist of things he needed.

"Wallet, check. Cell phone check. 23 step plan? Check. Mints? Check"

"oooooh" Star elbowed his side "Trying to kiss Jackie already? Looks like Mr. Diaz is playing to win"

Marco's face flushed red "N-no! I just want to make sure my breath doesn't sink in case...i dunno manage to actually talk to her tonight."

"Riiiiight. You'll be fine" Star waved off his concerns as the pair descended down the stairs "Just be you! And Jackie will be falling for you in no time"

Marco looked uneasy, unsure if himself was really worthy anything special.

Star hugged him tightly, his arms quickly returning the favor as a nice, warm feeling began to spread through her body. The silly smile on his face made it clear Star did her job.

"Thanks Star! Be back soon!"

"BYE MARCO!" Star shouted, her heart racing against her will for no reason. She glanced down towards her chest, frowning "What's with you?"

She shrugged, looking around for Marco to see if he wanted to dimension hopping.

"Oh" She muttered, feeling silly at forgetting that Marco literally just left "Right...well I guess I'll just ask Marco for some nac..."

She frowned deeply, disappointment coursing through her veins for some unknown reason.

"Marco isn't here...well I guess I can just tell Marco if he can put on some movi..es..."

Star trailed off, unsure why she felt so heavy at the idea Marco wasn't in the house or even why it kept slipping her mind that Marco wasn't home. She didn't spend that much time with him...did she?

"Oh hello Star" Mr. Diaz greeted her happily, arm and arm with his loving wife "Where's Marco?"

Star's smile grew as she returned their greeting "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Diaz! Marco's on a date!"

They nodded in surprise "A date? how wonderful! And knowing Marco, he's going to sweep that lucky girl off her feet"

Star agreed wholeheartedly before she caught sight of their formal appearance

"Going out?" she questioned, tilting her head curiously

They shook their head, Mr. Diaz answering the question. "Coming back from a date. Sometimes when we can't get out, we simply enjoy a simple dinner and dancing in the backyard. It is spacious enough"

Star chuckled "So cute!"

"Did you need anything before we go upstairs?"

Star scratched her chin, unsure what was the best way to relive her boredom

"Oh! Could you put on that little circle magic thingy that plays on the glowing box of puppets?"

"A DVD? Sure Star!" Mr. Diaz gave his wife a loving kiss before walking into the living room to fulfill the magical princess's request.

Mrs. Diaz glanced at Star "Anything else Star?"

"OH! Can I have some of Marco's nachos?" she practically ready to lift up into the sky if she didn't have a bite of that delicious treat soon.

Mrs. Diaz shook her head apologetically "Oh I'm sorry Star. Only Marco knows how to make those nachos but I can make you some of my own!"

Star nodded enthusiastically "Thanks Mrs. Diaz!"

" **I'm sure they are just as good as Marco's!"** Star thought to herself as she plopped down on the couch and thanked Mr Diaz for everything.

4 hours later

Star let out a sigh, unsure what was going on with her.

Something was off and she couldn't put on her finger on it.

The movie, a thrilling action adventure about a magical princess who teams up and later becomes best friends with a red cloaked thief who take on an evil, well dressed noble who secretly has been controlling a smaller, gullible noble seemed to be right up her alley but while she did enjoy it, she found herself not enjoying it as much as she would've liked. She kept turning to the side to ask Marco a question or to make sure he saw what just happened or even if they could play that last scene over again only to find herself staring at an empty couch cushion.

The nachos did not help. Star enjoyed Mrs. Diaz's cooking immensely: It was easily some of the best food she ever tasted. Every dish she created was just a masterpiece. Except her nachos. They were good don't get her wrong. But...they were missing something. Something vital to all of nachoism was missing but only Marco knew what.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly when the front swung opened.

Marco came in, tired but clearly having the time of his life when he spotted Star laying down on the couch, playing and twisting her hair into two braids.

"Hey Star!'

Star shot straight up, eyes catching sight of her best friend with a happy gleam.

"MARCO!" she shouted excitedly, overcome with an intense desire to hug him. Which she did.

"haha hey Star" Marco laughed, hugging his best friend back, unaware this wasn't her usual hugs she loved to bestow on him

"Sooooo how'd it go? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Star gripped his hand tightly, pulling him along

"Okay okay Star, I'll tell you! It started...4 hours ago..." Marco began, waving his hands dramatically only to receive a smack from Star.

"I know that! Get to the good part!" Star huffed, unusually impatient. Well more so than usual.

Marco arrived exactly at 7, Jackie waiting in line to get her ticket. The two made small talk (They actually stood next too each other quietly, stealing glances at the other with bright red faces.) Everything was going great (Horribly tense) when Jackie's cell phone got a text a message from Janna letting the two know she wasn't able to come tonight.

Naturally this was a clear sign that Marco should totally go for it with Jackie. Marco calmly (voice cracking and hyperventilating) offered to buy Jackie's ticket which she also calmly (Shyly) thanked him for.

It wasn't until the pair was inside, enjoying the (awkward) mutually understood silence that Marco decided to ask Jackie about her love of skateboard. And from there, the pair clicked (This is true). They began laughing, joking, talking about school, how Echo Creek was loads more fun with Star around and even about random things with each other.

Marco bought the two a large popcorn and sodas. During the movie, the pair kept bunching each others knees, shyly apologizing whenever their hands met in the middle of the buttery, salty snack tub. Their fingers lightly brushing against one another when they used the armrests found in most theaters.

After the movie, the pair stopped to get some ice cream, Marco's treat of course. There they enjoyed a peaceful few moments of silence together before Jackie turned to him, clearly wishing to tell him something.

"This has been fun Marco"

Marco nodded in agreement, mouth filled to the brim with his double chocolate blast ice cream.

Jackie bit her lip, sliding her hair behind her ear once more as she leaned closer to Marco.

"Marco...did you want to go on a date with me?"

Marco's eyes bugged out, the chocolate treat now choking the life out of him.

"MARCO!" Jackie shouted, patting his his back roughly as he struggled to get the treat down.

Marco let out a loud cough, lungs trying to collect the much needed air while also stalling for time.

Jackie Lynn Thomas just asked him out!

"S-sorry Jackie...i...I was caught off guard..."

Jackie smiled nervously. She was pretty sure Marco liked her but then again, he was spending a lot of time with Star lately...

Marco's cheeks flared up, unable to look at Jackie because there was no way it could be true.

"So...did you want to go out with me?" Jackie asked once more

Marco broke into a stuttering, coughing mess once more, surprise overtaking his ability to breath once again.

"You know" Jackie eyed him jokingly, her nerves too frayed to keep up "I'm not going to ask you again if you keep choking"

Marco nodded in agreement "Right right...a...are you serious? About...the date..."

Jackie nodded "I lied to you. I didn't invite Janna to the movies. I just wanted it to be the two of us"

"Really?" Marco's grinned like a crazy idiot "Jackie I..."

"But I want a real date. I may look like a tom boy but even I want to be a princess once in a while"

Marco nodded in agreement "A real date. Fancy dinner?"

Jackie nodded "I want to go dancing too"

"D-Dancing? Oh I don't..."

Jackie lightly smacked his chest "Don't even Diaz. Star was mentioning how you two snuck into some blood ball or dance or something and you were one of the best dancers she had ever seen"

Marco could feel his hear racing at the memory of the blood moon ball, dancing with Star so effortlessly...so...naturally.

"Did Star say who I was dancing with?"

Jackie shook her head "just said you were one great dancer. Did you dance with someone?" Marco shook his head quickly trying to suppress the images of that night dancing around in his head. "Good. I want to see that."

Marco's heart felt like it was trying to split itself into two. One wildly beating at the thought of dancing with Jackie and the other slowing to a crawl, the phantom touches of Star's gloved hands tingling under his palms.

"Okay Jackie this Friday. Come to my house and I'll take you on...on..a...d...d..da" Marco cleared his throat "Daa...daa...daat...daaa"

Jackie kissed his cheek, forever killing several of his brain cells "A date Marco. See you at 8?"

Marco nodded dumbly, Jackie shaking her head happily before waving good bye to Marco, cheeks red at the idea of finally going on a date with the karate boy.

"aww! that's so cute Marco!" Star cooed but caught a display of Marco's worried look

"Y...you've never been on a date have you Marco?"

Marco laughed unconvincingly "Psst I..ha ha! I've totally..." he sighed in shame "no...no I haven't."

"But!" Marco quickly added "I'm sure I can put together a...decently...okay...date."

"Why don't you try it on me?"

Marco stared at Star, unsure she realized what she was implying...

"You throw a date here in the backyard, and I'll let you know how you're doing! We'll even do it Friday so you are all set for Jackie"

"I dunno Star" Marco muttered, unconvinced at the sheer insanity and intimate nature of Star's plan "I...I..."

"You are practicing for Jackie remember?" Star held onto his shoulder comfortingly

Marco nodded turning to Star with a joking grin "Star Butterfly, will go you on a date with me?"

Star giggled, catching on to how ridiculous this idea was. No wonder Marco wasn't all for it like he normally was for her plans. Still it was for true love! No better reason than to get a little wild and crazy!

"Sure Marco."

Friday, 6 P.M.

Star felt nervous. She was nervous that Marco, however well meaning he intended to be, was going to fail her test horrible. He was a teenage boy and even royal princes across the dimensions, who were raised and bred to court ladies, had trouble keeping their immaturity in check.

Still if anyone could help Marco out with his girl trouble, it was Princess Star Butterfly! Matchmaker.

Star looked at herself in the mirror while she brushed her hair for what felt like the fifty time. She had no idea why she was putting so much effort into the fake date. She kept telling herself to properly give the right advice she must slip into the date mode.

But each time she told herself that excuse, it felt more and more hollow.

It didn't explain why she was brushing her hair so much. It didn't tell her why she chose her blue royal princess outfit (crown and all) It didn't reveal why her heart was thumping against her chest.

"Knock, knock" Marco's voice called from the other side of her bedroom door.

Star took a deep breath. It was her mind being silly and all because of a single word. Date.

Star skipped over to the door, determined to enjoy herself while paying close attention to Marco's actions.

Star opened the door cheerfully, all smiles and pearly whites "Hi Mar..."

Star could feel her cheeks flare at the sight of her best friend.

Marco was wearing a jet black suit with a dark red collared shirt and black tie, hair completely gelled back and immaculately combed. In his hands was a beautiful bouquet of varying color roses: Blues, yellows, red and whites all mixed together tastefully.

Star always knew Marco was cute. She said so herself routinely. What threw her off was how she forgotten how handsome Marco could be. He often did not need to put more effort on top of his already rigorous grooming and he didn't wear fancy clothing since the pair often went on adventures to other dimensions or school or just fighting off Ludo's monsters, both of which would severely dirty whatever clothes they chose to wore that day. There had never been a need to really dress up before but seeing him now, dressed like...well like that Star felt the need to find more events that forced them to dress up if he was going to keep looking like that. it reminded her of the blood moon ball where he swept her off her feet and left her reeling with one simple dance.

Marco coughed tensely, carefully handing the beautiful bouquet to Star, relishing the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the flowers. Because, you know, the flowers were beautiful and he not at all was staring at his best friend. Nope, not at all.

Marco knew Star was beautiful. She was a magical princess from another dimension after all and it was she was an unearthly beauty. He still remembered the first moment he saw her, the words "She's beautiful" nearly slipping out of his mouth until she started taking a few bites out of the water fountain. The problem with hanging out with a beautiful girl all the time is how you get used to it. Star's always cute, adorable and even pretty on Marco's weaker days but beautiful is shoved to the back of his mind, buried under a million other thoughts.

Until she reminds him. When she dresses up in that lovely and breathtaking princess outfit with varying shades of blue, its like being hit with a mallet, stunning him into an awed, strained silence. Suddenly the word is dragged to the forefront and he gets lost at how beautiful his best friend truly is. How much of a true princess she really was.

And that really confuses him.

"Aww thanks Marco, they're very pretty!" Star moves in to take a whiff, trying to cover the fact her hearts are glowing against her will.

"Thanks Star. I'll need those back for Jackie" Marco murmurs low, scratching his cheek anxiously "Shall we?"

Star nods, pleasantly impressed and surprised when Marco offers his arm like a true gentleman and like a proper lady, she takes it, sliding her arm through his as the pair begin to make their way down the stairs.

"Sooooo Maaaaarco! Where are you taking me?" Star couldn't hold in the joking laughter even if she wanted too.

"The best restaurant in town!" Marco smiled towards Star, leading her through the living room, passed the kitchen and into the backyard

Star was floored upon seeing the backyard, the setting sun the practice backdrop for the fake date.

There was a table set up, pure white tablecloth set upon it as two candles remained unlit in the center. Mr. Diaz stood nearby dressed as those penguin waiter, bowtie and all. He held a liter of soda in his hands, treating it as if it were the most expensive wine in the world.

"Ah" Mr. Diaz called to them cheerfully "I see the young couple has arrived"

Marco and Star smiled nervously at each other, coughing uncomfortably at being called a couple...but not so much at the actual idea of being the couple.

Marco led Star to her seat, pulling it out and waiting for her to seat in her chair comfortably before pushing it in.

Star nodded in approval, unsure why Marco didn't think he could handle a real date.

Marco took his seat across from Star "So..."

Star held up her hand, a mischievous glint those round, crystal blue eyes "Not yet Marco. Not until the end."

Marco pouted, nerves pulsing with tension. He didn't have the slightest clue if he was doing this right or not and Star was suppose to be helping him!

Star reached out and held his arm, the tempting of reaching for his hand nearly overwhelming her "You're doing good. Relax"

Marco agreed. He was good, he got this. It's just him and Star on a date.

Marco's cheek became bright red when he realized what that thought meant. Fake date or not, he was on a date with Star. A date with Star!

"Marco?" Star asked questioningly "are you okay? You seem a little pale. Like Jackie's coming right at me level of pale."

Marco shook away the thought "I'm good. Just you know...Jackie nervous."

"Riiiiight" Star didn't like the flash of disappointment when Marco told her that. He was on a date with her. He needs to focus on heeeeeer helpful tips. Yep that's what he has to focus on.

" **This is going to be a looooong fake date"** the two teens thought as Mr. Diaz began taking their order.

"WHOA! M-Marco" Star let out a loud gasp, laughing uncontrollably as Marco held her from behind, spinning her around and around in a circle as some annoying catchy pop song played in the background "S-stop it! MARCO!"

Marco slowed and let her go carefully, unable to stop the smile on his face as she span and span in a circle, her smirk warming his heart while she finally came to a complete stop.

Star glared at him, shooting as many daggers as she could at him before erupting in a round of giggling. Between the funny, laidback and very natural dinner conversation, the excellent well made food from Mrs. Diaz and the large amounts of soda Star drank, everything was going perfectly. Star would even go as far as to say this was the best date she had ever been in. Which saddened her a bit given the true nature of the date.

"You more than got this Marco!" Star nodded encouragingly "Jackie's going to love this!"

Marco grinned like he won the lottery "You think so Star?

"Know so!"

Star and Marco stared at each other, the night sky slowly shining down the starlight of millions of celestial bodies upon them. Their smiles faded, replaced with a strange and foreign longing neither of them have ever felt before.

The sound of an orchestra tuning up drew their attentions to the radio, Mr. Diaz slowly snuck away, unseen and unnoticed by the two teens.

"That was weird..." Marco muttered realizing there was still one last test to pass.

Star shook her head, offering her hand to him "One last test Marco."

Marco nodded, taking Star's soft hand in his own "one last test..."

Marco's hand found its way to her Star's waist causing the young boy to marvel at how small Star was. Not very small mind you given their similar statures but with her loud, bright and look at me personality, Star always seemed impossibly huge, unable to be contained and constantly a bigger force than himself. But right now, with Marco's palm fitting perfectly against her waist, she didn't seem so...intimidating as she usually did. She didn't seem like this cool, amazing princess from a whole other dimension, she felt like a normal girl

Star's hand found its way to Marco's shoulder, surprised how thick his muscles were despite his thin, reedy frame. Marco always seemed...small. Not in a bad way but in a shy way. He never drew attention to himself, he always kept his head down and tried to avoid problems and just generally liked to be hidden from the world. But now, with a handful of Marco's mass, Star realized Marco wasn't so small. He was a big, powerful presence in her life. He was her best friend and it's only been months since the two met. She drove herself crazy trying to stop the boredom from consuming her all because he left her alone. And suddenly, she didn't want him to leave her along again.

The orchestra played a slow waltz, full of energy but restrained as a singer softly began vocalizing over it. A song perfect to help Star determined how good of a dancer Marco is. After all the Blood Moon Ball could've been a fluke.

The two began stiffly away from each other, hands tight and clammy while trying ignore the awkwardness of the situation. Then moment by moment, the two relaxed, their hands slipping into one another more comfortably, more content than either ever felt before. The stuff, almost doll like movements were replaced by bouncing, joyful motions.

Marco twirled Star this way and that, effortlessly guiding her steps like she was just an extension of his body. Star could feel a safe, self-satisfied feeling when Marco would have her face away from him, one of his hands on her hip, the other covering the back of her hand, his breath tickling the back of her neck and sending a warm, sweet feeling down her spine.

Marco span her around once, twice, three times the normally clumsy and reckless princess spinning as graceful as a professional ballerina.

And when the music grew and grew, the sounds of their hearts echoing just as loudly, Marco caught Star out of her final spin, both hands managing to find their way onto her waist while Star's arms wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace, both teens could feel their instincts take over.

They leaned close to each other, eyes slowly shutting, their intentions were clear between the two. They were about to kiss. Not peck on the cheek, not peck on the forehead. A real, genuine kiss. Both were uneasily about going so far in their relationship but were also willing to see what would happen.

They felt the others breath tickling their lips, teasing them with what was about to come.

"Star..." Marco muttered, his lips briefly brushing against Star's

"Marco..." she whispered back, completely lost in the moment

Ding dong.

Marco and Star jumped away from each other, eyes wide and freaked out.

"T-that's Jackie" Marco mumbled, lost and unsure what just happened.

"Right...right buddy" Star awkwardly patted Marco's arm, hearts pulsing brightly and with a pinkish glow while the ground beneath seemed like it was shifting wildly under her "You should go...you are like totally ready!"

Marco nodded. He should go but one question lingered on his mind.

"Umm...did...we...almost kiss?"

Star scoffed, unwilling to admit what happened if Marco clearly didn't remember "Psst of course not. You're my best friend. W...why would I kiss you?"

Marco felt a sting of pain. Star wouldn't want to kiss him ever. Why would she?

Marco smiled tensely, trying his hardest not show how much that comment hurt "Right. Right. It'd...it'd be a little weird given the fact we you know live together and...yeah..."

Star nodded, unsure if she could say anything more.

Ding dong.

"I better go" Marco muttered unhappily, turning away from Star as he made his way to the front door.

He opened to find his jaw dropping to the floor.

"Well, if I was going to be honest" Jackie said with a smile "I'd say I have the exact same reaction as you"

Jackie was wearing a long, sleeveless knee length light blue dress that matched her dyed hair, two thin should straps, a pair of matching mary janes and her shell necklace completing the entire look.

"You look great..." Marco said spellbound.

"You too Marco" she said with a brilliant smile

Star let out a huff of annoyance.

Jackie looked passed Marco to see Star, watching the two like a hawk.

"Haha hey Star, how are you?"

Star smiled, hiding her jealous gaze

"Hey Jackie! I'm good."

"Why are you in your princess outfit?"

Marco and Star shared a subtle look together, one only formed from the deepest and most secure of friendships that went completely unnoticed by everyone else

"I have to do something. Royal duties and such."

Jackie nodded, understanding none of it but letting it go. Mewni was a lot different than Earth.

"Okay, well don't stay up too late. I'll have him back home soon enough, so no need to watch us like a hawk!"

Jackie grabbed Marco by the tie, playfully dragging him out the door while waving good bye to Star.

"Bye Star!" Marco told her, unable to catch her eyes while the door closed behind him.

Star raced to the window, waving to the departing couple. Marco riding his bike with Jackie standing on the back where Star normally rode.

"Bye! Bye! Buh bye! Have fun on your date!" Star shouted cheerfully through the window, waving dementedly until they disappeared from sight.

Star's face dropped into a frown, her heart hurting and twisting in jealously at the idea of Marco going out with Jackie.

She could feel the heat coming off her cheeks, the mirror showing the hearts changing colors from blue to pink to green and back again. They were reflecting the conflict of emotions within her heart.

She really wanted to kiss Marco.

"Oh boy" Star muttered to herself, gripping her cheeks tightly as she saw the bouquet Marco had given to her but had been meant for Jackie laying there, forgotten on the table "I'm in trouble."


	28. Marco's Real Date (Canon random Part 2)

Hello fanfiction! Author here, hope you are all doing good. I'd like to thank every single one of you for your reviews, follows, and favorites. they mean so much to me and i am so glad you enjoy these stories so much. :)

a special thank you to H Mae- haha puddling, i'll get the reformer ready. I realized i made more mistakes than usual and i apologize for that. still i am very happy you still enjoyed it! technically yes Marco did kiss Star and i'm really glad i was about to capture the subtle yet obvious feelings the two were having for each other. i was worried i was doing that wrong. Don't worry too much about that kiss though. i'm sure it'll happen soon.

SVTFOEfanatic- let's be honest. it was a real date. a real good honest date between out favorite couple. sounds like a sitcom to be interrupted by a doorbell. Hmm it wasn't a big deal especially since Marco forgot it though it could be a big deal coming up in this chapter. guess you'll have to read and find out.

Sugheman *Climbs on roof, rips shirt* JUST WAIT FOR THIIIIIIIIIIIIIS CHAAAAAAAAPTER!

Grim- haha there is a part 2 to this so no worries. I hope you enjoy it and i won't arrest you if agree to take out a few threats to our starco. and don't lie, we all have dimensional scissors. haha

Goldenflash- Thank you so much for your kind words. And don't worry about the reviews. I understand life gets pretty crazy sometimes. but thank you so much for leaving me this review, it means a lot to me. I must have excellent timing haha. i made a few mistakes but it happens. I hope you enjoy this one as well and all future stories no matter how weird i decide to get *Cough star wars cough Another princess from another dimension hitting on Marco Cough cough*

watermalone- Haha i did put there was a part 2 on the way so here it is! BMB was just too beautiful though i'm still disappointed i didn't add the dance scene in mine. i totally called it! ugh better just let it go *Frozen au? maybe* . I Hope you enjoy part 2 to Marco's date.

IDC1314- One day it shall be real. I cannot wait to see this drawing and thank you for drawing out a few of my AUs, i didn't realize you read gotham academy but then i remembered its on here and you would have. i am really digging Star's style in the GA picture and the Sol au. and the role reverse is what i expected it. keep up the great work! and here's part 2

Lost- here we go, as ordered by you amazing readers. enjoy!

ulteragamerkitty- hiya! been a while. Don't worry the second part is here and ready to serve your starco needs. thank you so much and i hope you keep enjoying everything i write.

fenriss- thank you so much for reading my work, it means alot to me and this story does have a sequel!

xboxorica- ready for delivery, part two!

and of course my guest reviewers i shall write as long as there are people to read. this story is about to keep on going and yes i do have a sol star planned. it was a request from Fanfictionfordayz but not going to lie, been putting it off. Requests freak me out a bit so i really try my hardest on them. these stories i'm okay if they are hit or miss but requests must be perfect. i was going to do it this week but i shall explain in a moment why i didn't

So i am sorry for the lack of update in if i miss you and the scott pilgrim story i was suppose to put up. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately and i don't really get sick so when i do, i go down like K O 10 count down. So i will try to update them on the weekend but i apologize if you are expecting it today.

Oki here we go, part two to Marco's practice date. This plays a bit like the cartoon so i hope i did it right Umm oh! the oc i have in here is based off Daron Nefcy (who voices starfan13 on the show) husband whom i think she said inspired Marco's character. honestly it was more of a joke than anything. What else, what else. right if you see full sentence _written out like this, it is a flash back!_

quick starco artist/writer spolight. I draw cartoons 13 14 has done some pretty cool drawings of Star, a few of my AU's i believe as well *Thank you so much for that* so go check her out on instagram. H mae has updated her danny phantom story phantom of casper high, give that a read for an awesome DP story as well as her Canon in D Starco story that was amazingly written. the princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482 is another great read though some of the chapters get pretty sad face. there's also chapter dealing with racism (Chapter 10 i believe) and i think the author does an excellent job on how bad it can be and why we really need to get rid of it. I applaud the author for that. and for a fun, jokey read everything wrong with Star vs the forces of evil season is pretty funny and reminds me too much of cinemasins.

Well that's it my amazing readers. Hopefully i'll be updating soon once a feel a bit better. thank you so much for everything. you readers rock! I hope you enjoy part 2 to the story and just thank you for everything. ENJOY i own nothing!

* * *

Star tried her hardest not to tear out her hair, pacing back and forth in her room mumbling angrily to herself, so shaken she forgot to change out of her princess clothes.

"Mom told me humans were born without a single hint of magic in their system. Not a single drop. She told me humans believed in an outside magic called science. She told me there was no way Marco could affect me in any way! So how did he do it? How did he make me forget where I was and what I was doing and I...we.."

Star flushed uncontrollably, her lips still tingling from Marco brushing his against hers.

"UGH! We almost kissed. I mean we didn't really kiss but his lips touched mine and they haven't been the same since and I feel so..."

Star gripped her hair tightly, unsure what exactly was going on with her. New emotions overcoming her like a powerful wind trying to knock her off her feet.

"Why did it feel like a real date? It was just me and Marco. Two best friends putting on a fake date for him to be ready for Jackie and...and I...I got into... I mean...it was so natural so peaceful...and I just...ugh!"

Star flopped down on her bed, burying her face deep into her pillows as if she could hide away from Marco's mysterious magic.

"Umm Star...that's...very interesting but why are we here exactly?" Ferguson called out to her

Star peered up, looking at the group of people she invited to help her solve Marco's new found power: Ferguson, Alfonso, Starfan13, Janna, Miss Skullnick along with her various other creations such as Kevin the clown, Flying Pig, Rotating Raccoon, and the litter of laser puppies. All of them staring at her, confused as to what exactly she was admitting to them.

"You are all here to help me figure out where Marco got these new powers! It's obvious he isn't aware of them and they are extremely dangerous! He could seriously hurt someone"

The group glanced at each other, unsure which one of them was going to break the truth to Star. It was very clear everyone present that Star wasn't in tune with her own emotions and maybe was trying to deny something she deeply feared

Before anyone could reveal the true answer, however, there was a knock at the door.

"Star, Mija, there's another one of your friends here to see you?" Mrs. Diaz announced cheerfully as she opened the door and popped her head in "Does anyone want snacks?"

The entire room raised their hands, unable to resist the temptation of Mrs. Diaz's home cooked meals.

"Okay, I will be right back with them. Go on dear" Mrs. Diaz pulled back, talking to the stranger outside the door which confused Star. Everyone she invited was already here.

"Thank you" a new, unfamiliar boy's voice told Mrs. Diaz, scooting passed her while he made his way into the room.

He had gray eyes with black, wavy hair. A white karate headband was tied over his head, a small, messy mole on the right side of his face and he wore a dark, faded red hoodie over some blue jeans.

"Sorry, my bad, sorry" he muttered, clumsily walking through the others before taking a seat next to Starfan13 "Did I miss anything?"

"Umm...hi" Star began carefully but cheerfully "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry" the boy looked sheepish "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Bobby but you might know me as Marcofan47. Daron invited me"

Star's gaze was blank and quizzically unsure what he said.

"Oh, Starfan13" he muttered, pointing to Starfan next time, the pair turning bright red when they caught each others eye.

"Marcofan47?" Star questioned, not quite sure if she was hearing that right.

"Yeah." Marcofan47 answered " I mean he's the coolest. He knows karate, fights monsters, goes to other dimensions."

"And why 47?"

"Oh" Marcofan47 scratched cheek uneasily "Well 1 through 46 were taken so...I guess that's why?"

Star walked up to him, gently touching the mole that rubbed off on her finger "This isn't real."

"I know. But it's what makes Marco Marco. I mean there's not much else I can wear to emulate him more without being creepy" he shifted anxiously, not liking the amount of attention he was receiving.

Star realized the scene she was causing and the discomfort the poor boy was under.

"Anyway, I...I don't know what to do...It's clear Marco's magic has altered me in some way...I can't even think of him without..." Star's cheek glowed a bright pink. "And then we almost..."

There was a moment of silence before.

"STARCO FOREVER!" Alfonso shouted, to the joy of Starfan, Marcofan, Flying Pig and half of the laser puppies.

Ferguson looked at his best friend, disbelief in his eyes.

"Dude I thought we were Jarco!" Ferguson muttered, clearly feeling betrayed and hurt while Kevin, RR (Rotating Raccoon) Janna and the other laser puppies nodded with the orange haired teen.

"Umm...guys? What is..." Star began but was interrupted by the sound of the a civil war forming right in front of her.

"Jarco? Seriously? Have you even seen them together Ferguson?" Starfan shouted

"He's been waiting since kindergarten to talk to her! JARCO!"

"Do you see how _they_ interact with each other? STARCO!" Marcofan countered.

"Please, she doesn't have the slightest clue how she feels about Marco, JARCO!" Janna yelled

"Their ship practically sails itself! STARCO!" Alfonso screamed as the two groups inched closer together, war crazed and blood lust clearly painted in their eyes.

A loud boom and a shower of pink fireworks rained down throughout the room. Everyone stopped, looking upwards at the dazzling display.

"Oooooh pretty" They said in unison, Star clearing her throat once she was sure she had their attention once more.

"What" she began softly "Is Starco, what is Jarco and what the heck does a ship have to do with anything?!"

Alfonso took a deep breath in "A ship is a favorite pairing. Like a fictional..."

"Or real" Ferguson cut in

Alfonso nodded in agreement towards his best friend "Or a real couple want to see get romantically involved like Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask."

"Or Sally and Jack Skellington"

"Or Link and Zelda"

"Psst" Janna scoffed "never gonna happen"

"One of these games it will!"

"The point is" Alfonso continued "It's a couple people support."

Star nodded, deeply concentrating on what was being said "I see, I see. And what's with this Star/Jarco business?"

The group looked at each other apprehensively, not sure how Star was going to take this piece of news.

"Well..." Starfan took center stage "It's a pairing we are supporting in real life. The...the school is actually split in half on it."

"Ooookay" Star was unsure where this was going "and this pairing involves...?"

Marcofan put a hand gently on Starfan's shoulder, the two nervous blushing but still trying their hardest to keep on the task at hand "Well Marco central to both hence the co part of it."

"Marco?" Star was confused "But where does Starco and Jarco come from?"

"Well...when you really ship a pairing hard, you tend to put their names together in a cute kinda mesh which you refer to as your..umm one true pairing or OTP"

"Oookaaay" Star still wasn't catching on.

"Sooooo one of the pairings we're rooting for is Jarco...ooooor Marco and Jackie" Ferguson admitted

"HEY!" Janna huffed angrily "I thought Jarco was Marco and me!"

"You and Marco would be like Janco! Which sounds like a freaking sport clothing line"

"I thought it was"

"Oh man, I thought you guys were supporting our love" Janna whined dramatically.

No one responded to that.

"and the other pairing?" Star questioned, unsure if she could accept the actual answer.

"...Starco...which is Marco...and you..."

Star's eyes widen "Me...and Marco? a...a couple?"

 _Marco glanced at Star, a small playful smile on her lips as the night sky twinkled at them._

" _What is it Marco?" she said with a grin "Why are you staring at me?"_

 _Marco chuckled nervously "I-I thought I was suppose to pay attention to my d...daa...daa...daaaat..."_

 _Marco pounded his fist against his chest, the words stuck in his throat and making no effort on coming out any time soon._

" _Date" Mr. Diaz supplied, pouring more soda into both of the teen's cups "I raised hm so that if he ever went out on a date with a girl, that his eye must not wander away from her"_

 _Star giggled mischievously "Oh?"_

 _Marco out an irritated sigh "DAAAAD!"_

" _Whoops. Didn't mean to get you in trouble on your...date" Mr. Diaz emphasized, causing both teens to flush a bright red. "I best check on dinner"_

 _Marco glared after his father, his not so subtle escape from his sons wrath distracting him from Star for a moment._

 _When he turned back, the princess held her wand in her hand, her smirk way too playful to be considered friendly._

" _Star what are you..."_

" _Super Marco Distraction beam!"_

 _There was a flash of light, blinding Marco for a second before his eyes readjusted to an unusual sight._

 _Scattered around their little dinner table and throughout the Diaz's backyard were cardboard cutouts of Jackie. Dozens of different, cute poses and all of them staring directly at Marco._

 _Star slyly smiled his way, clearly waiting for him to take his eyes off of her to properly view the cardboard cutouts of Jackie_

 _and Marco was tempted. He was very tempted as it seemed each one had been plucked directly from his mind, happy memories of watching Jackie from afar._

 _But as Star stared at him, her blue eyes a much more distracting shade than any of the Jackie cutouts, he found he couldn't stare away from the magical princess. He really didn't want to._

" _Nice try Star" he grinned back, clearly taking great joy when she pouted in defeat "We're on a...umm...out here and that means my attention is on you and you alone."_

 _Star's face melted into a dopey, warm smile but before she could say anything else Mr. Diaz arrived with dinner, one massive piece of steak for Star and a much smaller piece for Marco (who was planning on eating later with Jackie)._

 _The two teens quietly dug into their food, Star quickly waving away the cardboard Jackie's before Mr. Diaz made a comment about them._

 _Marco glanced up at Star only to see her staring straight at him, a dreamy and distance look in her eyes. The two turned bright red upon noticing the other was looking and quickly shifted their vision to their food, trying their hardest not look up once again._

"Marco? Marco? You okay?"

Marco snapped out of it, his gaze falling onto a concerned Jackie.

The pair was in some fancy restaurant, crowded and surround by other equally fancy people.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jackie!" Marco apologized profusely, smiling tensely at his date.

Jackie let out a cute giggle before digging into her food, Marco following the suit to make sure he didn't start day dreaming again.

He was on a date with Jackie! The very thing he dreamed of. Why was he thinking of his fake date with Star?

" **Didn't feel like a fake date though"** Marco's thought, realizing how...date like his practice date with Star felt. So far, everything he did with Jackie felt like a perfect match to what he did with Star. And technically, the practice date was his first date of his entire life...

"Marco, how are you liking your food?" Jackie asked, flashing him a smile that sent a small shiver down his spine. Not a big one like normal.

"It's great! And yours Jackie?"

She nodded "Likewise. Thanks for bringing me here"

His smile was small but caring "Thank you for coming"

Jackie blushed, playing with her fork, trying to ignore a deep, unsettling feeling in her stomach.

" _So Marco" Star muttered softly once their plates were emptied and removed from their sight "Why are you so scared of a date?"_

 _Marco shifted uncomfortably in his seat "I don't know...I mean..."_

" _It's just hanging out. Like we do everyday!"_

" _Well...it isn't though"_

 _Star looked at him, confusion shining through those bright, blue eyes_

" _I mean a date...is two...people...trying to get closer you know? Like really close..."_

 _Star frowned, positive Marco was making fun of her._

" _Star?" Marco questioned when Star rose to her feet, dragged her chair to the other side and plopped it down right next to his, taking a seat and turning him, flashing a brain numbing smile._

" _Close enough?"_

 _Marco let out a cheerful laugh before a snort escaped from him._

" _Hee so cute" Star teased, rascally pinching his cheek as he tried to regain his ability to breath._

" _Star! That's not what I meant!"_

 _Star grimaced again, before her hearts became light bulbs as she leaned closer to Marco._

" _Like this?" she murmured, placing her head on his shoulder, unsure if the loud pounding her ear was her heart or his._

" _N-no Star." Marco whispered, his nerves filling his body with a tension feeling of expectation._

" _Well, there's nothing closer than this!"_

" _There is..."_

 _Star's lit up, unable to believe there was one more step to get closer to someone. She wanted to try it out right away with Marco. They were best friends after all. The closest two people can get. Well without romantic implications._

" _What is it Marco? Tell me! Tell me!"_

 _Marco flushed upon realized what he was going to have to explain._

" _You know what it is...a kiss"_

 _Star looked unconvinced "A kiss? Seriously? I can do that any time! Watch!"_

 _and she did. She pressed her lips against Marco's cheek, Marco freezing up under her soft touch._

" _See?"_

 _Marco let out a strained laugh, thinking it was best to stop here._

" _That wasn't it was it?"_

 _Marco's eyes were wide and shocked at Star's answer, how quickly she picked up on it._

" _Well there only other place to kiss is..."_

 _She covered her mouth, realizing what Marco meant._

 _Kissing lip to lip. In Mewni it was the ultimate form of affection, saved only for true loves just like on Earth. But unlike on Earth, on Mewni you could only kiss someone in the privacy of your own home or at special events. Out here, in the backyard, it would be considered public and a big red no no. The whole time she was here, it slipped her mind that she could kiss lip to lip in public, whenever she wanted!_

 _And now Star understood why a date was so terrifying. That was expected at the end. The big kiss. The closest two people could get._

 _The two shuffled awkwardly next to each other, the super charged moment finally sinking in. This wasn't their usual goofy antics of endearment. They now sat next to each other, hearts beating in completely sync as the full weight of Marco's words sunk into their heads. This was a date. It was a fake practice date but at this point, it felt like something more. It felt like it had evolved from that rapidly and became real. As real as the blood rushing to their faces, as real as the world solidly on their feet. Maybe as real as their feelings now coursing through their chest._

" _How bout some music?" Mr. Diaz called from nowhere, startling the two out of their seat while he played the newest annoying catchy pop song._

 _Star smiled at Marco shyly, racing to the more open part of the backyard and began wildly and randomly dancing by herself, Marco following quickly after._

"Marco?"

"Huh?" Marco found himself staring at Jackie, her arms around his neck, his hands on her waist, his heart still and not at all nervous.

"Are you okay?" Jackie glanced at him, eyes full of worry.

"I...I'm fine Star"

Marco could feel the pin hit the ground, shock written all over Jackie's face.

Marco closed his eyes, unable to believe he just said Star's name.

"Jackie I..."

Jackie pulled away from him, sadly smiling at him, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Star huh?"

"Jackie it isn't like..."

Jackie shook her head "Marco, who are you trying to convince, me or you?"

"You!" Marco exclaimed before his emotions shifted uneasily in his stomach "me? I...I don't know."

Jackie placed a hand gently on his shoulder, wishing she made her move earlier.

"Did you go on a date with Star?"

"It was a practice date! So I could be ready for you!"

"A date is a date Marco..."

Jackie felt guilty at the discomfort Marco was showing, two sides of his heart ripping itself in half in hopes to have some sort of solid answer.

Jackie let out a depressed sigh but was surprised when Marco gripped her hand tightly

"Jackie, wait I..."

"You know what Marco, you are a good guy but you need to know what you want."

Marco was sure he looked only as half as lost as he felt. What did he want? If you asked him at the beginning of the day he would've said Jackie in a heartbeat. But while he did have fun, he was having a blast and general just having a great time, he kept flashing back to his date with Star. Two events with the same name but two completely different feelings. Two different types of tension.

Jackie pouted angrily "I think I should go home."

Marco opened his mouth then closed it quickly. He blew it and for good reason.

Still...

"I'll take you home. It's the least I could do after ruining our night"

Jackie looked like she was about to refuse but she could still a glimmer of longing in his eyes towards her. He really was confused and despite how jealous Jackie felt, she really couldn't blame him. Whatever happened with Star must've literally just happened and been eye opening.

"Okay Marco"

Jackie could feel the tension in Marco's shoulders as she stood on the back of her bike, neither of them saying a word as they made their way to Jackie's house. She realized she hadn't helped out the poor boy at all with her outburst. He was really lost and scared of what to do. She could feel it under her finger tips.

Marco offered his arm, walking Jackie to the front door like a true gentleman.

"Thanks for a mostly fun night Marco" Jackie gave a tense smile.

"You don't have to lie Jackie. It was a complete failure."

Jackie took his hand in hers "No, not completely. Well the end was but I think it's best you figure out what you want before you commit to something you were never wholly sure to begin with."

"You are as smart as you are pretty"

Jackie laughed loudly "Haha thanks Marco. Must be pretty smart than huh?"

Marco nodded in agreement.

The air became awkward and silent, both teens unsure what to say.

"Jackie I..." but she placed a finger over his lips, making sure he understood completely.

"You make your choice Marco and don't regret it. If you and the princess don't work out, give me a call"

Marco surged forward, embracing her tightly before kissing her hand as gently as he could.

"I'll let you know Jackie...good night"

And as Jackie watched him disappear into the night, she could feel her heart racing, her hand alive with the sensation of Marco's lips against her skin.

"Well played princess. Well played."

Star made her way downstairs, the group following her while maintaining their distance.

"Me and Marco? We're best friends!" Star turned mid-flight, scaring the group into taking a step back from the sheer force of her outburst.

"But...it felt pretty great when we were...practicing..." Star peered at her hands, remembering the feeling Marco underneath them

She quickly turned back to the group once more, sending them scurrying to the top of the staircase

"But he likes Jackie! This whole things was for her!"

"Though...we did...kinda softa not really kissed..." Star muttered softly, looking downward out of the corner of her eye.

"UGH!" Star gripped her hair wildly as she finally reached the bottom step, angrily mumbling under her breath, wildly spinning her body this way and that.

"Maybe we should've just told her Marco was magic" Ferguson calmly stated as Star began biting her wand nervously.

"That wouldn't be right." Alfonso replied "Besides, remember the last time we told Star something was magic?"

The group shivered as one at the memory of what Star did once they told her that the mailbox was a powerful, magical guardian of letters, how she demanded to test her power against it.

"I still can't walk past the spot without getting flashbacks" Janna shuddered

Star let out one last exhausted sigh when she noticed something missing from the table

"The flowers! Where did the bouquet go?!"

Star nearly tore out her hair in a panic when she heard almost inaudible sigh of disappointment, her eyes staring through the kitchen window to see the slumped over figure of Marco sitting on their dinner date table, back from his date and clearly distraught.

"Oh no." Star took in a deep breath as she cautiously made her way towards Marco's side

Star didn't say a word as Marco began sorting the yellow and blue roses into two different piles, the whites and reds left along inside the bouquet wrap.

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into more minutes before finally Marco spoke up.

"I..." he started, unsure where to go from there. How do you say I ruined my date because I called out my best friend's name and I'm not really sure what I'm feeling especially since my best friend already admitted she didn't want to kiss me.

"How bad?" Star questioned.

Marco didn't want to answer the real reason right away "I...everything went great till the end..."

"The end?" Star asked curiously.

"I...called her Star."

Star flinched, aware how much girls hated when you called them another girl's name. It was bad, like red flag, attempting to blast your date with forbidden magic bad.

"I'm sorry Marco. OH! M-maybe I can talk to her and..." Star didn't like the idea of talking to Jackie but if this was for Marco.

"No Star. It's okay. She understands."

Star glanced at him, not completely following how Jackie would be okay with being called Star.

"Marco, I don't understand."

Marco said nothing as he turned to his best friend, clutching the last flower of the bunch in his hand: A bright yellow rose with a blue tint surrounding the outer edges of its petals.

"Star...did you mean it when you said you wouldn't want to kiss me?"

"HEY!" Star shouted, getting straight into her best friend's face "I never said wouldn't want to! I said why would I?"

Star covered her mouth, disappointed how easily she gave up herself up

Marco's face was a combination of fear and smugness.

"So what you are saying is you do want kiss me?"

Star scoffed "You are sick Marco! You got infected with some kind of...heart magic! It's very dangerous and it's making me very..."

Star's heart were practically screaming how nervous she was, their bright pink glow basking Marco in a calming light.

"You're right Star."

Star's face fell into shock as her hearts turned into question marks

"I've been infected by some powerful love magic."

"OH NO!" Star shouted, gripping her wand tightly as she began searching her memory for the proper spell to help her friend.

"No, this can be only cured one way." Marco took a deep breath, unsure if this was a good idea.

"What, how?!" Marco smiled at Star, looking forward eagerly, biting her lips in the cutest way possible.

"Kiss me"

Star began twiddling her fingers, unable to look her best friend in the eye as she shyly asked "why?"

"Because that's how it works. It helps me determine who am I suppose to be with."

Star pouted, looking at the ground behind her, unable to believe she couldn't even look at Marco. How did it get this far?

"I..." Star whispered.

The ghostly tingling of Marco's lips began tickle her own and weakening her resolve. She couldn't do this, could she? This was Marco. He liked Jackie, Star liked Oskar. That's how it was suppose to be...

but then why did Marco just feel like a better fit? Why did they feel so...natural together?

Marco put on his best poker face. His courage couldn't hold out much longer and he could feel the temptation to give up sinking into the back of his mind. He needed to know. He needed to know right now

Marco gave her a little smirk "Unless you're scared."

Star scoffed in anger "Watch it Diaz, I am not scared!"

Marco shrugged "You keep putting it off. Magical princess can fight off monsters but can't handle her best friend?"

She let out an adorable huff "I can totally kiss you and it totally wouldn't do anything to me!"

"Prove it princess"

"I will!"

Star stomped over to Marco, surprising him when she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, just stopping an inch before his lips.

"I can't..." Star muttered fearfully "i can't...wait if I change everything...I...you're my best friend...this...we..."

"Then I'll do it"

Star's eyes widened as Marco closed the distance, pressing his lips softly against hers

"Wait!" Star pulled away but not breaking her hold on Marco "What about the love magic?"

Marco simply smiled at her "You tell me if it's working"

and he leaned back into the kiss, calming Star's doubts and heart as they melted into each others arms

"Well..." the group muttered together, unsure how to escape the house without ruining the moment "Starco for the win"


	29. What's wrong with me? (Canon random AU)

Hello fanfiction! author here, feeling much better and read to write more stories! thank you for every favorite, follow and review. they mean so much to me and i love you all!

A special thanks to H mae- it was bit cruel but alas the things i must do for Starco. i think Marco was plagued by the rare "I'm so scared I'm just going to be smooth because i've got nothing to lose!" type of scared. i will admit my sickness kinda threw me off but i am still mostly happy about how it came out. i am really glad you liked the starco jarco fight too much fun to write. draw it draw it draw it if you have time and want too. i'll get the reformer.

SVTFOEfanatic- thank you so much for your concern and kind words. don't worry i don't get too wound up over these requests but my musician side takes over. go big or go home! turns out marco has his own brand of magic. and no Star did not do so out of jealousy, just a happy accident. Guardians of the starco may or may not be out this week. i'll have more details ahead. and i figured Star would be so confused, she would want to call the experts of earth to help her out ergo their friends. When life gives me lemons, i turn the lemons into explosive lemons and shove them back in life's face.

goldenflash thank you so much for your review and my secret is this (whispers) I really love writing and writing for you wonderful readers. i am so glad you liked this chapter and trust me, i have a whole vault of AU's planned. i hope you enjoy this AU.

xboxrica- thank you so much for liking it and for the review. means a lot to me!

Devious Angel- I am the captain of the Starco ship and i shall sail this ship until it sails itself and i shall defeat any threat to my OTP. ANY THREAT!

Aleprettycat- I am very sorry, i really shouldn't have assumed. and i deeply apologize. honestly the other story was more an experiment and a writing challenge but i liked the way it came out. I am very happy for your reviews and thank you so much for leaving one on each chapter. King Diaz and Queen Star. one day soon i am thinking of either crossing them over or doing an AU of it and Star P.H.D is too cute. i could not resist giving her glasses. don't worry, i will never sink the Starco ship. just read the next chapter. trust me its all good and sorry again.

ultragamerkitty- i would love to see the practice date be an episode. it sounds like something that Star would do for Marco right? thank you so much for the review and i hope you keep enjoying the stories. Starco for the win!

Shevy- you! i am very very honored and happy you enjoyed my story! i knew i had to tease you reads with an almost kiss that way the real kiss would knock your socks off! 15 starco points for you. 15 starco points for everyone! EVERYONE! even if you don't support the ship, everyone gets starco points.

lost- I was a bit on the sick side when i wrote this but i didn't want to wait too long because i came up too many good jokes for it so i ran the risk. i admit it felt a bit rush but my sickness is no excuse for that. as for character development there's not much to Jackie so i made my own stuff. i hope season two really fleshes everyone out. well i have my off days but i am happy you still enjoyed it and 8.5 still is an awesome score! YES!

IDC1314- of course i enjoy your work. it's star and you do very good work! keep it up Starco for the win and here's another chapter for you!

thewookie- I think Janna really has it bad for Marco. given she's willing to steal his house keys and seemed really flirty with him. hmm maybe i should have jackie and janna trying to steal him away from Star. thanks for your review

and of course my guests reviwers- we all know star would take one glance at the dress and turn it pink and since i don't have worry about publication, i can have Marco fight actual video game characters. I LOVE Scott Pilgrim but thanks to copyright laws, we couldn't have alot of really cool video game references i mean i know the bands are references to old games but still, i would've loved to see a Mario kart evil ex battle...i'm going to write that down

So a few announcements, i will try to update several stories including this one, if i miss you, Starco academy, trying to get the Scott pilgrim story on its own with a new chapter and if i have time, Guardians of the starco. Sickness be darn!

So we're going back to the canon universe because i was working on this one along with the practice date one before i got sick. Takes place after the blood moon ball because I love that episode and it's a great starting point for stories. Lately Marco's been really busy and can't go out with Star. Star doesn't think much of it but starts to feel very off and weird. Dimension hopping isn't the same but what is missing?

Let's see. H mae colored in her drawing of the blood moon. very well done and it looks amazing. check out her work and other starco artists at her tumblr hains-mae I draw cartoons 13 14 on instagram has some more drawings up including a steven universe style Marco/star fusion and chibi star. or doll star, not sure but its pretty cute. On the writer side of the coin we have Diaz family road trip by unluckywrites, star vs the finale by skleero and you're my favorite by finnjr63. go check them out if you get a chance

thank you so much for all the love and support, you readers are the best and keep being amazing, great people! thank you for every review, favorite and follow! enjpy and i own nothing!

* * *

Star Butterfly, the magical princess from another dimension, could not believe what she was hearing. Well, more like was actively choosing to ignore what was coming out of her best friend's mouth. Not out of spite or some mean spirited intent. No, simply because he must not be aware of what he was saying, he clearly misunderstood the words he was speaking. It was clear to Star that somewhere between his head of well kept brown hair and his lips something was mixing up the words coming out of his mouth. They arrived at the Diaz household after a long day of school and when Star mentioned going dimension hopping, he did not response the way she thought he would

"So..." Star muttered slowly "We're going to dimension hopping today right?"

Marco let out an exasperated sigh "Star, I told you I can't. I have something to do today"

Star pouted cutely which caused Marco's cheek to be dusted with a lovely shade of red.

"But Maaaaaaaaarco!" She whined "Why not?"

Marco tugged at his collar nervously, something Star picked up but couldn't decipher its meaning. Maybe it was some weird Earth gesture for not willing to answer a question. Which deeply offended Star.

"I have something to do" he answered, his voice controlled and neutral

Star's eyes narrowed, unsure if she was liking this new, evasive Marco. Normally he was very open, telling Star everything. Now, he was secretive, clearly hiding something from his best friend.

Star huffed angrily, turning away from her Mar...best amigo.

"Star it's not that I don't want to. I just really can't. Not today."

Marco's voice was soft with just a mix of sadness thrown in. Star's fury melted away upon hearing those words. She could tell he really wanted to go but he just couldn't manage it today. After all this was his home dimension and life stops for no one be it magical princess, karate safe kid or laser puppy that was currently chewing on his slippers.

"Oh..." Star let out a disappointed sigh "okay Marco."

Star turned to face him when she felt his hand grip her shoulder gently, giving her an apologetic smile that was too cute.

The doorbell rang but Marco made no effort to break off his contact with Star. He wanted to make sure how much he really wanted to go. He hated to see Star in any bad mood, be it sad or mad.

Marco remembered how desperate he felt that day Oskar failed to call Star all those months ago. How he keenly he could feel her sorrow rolling off of her, affecting the entire household throughout the night. How idea after idea, failure met with failure spurred him to try harder, to think outside the box. All he wanted in that moment was to see her smile once more.

He openly admitted he was confused how attuned he was to Star. And that was before the Blood Moon Ball. After that night, the Stardar (as he fondly called it) became near perfect, accurate about 90% of the time. There was those rare moments were Star was unreadable but sometimes that's just how life was. Nothing personal. And it seemed the reverse was true as well. Marco really had to keep a lid down on his emotions around Star as she effortlessly managed to pinpoint why he was anxious, why he was down or sad or depressed. She could even tell when he was lying to her even about the subtlest things. Except the times he was messing with her, those eluded the princess though Marco suspected it was because she secretly enjoyed his pranks.

"Marco!" Mrs. Diaz called from downstairs "Your friend is here!"

"Thanks mom!" Marco called back, finally freeing Star's shoulder from his touch as he made his way passed her.

"Friend?" Star muttered cautiously "is it Ferguson...Alfonso?"

a flash of irritation surged through the princess. The idea of Marco ditching her to hang out Ferguson or Alfonso really hurt her. She thought they were all great friends!

"No, no Star" Marco answered as quickly possible, picking up on Star's emotion at once "It's..."

Star's eyes widen as her lips formed an O shape, Jackie Lynn Thomas smiling and waving happily in the doorway.

"Hey Star"

"Hiya Jackie!" Star returned the gesture with the same energy Jackie showed her.

Now everything made sense.

And Star could feel the guilty tug of shame pulling at her.

Marco was clearly trying to ask Jackie to the dance this Friday. It was the first event of the school year and while Star and Marco promised to go with each other as friends in case they didn't ask someone out, they also vowed to attempt to ask their respective crushes. And it looks like Marco was first up to bat.

"Hey Marco"

Marco flushed uncomfortably but not to the usual degree he often did with Jackie. Star could feel a calm determination amongst raging storm of anxiety and fear that was Marco Diaz.

"H-Hey Jackie. Re-Ready to go?" Marco coughed, trying to clear his dry throat.

Jackie gave Marco an endearing grin "Yeah, all set for the mall."

Marco nodded quickly, reaching for his bike helmet he left by the door when he came home from school.

Marco could feel a predatory vibe coming from Star who remained silent and still behind him, just waiting for him to turn around and say good bye.

And when he did, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Star stared at him with a knowing and up to no good glint in her eyes, a sly smirking grin dancing on her lips.

"B-Bye Star. See you later"

"Byeeeeee Marco!" she replied in a teasing tone "Haaaaave fun! Well not too much fun!"

Marco's blush became even worse as he quickly pushed Jackie out the door, barely giving the girl any time to say goodbye to Star before slamming the door shut behind them.

Star raced over to the window, her smile growing wider each passing second as she watched Marco on his bike and Jackie on her skateboard riding side by side together. Star was caught off guard when Marco turned back in her direction and gave her a bright smile before nearly crashing into a pole. Star let out a series of unstoppable giggles, feeling bad about laughing at Marco but admitting the cute way his face scrunched up in surprise was just too much for her.

Star could feel all sense of ease and joy drain out of her as the pair disappeared into the distance. She felt very strange about Marco deciding to hang out with Jackie but she had no idea why. It was for love, she should be happy for her best friend not...well she really didn't know how to describe it.

Star bit her lip thoughtfully, unsure what she was going to do now. Her hearts transformed into glowing lightbulbs upon realizing the time for her to step up to the plate is now. She had no idea what stepping up the plate meant or why there was even a plate to step up to but Marco assured her it was more of a saying about getting ready for your big chance rather having anything to do with a plate.

"I need Marco's phone!" Star shouted to no one, lifting her hands in victory while she raced up the stairs, la la laing and bouncing as she violently kicked Marco's door open, her eyes glancing every which way, seeking out the object she needed most.

"Oh...right" Star frowned, her lightbulbs turning into rainclouds once she realized Marco must've taken it with him. Now she couldn't call Oskar to ask him out Friday.

Star shrugged, her hearts returning to her face. She'll just have to call when Marco came back or tomorrow. the dance was still a few days away and she was almost, kinda, maybe a little hopeful that Oskar would say yes to her, record or no not withstanding.

"Now to continue my ongoing battle against my eternal foe, the one that seeks to destroy my very meaning of life and my sacred vow" Star whispered, a rare and serious look covering her normally carefree face. Star took a deep breath, staring off to the distance while flipping on Marco's desk fan, the air blowing her hair in a dramatic and solemn fashion. "have at thee boredom!"

20 minutes later

"aaaaand I'm losing!" Star shouted angrily, the girl laid on her bed, taking up as much space as possible as her bright blonde hair sprawled in every direction like rays from the sun. "Ugh. I want to go dimension hopping but I don't want to go without Marco!"

Star sat up, frowning at her own words. Marco was her best friend but it wasn't like they were attached at the hip. She has gone dimension hopping plenty of times before she ever met him and surely it would make no difference now. She'll just make it up to him later.

She shook her head. What was she talking about? She didn't have to make it up to him. He may have left her for a chance at Jackie, something Star was completely okay with (No really, she was) but it wasn't personal. She'll just have a quick adventure on her own and come back before Marco realized she left without him.

Star gripped the scissors tightly, unsure why she was remotely feeling guilty. True the two had been nearly inseparable when since she got here but they were their own people and can do their own things.

And with that solid yet somehow flimsy reasoning in her mind, she ripped open the fabric of reality and leapt in, fully intending to bask in the thrill she always got when she explored new dimensions.

Later that night.

Marco trudged inside his home, dead tired from a long day and he still had a few more days like this until the big event.

He leaned wearily against the door, gripping a shopping bag tightly while taking a moment of rest before Star came bouncing down the stairs, ambushing him with one of her warm, bone crushing hugs.

"I'm home!" Marco called out and while his parents responded happily, the lack of response from Star was worrisome. She always replied be it grunt, cheer or more often than not, previously mentioned bone shattering hugs.

But today? Nothing. Maybe she was much more angry than he originally thought. He was sure Star was indeed okay that he went out with Jackie but deep, void like feeling that was bubbling in his stomach was almost too much to bear. It was almost like Star didn't exist any...

He heard the tearing of fabric and the swirling rush of a portal being opened and the void that settled within him was filled to the brim with tiredness and slight contentment.

Marco tiredly made his way up stairs, hiding the bag in his closet before making his way to Star's room.

Before he could even knock, Star pulled open the door, a playful and joyous smile on her face sending a blissful feeling spreading throughout Marco's body.

"MARCO!" She cried cheerfully, grabbing and holding onto his arm tightly as she practically dragged him inside her room, looking like she was ready to just pounce on him.

Marco chuckled softly as Star wrapped her arms around his waist, holding tightly like he was going to float off into the sky.

"How was your day Star?"

"Greeeeeat!" Star nodded enthusiastically, unsure why where this rush of energy was coming from but enjoying it all the same.

"Did you go dimension hopping today?"

"Yep, yep, yep!" Star said rapidly "I had so much fun!"

Marco looked at her, unconvinced she was telling the truth but not really concerned. Star wouldn't lie to him and he was glad she managed to have fun without him

"Where did you go?"

Star led him to the bed, patting it eagerly. Marco took a sit, turning to face the beautiful princess who was just in the best mood possible.

Marco flushed, burying his thoughts with anything and everything that did not involve Star in any way,

"I went to this dimension called Quest Easy"

Marco raised an eyebrow at the strange description "Quest Easy?"

"Yeah, it's a dimension that's like quest buy but without the deadly traps."

Marco slapped his face "Why didn't we just go there then?!"

Star laughed at his nativity. Expert on earth but not so much anywhere else. Not that it was his fault.

"Are you kidding me? Do you know how expensive Quest Easy? It's an easier Quest Buy which means they sell more often and they raise their prices because they know a lot of people are too scared to deal with Quest Buy! Besides, QB is much more fun"

Marco gave Star a fond smile, lost in his memory while Star felt her cheeks warm at the sight of him.

"So what did you do there?"

Star waved it off like nothing "walk around, talked to some people, ate a bagel! I LOVE BAGELS! They are so good! And you can't find them anywhere else!"

Marco snorted in disbelief causing Star to frown in his direction.

"Hey what's the..."

"Star, we have bagels here!"

Star's widened in wonder. Marco could practically feel her bright blue eyes piercing his soul and trying to drag out his secrets.

"Earth knows how superheat fallen stardust and smosh it in between two perfectly cooked Zork legs?! And you never told me!"

"Er...never mind. Wrong bagel"

Star peered at him curiously "There's another bagel? You must show me!"

"okay Star, okay I will"

Marco's grin nearly paralyzed Star with happiness. What was with her? It's only been a few hours since she last saw Marco and she was acting like it's been years.

"Oh! How did your date go with Jackie? Did you kisssssss her?" Star nudged him with her elbow jokingly but she could feel her stomach churn uneasily at the idea of Marco kiss anyone other than her.

Star could feel her brain screech to a halt, thought after thought crashing into each other messy, glorious pile of confusion. The "Why would I the mall with Jackie?" mixed up with the "He went to kiss him?" which further caused her brain to rack itself, totally lost what was going on.

"Date with Jackie?" Marco answered slowly, aware that something dramatic changed in Star, enough to throw her (and consequently him) off balance "Oh! No, she just needed some help with her homework. It wasn't a date at all. Well not a real one anyway."

Those words kick started Star's brain back into action, allowing her to regain the balance of normality.

"Oh" Star muttered, unsure if she could trust her own wild thoughts from sidelining her again "Did you at least ask her out for Friday?"

Marco gazed back at his best friend, confused by what exactly she meant "huh? Oh! N-no. I...I didn't."

Star nodded in agreement, understanding that he probably wasn't ready to ask Jackie out yet especially since she came to him for help though she admitted there was something Marco was hiding. Probably how nervous he was.

Star ignored the sickening feeling she now got whenever she put the words Jackie and Marco together, pulling her best friend out the door "You are tired, you need your rest Marco!"

Marco opened his mouth to argue but all that came out was a long, tiring yawn.

Marco smiled sheepishly under the glance of the princess and quickly hurried off to his room before Star decided to see if she could teleport him with her wand.

Star's smile faded the moment Marco left the room, the disappointment of the day finally sinking in.

She wasn't completely lying when she said she had fun. She...just didn't have as much fun as usual.

She had never been to Quest Easy before and she had to admit it's similarity to Quest Buy was a little too much for her to consider it a completely new experience.

She spent the most of the time wandering the endless rows of the dimension, eyes briefly lighting up at all the new items she never saw before before slinking into the unshakeable feeling something was missing but she couldn't place her finger on it. It was about the same as usual. Just Star with her pair of dimensional scissors.

She did have fun. But she wished she had more.

Tomorrow, She told herself, changing into her sleep dress and snuggling under her blankets, tomorrow I'll have more fun! It is Thursday after all.

Star stared directly at Marco as the school bell rang, unable to believe what she was hearing. Clearly Marco did not know what he was saying. The actual words he meant to say were getting lost somewhere in between his thick skull, his light brown eyes and his oddly distracting mouth.

"I must've misheard you Marco...it sounds like you just said no to dimension hopping."

Marco shifted nervously, closing his locker to give himself a moment of reprieve from the really intense looking Star.

"I can't. Jackie needs help today..."

Star frowned, trying hold in the fact that the J word was really starting to bother her now. It was really unfair of her to assume Marco was free to just go dimension jumping with her and it was clear he was filled to the brim with nervousness, his attempts at asking Jackie out admirable but clearly not getting him very far. But still Star couldn't help but seriously be annoyed at Jackie. She had no idea why but she just was.

"Okay Marco, I understand."

Star's eyes softened when Marco wrapped his arms around her body, causing her skin to feel warm and electrified at her best friend's action. Marco wasn't much of a hugger so this simple gesture wasn't one she was used to. But she wanted to be.

Marco pulled away from her, a timid smile on his face that was devastating to her anger, melting it away like it never existed before.

"I'll bring you home some strawberry shortcake you like, okay Star?"

Star pursed her lips, Marco trying his hardest to focus on her face rather than her baby blue eyes or the pinkness of those lips.

"Okay Marco!"

when she gave him that big smile, Marco couldn't help but mirror it back towards her.

"Bye Star"

Star waved excitedly to the departing Marco, stopping at once when he couldn't see her anymore.

She let out a soft sigh, trying not to let dissatisfaction flow through her body.

"Hey Star!"

She whirled around to the smiling faces of Ferguson and Alfonso.

"Oh hey guys" She gave them a casual wave before double taking, shouting loudly at the sight of them "GUYS! What are you up to?"

Ferguson and Alfonso glanced at each other "Going to the mall, wanna come with?"

"YES!" Star cheered, grateful there were other people to keep her occupied other than Marco.

"So where's Marco?" Ferguson asked. He wasn't used to seeing Star all by herself. Every time he saw her Marco was always somewhere nearby.

"Oh, he's helping Jackie with her homework. Trying to ask her to the dance on Friday"

Alfonso and Ferguson shared a concerned look, one that did not go unnoticed by Star.

"Guys?"

the boys squirmed uncomfortably under Star's stare, unsure if they were blowing some big secret for Marco.

"Umm Star" Alfonso began slowly "Jackie's here, studying in the library. By herself."

Star's face was unreadable, her brain alive with countless thoughts. None of which made sense.

"Star, are you okay?"

Star felt hurt. She felt angry. She felt happy. She even felt like she was being unreasonable. Marco must've had a good reason for lying to her and she would just have to trust his reasoning.

"Let's go to the mall. I want to see one of those Earth dress stores. I need ideas for Friday!" She managed to let out cheerfully.

Ferguson and Alfonso agreed, unable to see past Star's concealed warring emotions.

At the Mall

Star laughed and giggled at Ferguson's jokes, nearly choking on her drink when Alfonso jumped in with a story about how Marco once opened his mouth to talk to Jackie in 4th grade only to be pelted in the face by Janna with a dodgeball.

"haha a dodgeball?" Star questioned, still chortling but wanting to know exactly what a dodgeball was.

"It's a big rubber red ball you throw at people." Ferguson explained.

"What do you do with it?"

"You dodge it Star. If you get hit, you are out of the circle and the game!"

Star laughed even louder

"It's like a battle, you never get distract in the middle of a fight."

The boys agreed before something caught their attention. Ferguson nudged Alfonso, pointing directly behind Star in a shock awed.

"Is that...Marco?"

Star's eyes perked up at the sound of her best friend's name.

"What is he doing?" Alfonso questioned, peering closer while he lifted his glasses up and down to make sure he was properly seeing what his eyes were telling him.

"It is! Dude, is he hitting on that girl? That isn't Jackie?!"

Star glowered angrily "What! Marco hit a girl? I'll teach him about..."

Alfonso and Ferguson grabbed the rising Star, quickly begging her to listen before she did anything rash.

"Whoa, whoa STAR! On Earth hitting on means flirting, you know flirting?"

Star nodded in understanding, realizing how quickly she jumped to the worst conclusion. This was Marco and he would never dream of hurting anyone that wasn't a monster.

"Wow" Ferguson murmured with hero worship "He is good."

Alfonso nodded in agreement "Totally. She's eating it up."

Star giggled. She loved Ferg and Alfonso but they weren't exactly on the up and up about dating and flirting. While Star admitted Marco wasn't quite like them, she also admitted a flirty Marco was just not a thing given his timid nature.

"Guys, I'm sure it's not what it looks..." Star told them calmly as she turned around and fell into the shocked awe as the two boys across from her.

It was exactly what it looked like.

There he was, her best friend, dressed not in his usual attire but looking very cute in some sort of white, long sleeved collared shirt, a little red bowtie round his neck and black slacks in front of those island stands that weren't connected to any wall of the mall.

He was laughing loud, his face bright red as he scratched the back of his head that was way too endearing to Star. The girl across from him was laughing just as loud as he was, her long brown hair tucked under a baseball cap, twisted in a ponytail that slid out the opening in the back of the hat. Her hazel eyes paying close attention to him as if he was the most interesting thing that ever happened. She leaned forward on her elbows, hands cradling her head, infatuation sparkling in every second of her gaze towards Marco.

Rage and hurt flooded Star and she tried her hardest not to snap her wand in half.

"Good for him. It's rare to seem him so at ease with a girl you know?"

Ferguson's words snapped her out of it. Why was she being like this? This is good for Marco's self confidence. The only girl he was remotely comfortable with was herself and while it made her feel special, she shouldn't be so angry at the idea that he was gaining so much needed self esteem. He was a great guy. He just needed to believe it.

Still the sight was really bothering Star.

"Hey, you guys want to go to another dimension?" Star turned to the other two quickly, pulling out her scissors without actually waiting for any input from them.

"Sure Star!"

"Sounds fun!"

Star grinned happily. This time she'd have fun. She was going with other people this time.

The trio appeared in a vast, towering city that was chrome plated, every inch of it the sliver, reflective metal. The night sky held no stars and was just a massive wall of darkness.

"Wow, what dimension is this?" Ferguson asked in wonder.

Star felt uneasy about this place "I don't know...this wasn't what I was aiming for..."

"This is Chrome city and you humans must be destroyed! No humans allowed!" a cold, metallic voice echoed around them, seemingly from the city walls themselves.

There was a loud woosh, the scrapping of metallic walls grinding against each other as several openings from the walls, floors and even inside a flowerpot.

Tiny, childlike claw hands reached out from the shadows, wildly grabbing at the air

"Wait wait! I'm Mewnan!" Star cried out, the tiny, waist high black humanoid robots climbing out in impossible numbers

"Oh..." The voice sounded sheepish, even a little embarrassed. "Well that changes everything"

The robots all glanced at once to the tallest tower, their two eye optics giving the subtle expression that they were quite confused at what was going on.

"DOUBLE KILL THE MEWNAN!"

The tiny robots let out a cheer, surging forward, their killing intent obvious.

"Ferguson look out!" Star shouted, smash her wand ontop of the robot that tried to pin her arms down.

Ferguson let out a panicked cry, running in between two robots, narrowly avoiding their outstretched arms.

Star let out a frustrated groan, blasting several of the approaching robots with exploding cupcakes before making her way to Ferguson who was ineffectively slapping his hands against the robot who cornered him.

"Hiyah!" Star cried, kicking the metal foe away from Ferguson "Ferguson, why aren't you fighting? Use your karate skills!"

Ferguson scoffed in annoyance "I am not Marco. Not everyone on Earth knows how to fight like that!"

"Really?" Star murmured, randomly carnal blasting into a thick crowd of approaching robots. It never occurred to her that Marco's fighting skills were not as common as she thought. True she's never seen others use karate but she always assumed it was the basic line of Earth defense and thus well known knowledge.

"Oh dear" Alfonso cried, two robots standing ontop of one another shoulders, effortlessly holding up the boy like he was as light as a feather.

"Alfonso!" Star cried before Ferguson let out a panicked cry. She turned around and let out a frustrated growl.

Ferguson was held down by a dozen of so robots, wildly slapping at them while clearly forgetting how well that worked out last time.

"Ferguson! Okay Marco I need you to..."Star turned to face Marco, fully expecting to be ready to fight at her side only to find herself staring at empty air.

She bit her lip, swinging her wand back and forth. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so exposed, so alone in battle. She always fought with Marco at her side and she never realized how much of an impact he made. She never had to guess what to do next or even had to watch her back. Marco always did and she returned the favor.

The thrill and joy of battle she normally felt was replaced with an impending sense of doom. Neither of the other two could fight and she was forced not only to protect the wand and herself but also Ferguson and Alfonso. Marco hardly needed to be watched over and she could easily jump in whenever he became overwhelmed or needed a moment of rest.

Star needed to think fast, the sea of robots closing in, their claws gleaming sharply under the light less sky.

"Magnetic repel wave!" she screamed, placing her wand against the metallic floor, an invisible wave pushing all the robots in random directions

"Ferguson, Alfonso here now!"

The two boys raced over as Star cut open the portal as fast as she could, shoving her friends in before leaping in after them.

The trio tumbled back to Earth, the food court buzzing alive with their sudden departure and arrival.

Star laid there for a moment, staring at the ceiling in defeat.

"Why isn't dimension hopping fun anymore?

"Star?"

a familiar looking hand loomed over her, offering to help her to her feet.

Star took Marco's hand, finding comfort and safety in it as Marco hauled her to her feet.

"Star are you okay?" Marco wasted no time, hugging her tightly

Star let out a sigh of relief as she wrapped her arms to embrace him "Yeah. I'm okay Marco."

Star closed her eyes for a moment, trying to figure why Marco was dressed in a weird outfit, why he was talking to some random girl, why he lied to her.

She just wanted to be here in his arms for the moment

Star's eyes shot open when she heard the familiar sound of Oskar's keytar echoing through the mall, the others covering their ears jokingly, their eyes sealed tight in mock pain.

Star knew they were playing around Marco did no such thing, his body getting tense under Star's but she knew he was just worried.

Star pulled away from Marco, surprised when he hesitatingly easing his grip on her.

"Star?"

"If you can ask someone out on a date, I can ask Oskar out!"

Marco could feel his nerves getting worse, the look on Star's face making him realize he had less time than he thought.

"Star, wait..." Marco muttered shyly but she was already gone, having spotted Oskar with little effort and began marching her way towards him.

Marco reached out to stop her before letting his arm slack. This was her choice and he had to accept it.

Star took calming breaths as she made her way over to Oskar, the racing her of heart actually not as bad as when she held Marco. Somehow her best friend made her more nervous than her crush was but that was a blessing in disguise right now.

Star stood anxiously in front of the bad boy, trying to work up her courage before realizing the dance was just tomorrow. Seriously how did she lose track of that?

Star shook her head. She was Star Butterfly and she was going to ask out Marco.

Before that thought could really sink in, Oskar turned to her, bangs covering his eyes as he muttered with a slight grin "S'up"

Star let out a dreamy sigh, more out of reflexive than actual intent "Hiiii Oskar. so...I...was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance tomorrow with me?"

Star looked forward, hands held together, eyes pleading but somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach, she prayed for some reason that he'd say no.

"I'd love to"

Star let out a cheer of victory, rising her hand into the air in triumph

"But I can't"

Star's good mood deflated, not as bad as she thought but still a bit.

"W-why?" she stammered out, unsure what she did wrong. Was it her hair? Did she ask too quickly? Maybe she stepped too close to him

"I'm like banned from all school events. Couldn't go even if I like wanted to"

"Oh" While Star was saddened at the news she couldn't go with Oskar, the idea of going with Marco really helped soften the blow. She may not go with Oskar but she was going with the next best person. Still disappointment cut through her body deeply.

"I understand. Thank you Oskar"

he simply nodded, going back to playing his song as she slowly made her way back to the others.

She knew something was wrong when she realized she couldn't feel Marco's emotions. It was like he disappeared from the face of the Earth even though he was standing just in front of her. Still she was numbed from her own pain to pay it much attention.

"Congrats Star, you asked out Oskar!' Marco said, the joy in his voice not sounding quite like his normal cheerful attitude.

Star was still dazed from the rejection to properly notice "Well yeah, who else was I going to go with?"

Her eyes widened, a deep sense of hurt and pain coming from her best friend once she realized she said the wrong thing.

"oh" Marco muttered softly, his voice laced with a heavy wounded emotion "Right, you wouldn't want to go with me because Oskar's the only one"

Alfonso and Ferguson glanced at each other, slowly slipping under the table and crawling their way out. This was about to get intense.

Star could feel her terror rising, waving her hands desperately in an attempt to pacify Marco "Wait, Marco I didn't...Oskar said he...

"He'd take you." Marco replied, short and to the point "Got it. Listen Star I got to go do something."

Anger flashed through Star "oh sure, go ask out the cashier girl! You've been lying to me so you can talk to her! Why couldn't you just tell me?"

"Cashier? What Cashier?" Marco opened his mouth to say more before gently closing it.

And he left, without saying another word, straight into a nearby store, not at all glancing at the cashier girl who was trying to get his attention.

Suddenly Star felt shameful at her actions. Why did she explode like that? Would did she feel the coiling snake of jealousy rise up and cause her to bite off her date to the dance? Well former date.

"Star?" a voice called gently from behind her.

Star turned around, staring into the face of Jackie Lynn Thomas

"Oh...hey Jackie"

"Star, are you okay?"

Star nodded, trying to fight back the tears in her eyes.

The lightbulbs graced her face replacing her hearts as she realized something. She found a way to make it up to Marco.

"Jackie! Are you going to the dance tomorrow?"

Jackie shook her head "No, I mean I wanted to but..."

"Great!" Star cut her off, moving forward and scaring the girl just a little bit.

"Look Star, I was hoping to go with a guy. Not as friends..."

"No no no I'm not asking for me!" Star's eyes were wild and resolute, she had to make it up to Marco. She had too! "Would you go with the dance with Marco?"

Jackie look genuinely surprised as if the idea of going with Marco never crossed her mind. Star began biting on her wand nervously, mentally nudging Jackie to cooperate before realizing she might've made a mistake. What if Marco had already asked the cashier. Wait if he already had a date to the...

"Did Marco change his mind about going with me?"

"Huh?"

Jackie felt uneasy under Star's confused but intense stare "Well yeah. I asked him a few days ago but he said he was going with you to the dance"

Star could feel her heart warm and beat happily at the idea of going with Marco to the dance. "B-but I thought..."

"He told me he really wanted to take you to the dance but he was nervous how'd you take it, so he decided to throw out that if neither of you could find a date, he would go with you. You know how nervous and scared Marco can be. Probably couldn't handle the idea of you rejecting him"

"B-but I saw him talking to you..."

Jackie looked surprised "Oh that. He needed help. My uncle owns a dress shop here at the mall so I introduced them. Marco made a deal that he would work at the mall for a few days for this dress you mentioned you wanted. He really wanted to make your first school dance special, regardless of who you went with."

Star thought long and hard, the memory eluding her until she noticed the fancy writing upon the stores sign.

Star remembered now. It was a month ago when she first learned about the dance. She dragged Marco dress shopping. She really would've liked to buy a dress from Earth as to fit in better but she felt bad asking for the Diaz's who gave her so much already, so creating one was the next best bet. Then she saw it, the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. She couldn't help but practically drool over it. Then she noticed the price and simply walked away. She hadn't thought of it since.

Apparently Marco had.

"I messed up big time..." Star muttered sadly, the light bulbs on her face once more "hey Jackie, does Marco already have the dress?"

Later that night.

Marco opened the door to his house, letting out a sigh, not willing to announce his presence to the rest of the house hold. Not yet.

Marco felt immensely guilty at how he treated Star. It wasn't her fault he was so...unimpressive that she didn't want to go with him. That she liked Oskar. That she could have fun in other dimensions without him.

He depressingly made his way to his room, glancing with a grief-stricken stare towards Star's door before opening his own.

"Marco!" Star's startled voice cried out from within his bedroom.

Marco couldn't believe his eyes. It was clear the transformation his room had undergone was result of countless hours of hard work and dedication. By hand.

The room was full colorful streamers raining down from the ceiling. The lights were dimmed, giving the room a cozy and romantic feeling. There a small disco ball spinning lazily in the middle of the room, basking the two in a sea of multicolored lights. A soft song played in the background.

And there, standing on a small step stool, was Star. She gave him a shy, nervous smile as she made her way down. Her hair was done in long, curly ringlets that framed her face perfectly with her crown sitting on the top of her head.

But the biggest surprise of the night was the fact the dress she was wearing. It was the one Marco was currently working to pay off.

It was a ball gown. The upper half of the dress was a blue and white with an intricate pattern. The lower half was a light pink skirt that flowed all the way down to her ankles, some familiar looking white gloves and boots with a heart on them reminding him of another dance.

"You found the...umm..." Marco looked down in embarrassment. Now he didn't have anything to surprise her with.

Star made her way over to her best friend, all this hard work giving her a lot of time to think and realize her feelings about the boy in front of her.

"You know I lied to you Marco" Star admitted.

Marco stared up at her and Star resisted the urge to giggle at how cute he looked. She did turn bright red which was cloaked under the cover of the dim room. The little red bowtie, collared white shirt and black slacks were really too much for her to not coo over.

"Lied about what?"

Star let out a sigh "The dimension hopping. Both times I went without you. The first I just felt lonely. It was fun but...it wasn't as fun as it usually was. The second time I was so distracted I missed my target and had to fight off robots while saving Ferguson and Alfonso."

Star was surprised when Marco embraced her, the warm glowing feeling her heart pound happily in response.

"I'm sorry Star, are you okay? I didn't know that's where you came from. Oh man I should've..."

Star placed a gloved hand on his lips, causing both to blush.

"I'm fine Marco but I realized now why they weren't as fun. What was missing..."

She leaned in closer, her breath tickling Marco's face and causing the butterflies in his stomach to just multiply.

"You. I have so much fun with you...I...I never realized the real reason I was having so much fun was just being around you. About how much we rely on each other in battle. I mean I always feel safe with you around, no matter how dire the odds. You're my best friend...and I'm sorry if I made you feel less than that. Especially with all the hard work you've been doing."

Marco smiled brightly at her, scratching his cheek nervously "Well...you were so eager for this dance and you really wanted a dress from Earth...I...just wanted to make sure you really had a great time."

Star opened her mouth but Marco quickly cut her off "I'm sure Oskar will love it."

"Marco...I'm not going with Oskar"

Marco's face paled, did his little fit ruin Star's night? He didn't mean to!

"Oskar couldn't go. He said he was banned from all events."

"Oh..."

"Besides" Star murmured softly, wrapping her arms Marco's neck "I really, really want to go with you"

Marco blushed, slowly putting his hands on her hips, trying to ignore how close she was getting.

"Why is that Star?"

She let out a cute giggle, getting closer to her best friend, loving the way he shifted uncomfortably under her touch.

"Because I really enjoy being around you Marco."

Marco gave her a dopey smile, the gleam in his lovely brown eyes sending the butterflies in her stomach into a wild frenzy.

And as they danced, swaying back and forth, just content to be in the others presence, enjoying their own personal dance, Star made a vow.

She was totally going to kiss Marco tomorrow and she couldn't wait to see his face scrunched up adorably in surprise.

"Star? Why are you grinning so much?"

her smile became even bigger with a hint of a mischievous intent etched within.

"You're not the only one with a surprise planned wild man."


	30. Somebody to love? (Canon AU)

Hello fanfiction! author here, back again. So soon? yes yes i am. many thanks for all you wonderful readers and every single review, follow and favorite. I say it often but seriously without you wonderful people, i wouldn't be much of a writer.

a special thanks to H mae- i seriously doubt Crab sticks exist. but that's me. I am glad you liked it and i guess i need to start saving up for another freezer.

SVTFOEfanati- See that's why you can't just assume. it just doesn't work out for anyone involved and that wasn't that bad so no worries :) trust me you will cry because after this next chapter of if i miss you, is the big event. You know which one i am talking about and trust me, it is going to hurt since it is the purpose of said event to hurt. haha so challenge accepted! "Music is eternal and forever intertwined with humanity as a source of sorrow, happiness, and all in between."

Aleprettycat- Well i am sorry for miscommuncation. I am glad you love the stories and thank you for the reviews. I seriously did not realize it was Starco week! i suppose that's why i was overcome with an urge to write every day this week. huh. it's official, Starco has infected my very being. so...there's that. haha Shipping wars are the best and congrats on having some sharp instincts!

goldenflash- You know me, i love my perfect one line finishers. and looks like you didn't have to wait long. THat's how excited i am for some reason. So far this story will keep going as a part 2 but i'm gonna wait because i've been using dance scenes a lot lately so trying not to overdo it.

Haylie- I totally will just in a bit. maybe next week

lost: I am so glad you enjoyed this AU. as cool as it would be to do a Marco point of view, it would be an extremely short chapter since not much happened with him. still the dance is totally planned so expect that soon and thank you for the 9.8/10. time to aim for that 10!

the wookie- thanks! i am glad it was.

Rayfe-thank you for the review, it has to be light or else you guys would die on sweetness. can't be killing my readers you know?

Sughman- we have so much starco and they aren't even together! the ship sails itself! and i'll probably add a dbz reference in the sol star chapter coming up.

xboxrica- thank you so much for your kind words and let's see if i can top that best story yet haha

and of course my guest reviewer. i need to make it cuter.

I don't have much on the starco of the day artist and writers. actually that's not true. Love sickness is an old starco fanfiction and i just remembered it had the idea of love being an infection. a great read so dig for it in the bowels of ff. i can't remember who is it by so i apologize for that.

So long story short, i went crazy with an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. this is a short chapter so heads up and this is canon AU once more where Star decides to sing in a talent show. I mean i gave marco plenty of songs and time in the spotlight and figured it's star's turn. The song is the very famous and well loved Somebody to love but i pictured Star singing the Anne Hathaway version from Ella enchanted. the song seems to fit her and its how i think Star would sound singing the song. I am honestly not too sure about this story because it was a last minute thing and i'm on the fence about it but its starco week apparently so here you are you amazing fans.

Author notes _This means Star's singing and **this means background singers because they are important in the song.**_

well that's all i have for today so thank you so much for all the love and support you show me. I hope you have a great starco week and let me know how i did on this one. I really am conflicted about this. Anyway thanks for every review, favorite and follow. you readers really are the best. Enjoy and I own nothing!

* * *

Star Butterfly stared outward to the auditorium from the safety of the side curtains, her namesake filling her stomach as she saw the countless faces hidden in the shadows, the bright lights of the stage preventing her from getting a really good look at anyone who may be in the crowd.

And there were a lot of people that could've lurked in the shadows.

Her parents mentioned they would attempt to attend her performance which meant at the very least Manfred was out there and since her mother didn't have the wand anymore, anywhere from 2 to a dozen guardsmen were in attendance.

Pony Head mentioned getting a pass from Saint O's to attend the event.

Of course there were her countless friends in the school: Starfan, Marcofan, Ferguson, Alfonso (Which meant the pixie queen was here as well given the fact they two were married which also meant a few more dozen guards) to name a few. Even Miss Skullnick with her new troll boyfriend was silhouetted against the shadows.

Once they discovered what she was going to be doing that Friday night, her magical creations demanded to be there to show their support. Rotating Raccoon, Kevin the clown, the laser puppies, Flying pig. All under the supervision of Mr. and Mrs. Diaz (Whom Marco warned were probably going to tape the event which meant they would be a physical record of her terrible performance)

And no doubt Ludo and his monsters were somewhere nearby since this was a great chance to steal the wand from the preoccupied girl. Star half hoped Ludo would attacked any second now as to prevent her from taking center stage.

When she thought of joining up for the talent show, she didn't take Marco's warning seriously. He warned that she was going to draw in a crowd. She was just Star Butterfly! Why would so many people show up for her?

But based on the random bursts of lasers, magical glitter, her father's loud insentience that his daughter be next, the excited chatting of two familiar voices speaking in rapid fire Spanish, Star was willing to bet they were all here.

She let out a sigh. She couldn't do this. For the first time in her entire life, she openly admitted she couldn't do something. This was too much. And she hadn't practiced much and Marco disappeared somewhere and this was getting out of hand.

"Now" Principal Skeeves voice echoed from the magic boxes that hang all over the stage "Next up on our talent show. Star Butterfly!"

The exhilarating chatter became even louder, a thunderous roar as countless red lights began to stare towards the stage eagerly. They were recording every second of this.

Star bit her lip nervously, the comforting smiles of her back up singers doing nothing to help calm her nerves.

Jackie, Janna, Sabrina, and Chantelle stared at each other, unable to believe that Star Butterfly was getting stage fright.

Skeeves looked unimpressed, looking directly at Star who was now hiding underneath her hair, using it as a blanket and trying to deflect any and all attention from her.

"I can't do this! I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this" Star began muttering, gripping her hair tightly

"Sure you can Star. You've practiced really hard for this."

Star pivoted on her heels, turning to find herself staring directly into the smiling face of her best friend.

"Marco!" she shouted happily, unaware that the entire auditorium had heard her out burst.

Marco opened his arms, allowing the magical princess to tackle him and lock him in a bone crunching hug. He wrapped his arms around her, desperately attempting not get lost in the smell that could only be described as Star.

"Can I just go home Marco? Look at all these people!" Star motioned outward "I am going to embarrass myself"

Marco gripped Star's shoulders tightly but gently, giving her a comforting squeeze that made all the butterflies in her stomach pause mid-air.

"You got this Star. I know you do, and I'll be right here."

His smile, so authentic and heart warming, calmed Star at once. She got this. She was Star Butterfly and with Marco by her side, she couldn't fail!

Star nodded, her nerves becoming alive with confidence and determination. Marco fixed her devil headband gave her another tight hug.

"I got this" She told herself, staring directly into Marco's chocolate brown eyes, her heart racing against her will once more "I got this!"

"Of course you do. I believe in you Star."

Star flushed as she let out a fierce battle cry, bouncing eagerly onto the stage with a level of energy she was hardly allow to show.

She slid against the slippery stage, passing Skeeves, her shoes squeaking loudly while she knocked over the mic stand, catching the microphone as it fell to the ground.

The band let out a sigh of relief, stretching and taking deep breaths, preparing to start whenever Star was ready.

Star's smiled faded as she rose the mic to her lips, the sea of shadows pierced only by the countless red lights facing her, watching her, waiting for her failure.

She began hyperventilating, the enormously large stage now beginning to feel cramped and too small. Was it always this hot? Why did the world feel like it was closing in on her? Why did she think this was a good idea?

"Star, STAR!" a supportive whisper called from the side.

Star turned to see Marco, his thumbs up and taking deep breaths, his smile infectious and bolstering her resolve.

She wasn't alone. Marco was right there. Like he always was. She was Star Butterfly and with Marco helping her, she could do anything! Even sing a silly song she heard on the radio!

She lifted the microphone once more, taking a deep breath as her soft, flute-like voice cut through the thick silence of anticipation.

" _Can_ _...anybody..."_

Star cleared her throat, making sure never to pick notes so high ever again.

" _Find_ _me...somebody to..."_

The back up singers smiled widely at each as they took over from the nervous blonde

" _ **love"**_

Star began shyly swaying her hips back and forth, refusing to look at anyone as the piano began playing its catchy rhythm, the rest of the band jumping in at the last second.

" _Each morning I get up, I die a little"_

Star glances up to see everyone smiling brightly at her, swaying in time with the music.

 _"_ _can barely stand on my feet."_

Star turned back, the girls smiling as the motioned for her to get on with it.

" _ **take a look at yourself in the mirror...and cry..."**_

" _take a look in the mirror and cry,...Lord whatcha doing to me."_  
Star closed her eyes, clutching at her heart with her free hand, becoming more and more lost in the music.

 _"I've spent all my years believing in you_ _but I can't just get no relief!"_

Star's vigor was impossible to ignore as she leaned forward, tucking her hair behind her ear while she sang directly at the audience members in front of her.

" _Lord, Somebody"_

Skeeves stood next to Marco, enjoying the show but unwilling to show it. He did have an image to maintain.

" _ **Somebody"**_

"She's great huh?" Marco muttered, dazed and obviously lovestruck. Skeeves couldn't help glance between the two teens. Did Marco...

" _Somebody"_

Skeeves caught Star quick sideways glance towards Marco, the same puppy lovesick gaze written all over her face as well. Did Star...

" _ **Somebody**_

Skeeves coughed loudly, twirling this way and that way, even bending over to touch his toes. Well try to anyway. Marco turned, unsure where this strange behavior was coming from.

"Umm..Principal Skeeves, what are you..."

Marco couldn't finish his question, Skeeves casually and purposely pushing Marco off balance and onto the stage.

 _"_ _can anybody find me"_

Star's ears perked up the rapidly skidding footsteps that were approaching her direction. She twisted to see Marco sheepishly smiling at her, shifting uncomfortably under the sudden attention that was thrust upon him.

Star's smile was loving, her stare soft. She reached for him with her hand, wishing just to feel his touch once more.

Marco raced over to her side, gripping her hand tightly while trying to act like this was all part of the show.

" _Somebody to love"_

Star let out a giggle when Marco pulled her towards him, her face bright red as he began swaying in time with her.

" _Got no feel, I got no rhythm"_

Marco began spinning around the pair around, the world blurring away, leaving the two in their own little world, the crowd and band disappearing into thin air.

" _I just keep losing my beat."_

Star focused on keeping her grip on the microphone rather letting go, trying her hardest not to release the accursed device so she could hold onto both of Marco's hands, the one hand not even close to satisfying her desire for her best friend.

" _I'm okay, I'm alright"_

Marco flushed as he twirled Star, holding on to her hip while the pair faced the audience once more, his heart racing as Star's voice became louder and more confident each passing second.

" _Ain't gonna face no defeat"_

Star rushed forward to the edge of the stage, dragging Marco with her, their hands intertwined and both refusing to let go of the other.

" _I just gotta get out of this prison cell, one day I'm going to be free!"_

Star closed her eyes, just basking in the glow of the stage lights as she tilted her head back, singing louder and louder.

" _Lord, Somebody"_

Her parents could see how happy Marco made Star, how content she was just standing up there with all these people watching her perform.

"I suppose we don't need to find her somebody to love"

"She's made a fine choice my dear"

"Agreed"

" _ **Somebody"**_

"I told you she was going to be our future daughter in law" Mr. Diaz whispered to his wife, stealing a kiss once he was sure everyone was too wrapped up in Star and Marco.

" _Somebody"_

Pony Head smiled proudly at Marco and Star. She may not like Earth Turd because she was jealous how easily he became Star's best friend but even she couldn't deny he was perfect for her.

"I better be the maid of honor" Pony head muttered under her breath.

" _ **somebody"**_

Star closed her eyes, holding onto the warmth of Marco as long as she could

" _Can anybody find me, somebody to love!"_

Star pulled away from Marco, breaking their hold on each other. Marco's hand automatically reached for hers and it took a lot of physical effort from the boy to prevent him from grabbing Star once more.

" _ **She works hard**_

" _Everyday!"_

Star began stamping her feet, the music filling every corner of her body, all traces of nervousness gone.

" _I try and I try and I try but everyone wants to put me down!"_

Star grins at the audience, absolutely loving the feeling of seeing all her friends and family just losing control, just so wrapped up in the show they were all dancing in their seats.

" _They say I'm going crazy, they say I got a lot of water in my brain!"_

Star wildly shook her hair, getting a loud cheer and laugh from the crowd.

" _Got no common sense, I've got nobody left to believe! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH!"_

Star let out a squeal as Marco held her from behind, lifting her off her feet and just twirling her in the air as the guitar began its solo.

"Marco! Marco put me down!" Star's manged to squeak out but her best friend refused to listen, the smile dancing on her face too much for him to handle.

He let out a cheerful laugh which spread to Star, infecting her with the case of giggles that was pure music to his ears.

Finally after a few seconds and quite possibly the best moments of his life, Marco gently placed Star back onto the stage, not at all surprised when she whirled around and smacked his chest in a playful manner.

The band and singers drop to a soft whisper, enjoying the show the teens were putting on.

" _ **find her somebody to love"**_

Marco was surprised when Star didn't remove her hand from his chest, his heart beating frantically under her fingers.

" _ **Find her somebody to love"**_

Star couldn't help herself as she began tracing an outline of a heart over Marco's.

" _ **Find her somebody to love"**_

Marco began getting lost in those sky blue eyes, her pink hearts basking him in a warm glow as he held onto her cheek, the softness of her skin feeling amazing to him.

" _ **Find her somebody to love"**_

Star couldn't tell if it was her own heart that kept speeding up, was it the song or was it just the world in general. Every passing second became more intense, more charged with deep, powerful emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

And she wanted it to.

" _ **Find her somebody to love"**_

Marco brushed her hair that fell loose over her hair, his touch lingered a little long to be considered friendly. But then again, that wasn't the message he was trying to show Star.

 _ **"Find her somebody to love"**_

Star snaked her hands up to Marco's chest, drawing herself closer once she slipped them around his neck, the longing in his eyes surprising and sending shivers through her body.

Marco's hands slowly found their way to Star's waist, swaying back and forth, the band setting the mood perfectly as the backup singers chanted

" _ **Can anybody find me"**_

The band stopped. The room was silent, held with a hush breath. The entire auditorium mentally shoving the two together, their tension and feelings unknowingly pouring out and affecting everyone in the room.

Star leaned closer, just a hair away from Marco's lips as she sang as softly as she could, her flourish and melodic voice sending him into a haze.

" _Somebody to...love..."_

Star pressed her lips against Marco's, savoring the taste of him as the room exploded, hands clapped deafeningly, feet stamping wildly against the floor. Ludo and his minions emerged from backstage, tears in their ears as they began to snuck away as not to ruin the moment, the band just all smiles as they finished the song while the couple enjoyed their first moments of the rest of their life together.


	31. Marco teaches Spanish (Starco week)

Hello fanfiction! author here once again and i bring you starco week stories yay! a big giant thank you for every review, follow and favorite. you readers rock and make me so happy to write!

a special thanks to H mae. well 4 melts and a puddle a new record i think haha i am so happy you loved this chapter so much it means a lot to me. I think we all know even Skeeves ships starco. and he was the one to introduce them. I have indeed looked them up and they look great. just letting me know you enjoy my work is enough for me :)

SVTFOEfanatic- sorry buddy, got another happy ending here but don't worry if i miss you will soon break your heart. and you dont have to get used to bad endings, there's still neutral endings that take the same amount of effort as bad. go for that if you can't find effort for a happy one. or ill just make you happy with starco. and right 'accidental' pushing. well i am glad you loved the chapter. thanks so much for the review, stay aweosme "that's what? that's all you said" he said

watermalone- i am so glad you enjoyed it so. it did reek of disney huh? which makes sense given star is disney. well i hope you return soon and safely for i am dying to know what happens in your story! keep up your awesome work as well for i too am a fan.

the wookie- i love queen and i thought this song fit star perfectly what with the pressures of being queen, the fact her mother doesn't like her general starness and saint o's wants to take that away from her and the fact as queen, she is probably expected to marry and take a king. i dunno could be stretching here i am glad you came close with the idea. hmm what song did you want them to sing? best friend? haha too on the nose i think. thank you for the review.

goldenflash- haha thank you for reading my story though please don't fail your math test. you can't read stories if you fail your math test...i assume...*puts pillow down as you faint* fan girl all you want, fan boying is how these stories came to be. well its not part two but it is starco week so here we go.

Fiinr63: first of all thank you so much for your review, i am glad you enjoyed the story. I would really love to see this episode happen tool. It seems like a perfect thing for Star to deal with *especially since she's going to be queen one day and thus in front of alot of people on a stage rather than on ground level with them* I think you still try your idea out i would love to read it if you ever wanted to write it out.

the unnamed-i love ella enchanted and honestly, i found the song on an old usb that managed to survive my computer crashing so many years ago. lost a lot of great music but thanks to that usb, i got quite of bit of it back including that song. i haven't had a chance to look it up but i once i heard anne hathaway's somebody to love. i dunno it just seemed to fit for story. thank you so much for your kind words and i hope you enjoy the future stories.

devious angel- thank you!

lost- yes even Ludo and his gang aren't heartless enough to ruin this for her. i would love it to see Star sing in the show, especially since it is disney and apparently saint o's has singing lessons. everyone, even pony head, ships starco. it's a fact.

grim- you have been gone a long time friend but i am happy you have returned. just in time for another chapter too! thank you for your kind words.

xboxrica- i am happy you loved it. here's another story, enjoy!

cartoonlover-well come back down, i have more stories for you!

sughman- this is author, responding to a distress call from one sughman. just hold on the new episode is coming but here's another story to help keep you alive. STAY ALIVE! FOR STAR SAKE STAY ALIVE!

your fellow thespian- you can never love some too much. and its so fluffy, cartoonlover died! here's some more fluff.

misfortune- i am glad you enjoyed my stories though i am certain you have reviewed before which i shall thank you for both then and now. thank you so much for reviewing. like i said a few times, the song fit star in my head and i gave marco song stories, i thought it was time for star.

and of course my guest reviewer- thank you so much, you readers are amazing! :D

thank you so much for everything. i am extremely happy you loved the last chapter especially since it was a last minute thing i did not plan for. seriously i just was like im going to write this story and i spent the whole time listening to the song over and over again so i could get a feel how the scenes should look like. i am so happy it came out so well thank you.

for my starco corner, fanfictionfordayz updated his story, as well PTfones princess and the safe kid. i believe starfall from golfalphamike has also been updated as well. first kiss from haunted tidal wave is also really good

now straight to the point because i am a little busy at the moment. this au is for Starco week, the 3rd day prompt teaching/learning spainish or i think that's what it was. i missed it yesterday and it was too good to pass up. i am counting somebody to love as first kiss first day prompt and i am not doing wedding day because i have something plan further down the line for that. I don't know what today's prompt is but hopefully after i get free time and finish up if i miss you, i can work on that. these prompts are going to be short because i didn't plan for them and thus can't stretch them out but i hope you still enjoy them

so hopefully i did my Spanish right or well enough (been a long time since i wrote in spainish)and i explained what everything translates too. hope you like my prompt for the 3rd day of starco week, enjoy and thank you for everything i own nothing!

* * *

Today was a glorious, bright day. The birds were singing, the sun glowed beautifully while being not too hot and not too cold. The perfect temperature for a lazy day or a fun outdoor adventure. Star weather Marco would call it because it was the type of weather that would make Star crave heading to the outside world for some fun.

Which raised a lot of questions why the two were inside, sitting at the living room table, Star appearing more than content to just be sitting next to him while he looked over at the Spanish teaching manual his father gave him.

Not that Marco minded. As the more cautious, relatively calmer of the pair, staying inside was his preferred method of relaxation. It felt nice to just to be sometimes.

But seeing Star so still and calm about learning was a bit world shattering. Star dislike school with the same passion as other kids from Earth and Marco was sure she was going to be bored out of her mind just sitting here, waiting for him to teach her a few Spanish phrases and words.

Marco wasn't sure why Star suddenly wanted to learn Spanish or why anyone thought it was a good idea for Marco to teach her. True that they were best friends but he hardly spoke his father's native tongue and often found it not worth the trouble it would cause for him, all the teasing he received for his lack of a proper Spanish accent. He spoke the words well enough, did it really matter if his emphasis on words was off or he couldn't roll his r's?

Apparently it did

But his father was adamant about Marco teaching Star. Star had asked Mr. Diaz for help but he directed her towards Marco, citing it would be easier for him to explain everything to her since Mr. Diaz's grasp on English wasn't so great. Marco would've been lost where to even begin teaching Star if his father hadn't given him a special training manual.

Marco felt very embarrassed about speaking Spanish in front of Star but his best friend in the world wanted to learn something of her own free will and Marco would be damned if he didn't try his best for her.

Though, now that he stopped and thought about it, there was something off about the manual. It looked pretty new for something his father supposedly had a while now and the notes within were handwritten, not printed from a machine. But since Marco had nothing else to work with, it would have to do.

"Okay Star, are you ready to learn Spanish?"

Star's eyes were overly bright. Well her sapphire blue eyes always were but they seemed brighter than usual. Her gaze was soft, very warm with a hint of something else hidden within them that Marco had never seen before.

Marco could feel himself heating up under her stare. He had never seen Star look at him like that before and despite how... _intense_ it was, Marco admitted it felt pretty nice to have Star's undivided attention, something that was only given to Oskar.

"Yep Marco! Come on! Let's leaaaarn some Spanish!"

Marco chuckled softly at Star's enthusiastic mood, her unnecessary jabs into the air and the fierce determination that graced her lovely face.

"Okay" Marco peered carefully at words written within in "The first phrase is Hola, me llamo es..."

"H-hola" Star repeated after him, straining in the most adorable way, her soft, pink lips not quite used to the words she was now attempting to speak "me ll-lamo es?"

Star glared suspiciously at Marco "Are you sure that's right? It sounds really funny"

Marco smiled towards his best friend "It's another language Star. Of course it sounds funny when you first learn it! We're lucky that we can even talk to each other given the fact you are from another dimension."

Star nodded in agreement, eternally grateful her parents chose a dimension where language wasn't going to be a problem.

"Sooo what did I just say?" Star murmured curiously, scooting closer to Marco, her soft blonde hair brushing against his hand.

Marco took a deep breath, trying ignore the warm feeling spreading through his body "You just said hello, my name is."

"oh! Awesome! Let's keep going."

Marco peered downward, reading the next passage carefully "Hay muchas estrellas"

"H-hay mu-uhcahs estrellahs? Okay so what's that mean?"

Marco could feel his face turning redder each second as Star leaned directly at him, her wide eager eyes reflecting his image back towards him.

"No Star muchas, not muchahs. Not so much emphasis on the a s. We just said there are many stars."

Star's face broke into a childlike wonder, her mouth breaking into an o shape that was awfully tempting to kiss "Ooooh my name is Spanish is estrella? So cute!"

If Marco had been paying closer attention, he would've noticed that Star said estrella with no hint of trouble.

But Marco was too busy trying keep control of his wild and unbound thoughts. Kissing Star would've been a big no. she didn't like him like that, he couldn't just go around kissing her because he...well. It would be wrong to steal a kiss from her! Though...he was a misunderstood bad boy...

"Marco?"

Star's voice cut through that train of thought, sending Marco reeling in surprise.

"S-Sorry Star! Next sentence!" Marco cleared his throat, glancing at phrase before internalizing it, focusing deeply on what he read as he slowly muttered "Hay muchas estrella pero este es mi favorito."

Star bit her lip. Marco's brain forever searing that imagine in his head, brain cells destroyed by just how cute Star looked in that moment "Hay muchas estrellas.. pero este...es...mi favorito. What does _that_ mean Marco?"

Marco completely missed the mischievous undertone of Star's question, too wrapped up in translating the sentence to notice.

"There are many stars but this one is my...favorite..."

Marco realized what exactly he said when Star cooed at him, her large and infectious smile sending shivers down his spine as she opened her arms and embraced him so tight, Marco thought she was trying to kill him with love

"Aww, Marco! That's so sweet! HUGS!"

Star pulled away from hm, lifting her eyebrow questioningly at him "Are you sure you're not making this up? Preeeeety convenient that you said something sweet about me while teaching me Spanish"

Marco's face broke, crushed under the wave of blood that now filled his face

"I-I swear this is what the manual is telling me!"

Star huffed in mock anger, knowing full well Marco's next response but still wanting to hear it from him anyway "So I'm not your favorite Star?"

Marco waved his hands as if somehow that could pacify the girl in front of him "Wait, of course you're my favorite Star!"

"Aww, hugs!"

Marco swore he was going to die from blood loss, Star's tight hug just turning him into the brightest shade of red possible.

"L-let's keep going!" Marco coughed, his throat suddenly dry and refusing to cooperate with him.

Marco quickly glanced down at the writing, reading it as quick as he could to prevent himself from further embarrassment

"h-here we go!" Marco cleared his throat "Me encanta cuando mi estrella me abraza!"

Marco nervously chuckled as Star paused for a moment, looking too precious with her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Could you repeat that Marco?"

Marco took a deep breath before slowing down so she could hear the words properly "Me...encanta...cuando...mi estrella...me abraza"

"Me encanta cuando mi estrella me abraza..."

Star looked forward towards Marco, just inches away from his face and sending his heart into a nervous run

"okay okay, it means I love when my star hugs me"

Marco couldn't stop the shock from spreading throughout his face if he tried as what he said dawned on. Star wrapped herself once more around him, her breath tickling his neck as she made herself cozy in the little crook of his neck.

"You really want my hugs today don't you Marco?" she teased, paralyzing him with her soft, sweet voice.

"i...it's the book I swear!" Marco panicked, unaware how close Star had gotten this while time, her chair directly next to his as their legs pressed against each other, feet lightly touching.

Marco violently turned the pages of the manual, ignoring every text he could until he reached the last page. The last page must have how to say goodbye or something.

Marco tried his hardest to focus but with Star breathing on his neck, her arms wrapped around him, the soft touch of her cheeks against his numbed his brain while he sluggishly tried to read the very last sentence and end this lesson.

"Last lesson of the day!" Marco croaked out, Star pulling away from him but not releasing her hold on her best friend, her eyes centered on his and only his light brown eyes.

Marco, all nervous smiles and shaking from how Star was invading his personal space (and loving every second of it) pulled deep within his mind, drawing out the words he just memorized

He took a deep breath as the words raced out of his mouth before he could process them.

"Te amo mi estrella"

Marco's heart stopped, Star's eager and curious face letting him know she was expecting him to translate for her.

But he couldn't...not these words. Not because they were anything bad or mean or anything but because he just said the very words he longed to say to Star for the longest time now.

I love you my Star.

"Wow, that was fun!" Marco shouted, rising up from his chair and nearly dragging Star up with him when she refused to let go, still sitting on her chair with her arms around his neck almost like she was expecting him to pick her up bridal style. "That's enough for today. How about I go make us some nachos? Sounds good? Sounds great! okay I'll get right on that!"

Star let go slowly, smirking with a knowing glint in her eyes as Marco raced into the kitchen, cheeks incredibly and cutely the reddest shade she had ever seen, his eyes unable to even look in Star's direction.

Star let out satisfied and content giggle as she whispered softly "Te amo Marco"


	32. I don't need a hero (STARCO WEEK)

Hello fanficiton! author here once again. many many thank yous for every review, favorite and follow, they mean everything to me and remind me how amazing you readers are!

a special thanks to H mae- thank you so much for your kind words. it was all a part of Mr. Diaz Starco plan.

SVTFOEfanatic- haha maybe he wants his son to be happy and knows he's too shy to make the first move. Star also asked mr. diaz for some help and he gladly agreed to. after all she is his future daughter in law haha congrats you figured it out! :D i know that quote! umm give me a sec man i heard so many versions of that one but i can't remember. ugh it eludes me so. how about this one? "there is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; True nobility is being superior to your former self"

finnjr- thank you so much for your review and how much you loved the last chapter. if you want to base it off what i did, be my guest! i don't mind

IDC1314 haha don't worry about it. its life i totally understand and i remember how much i hated calculus (BURN IT BURN IT WITH FIRE!) i am honored that you want to draw my work. i am prepared for the spamming. wait *Puts on goggles* now i am

goldenflash (Puts pillow down before you faint) sooo i take it you liked it? haha thank you so much for your kind words. they mean a lot to me though warning, this next chapter is gonna kinda sorta hurt since yesterdays prompt was injury/hurt

rayfe- well Mr. Diaz naturally wants to help his daughter in law any way he can

thewookie- go ahead, i have insurance to cover all of my readers for starco related hospital bills

justin- i'm surprised he wasn't holding a cat and in a swivel chair.

tmntobession- thank you so much!

aleprettycat- Hi there! i'm glad you loved chapter 30 so much...so what am i hearing isssss more sweets. got it! I am going to be straight forward with you. I speak Spanish fairly well but it is my second language and i have honestly never written it out before. i used an old Spanish translation book to help me. reading it back, yes i should've totally used mi nombre es as it is for causal use. for the favorito part i literally stared at that sentence for 5 minutes straight *No joke* literally trying to figure out what was wrong in it. I knew it was something but the masculine and feminine rules had completely slipped my mind *Like it usually does in real life haha* I totally forgot Estrella is used as a name i mean the last time i met a girl named Estrella was my last trip to mexico when i was 12. I love my upside down punctuation marks but as proper as it was, i decided it was too much of a hassle at the moment to switch my keyboard input from english to spanish especially since my keyboard is made in amercia and thus has the standard lettering printed on them and i am not sure what symbols are keyed to what button when i switch it to spanish.. should probably experiment with that. I am so happy you enjoyed the plot despite my mistakes. i think we all agree Star knows how Marco really feels and decided to have a little fun with him. :) haha i believe you don't bite but to be honest, i am probably not going to ask you for help with spanish. trust me i know you are more than capable but its the same reason i don't have a beta. I literally can't it goes against my habits. I mean i've been writing so long for myself i...well just got used to it. no matter how hard i try, i can literally not ask someone to beta my stories or take you up on your offer. it's just a huge block right. maybe down the line i will but for now i really can't. sorry but don't worry i am practicing writing spanish more! hopefully it'll work out better. please keep sending me helpful critiques (Thank you so much for those :D. hug! and have a great weekend!

lost" 10/10 WOOT TIME TO RETIRE! haha i kid, i kid don't plan on retiring any time soon. and the prompt did saying learning/teaching spanish. it never said who was doing the teaching, just it was starco related:)

grim- hmm i wonder who...well aside me haha. if you are talking about Prince Marco from the role reverse where he is from Mewni, yes absol-freaking-utely i have three chapters planned for that Cheer up Marco, Mewberty and blood moon ball. I'm trying to finish the sol star AU request because fanfictionfordayz has been waiting a while for it so hopefully the next chapter of the RR Au is coming soon. to a fanfiction near you!

and of course my guest reviewer thank you so much i am glad you enjoyed it so though you accidentally made me hungry for ham...or was it on purpose? hmm

so first starco corner. I draw cartoons 13 14 has this really cute Star wearing a sombrero on her page, give that a look. here on FF PFtones new chapter of Princess and the safe kid is so cool and sweet makes me wish i thought of it *maybe might do my own spin on it but there's a lot of AU's in my vault so...maybe i should slow down a bit* haha oh and there's this really cool artist that i've always enjoyed their pictures but never knew who they were. now i do! check out spatziline over on tumblr for some really cute starco *among others* pictures that just rule in all kinds of ways. i also have no idea but i wish them a happy birthday! happy birthday spatziline, i don't have a tumblr and i have no idea if you read these stories but happy birthday anyway!

okay Thursdays or part 4 of STARCO WEEK is injury/hurt (Today's being first date)

so going to be straight up with you wonderful people, the first date prompt and tomorrows prompt whatever it is may not be done over the weekend. I have to finish if i miss you which hopefully will be up later tonight or early tomorrow. the weekends going to be a bit busy for me but expect both first date and whatever saturday's prompt is on the same day. so you know two chapters in a day

so here's my version of hurt/injury which as i took as hurt the readers with crippling emotional pain :D haha seriously this might hurt. anyway thank you so much you wonderful readers you make writing a blast! and it makes me so happy you all enjoy it so. thank you for everything, enjoy the story and i own nothing! now i have to go torment Marco even further with a giant shadowy beast older than time itself!

* * *

Star desperately tried her hardest to stop the blood from pouring out of Marco's chest, each ragged and deathly rattle caused his skin to became paler every time he coughed.

She couldn't stop the tears from pooling in her eyes, dripping down her cheeks, her normally bright pink hearts replaced by constantly turning hourglasses, a grim reminder how little time she had as the sun began to set in the sky.

"Come on Marco, please just hold on!" She cried loudly, unable to recognize the voice that echoed through the empty neighborhood, the voice drowning in a grief that weighed far too heavy to bear.

Marco's gaze fell upon her face but it was distance and faded as if he was looking far passed the blonde hair princess. He slowly raised his hand, his blood slowly falling onto the grass below.

"S-Star..." Marco muttered weakly, his eyes squinted, searching for her in the fog of pain and cold he was embraced by

Star let out a sob, unable to stop herself as her bloody hands gripped his tightly.

"Marco, Marco I'm here! Marco just hold on!"

Star looked urgently for Marco's cell phone, lost somewhere during the battle. She had to call those stupid 3 numbers that were currently eluding her since Mr. and Mrs. Diaz were off somewhere, far away and unaware their beloved son was dying in their own backyard.

"S-Star...?" Marco whispered, shivering violently as his body tried its hardest to maintain its functionality with the slowly dwindling supply of blood it was left with.

Star glanced at the pool of blood on Marco's chest, the fist size hole that was hidden underneath still flashing in her mind.

"S-Star...a-are you okay? A-ar...are you safe?"

Star broke, crying freely at the idea that even now, even at death's door, Marco was more concerned with her safety, how she was doing than the fact he was bleeding out.

How was she suppose to answer that? Her best friend and possibly the only person that ever understood her was dying at her feet, his icy cold hand weakly holding onto her bloody, warm ones with a frightened and despairing grip as if somehow holding onto Star would save him.

How did this go so wrong? Why did Marco had to play the hero? Why didn't Star save herself? If she did, Marco wouldn't be...wouldn't be...

It was a normal afternoon. School was over, the two teens chattered happily about their plans for the night. Some ideas were tossed around: dimension hopping, hanging out at the mall, calling Oskar (Shot down at once by Marco), calling Jackie (Shot down in an instant by Star) before the two settled on nachos and a movie night.

"Hello! Mom! Dad?" Marco's voice rang through the silent house, the lack of a response telling the teens that they were alone.

Star raced up her room, eager to free herself from her backpack, recklessly tossing it into the bedroom before racing down the stairs to her best friend's side.

"Looks like they went shopping for something" Marco muttered, eyes still on a piece of paper on the refrigerator rather than his approaching best friend "They'll be gone for at least an hour or so."

Star smiled, trying her hardest to not blush (As her hearts had this little nasty habit of glowing brightly when she was flushed. One of the downsides of being a magical princess).

The idea of her being alone with her favorite human in the world filled her with a joy she rarely felt before.

But before either could properly relax, they saw Ludo lurking around the backyard, clearly looking for something and up to no good.

Marco and Star shared a smile and nodded in agreement: A good fight to start an awesome evening.

Marco and Star rushed out into the yard, battle ready and not at all surprised that all over Ludo's minions were laying in wait.

Ludo let out a cocky laugh, pointing directly at the teens "You have fallen for my trap, monsters get me that wand!"

Marco actually let out a laugh that was just so beautiful to Star's ears, his body twisting gracefully mid-air as he brought his foot atop of a monster.

The fight itself was a blur. Star was too caught up in the fight to really remember anything distinctive about fighting Ludo's monsters. Each time they clashed, it became more and more one sided as Star began mastery more spells in her magical arsenal.

Then that critical moment happened, Star's mistake made in her hubris when Star spotted a new monster on the other side of the yard.

It was a blue skinned humanoid lizard with sleek, gelled black hair in a well kept business suit. His yellow eyes staring at her with great distaste as if she had personally wronged him in some way and there was a dangerous intelligence in his face that Star had never seen in a monster before.

Before she could raise her wand to attack this new foe, her eyes caught sight of the brilliant gold ring on his right hand and suddenly she felt her body slacken against her will.

Star struggled helplessly as her body began moving forward towards this new monster, no longer under her control and no longer taking any orders from Star.

Star could feel a knot tighten in her stomach as the lizard's gaze became cold and predatory. She feared the worst: What did this new foe have planned? Why was he helping Ludo and how was Star going to get out of this one?

She felt a cold chill run down her body when she felt her foot sink ontop of some sort of metal plate, hidden underneath the grass, the snapping of a tripwire loud in her ears. The place she always knew to be safe now became the most dangerous spot in the world.

She wished she could close her eyes, brace her body in some way for the incoming attack but she was as powerless as a puppet with its strings cut, forced to just wait for something she could do nothing about

Suddenly she was tumbling across the ground, skidding and rolling all over the grass as her body braced itself from the sudden impact.

She leapt to her feet in triumph, confidence returning full force.

"Nice try monster buddy, but I am a magical princess! there's no way a spell like that could hold on..."

Star's throat constricted as her brain supplied all the words she needed to finish the sentence but her voice became lost, stripped away as she tried to understand what she was seeing in front of her.

Marco was laying there, his body still as if he was just watching the clouds roll by, his breathing shallow. He looked almost peaceful if it wasn't for hole in his chest quickly becoming hidden by a steadily flow of blood.

Star covered her mouth in horror, realizing that Marco had pushed her out of the way, freeing her from the lizard's control but falling directly into the path of the mysterious weapon.

The monsters looked on silently, the shock evident on their faces. They might've been evil, horrible monsters but even this was a bit too much for them.

"Well..." Ludo nervously, his eyes never leaving Marco's body "That...was not discussed before..."

Star turned only to find the lizard was no longer there, having ran away once his master plan had failed.

Ludo shifted uncomfortable as Star remained perfectly still, murderous purpose rolling off her in powerful waves that made every monster their fear for their lives.

"I...I'll just be going now"

That was the wrong thing to say.

Star snapped, twisting around, the killing intent clear within her sky blue eyes as she lifted her wand high into the air and shouted with no mercy

"SUPER NUCLEAR BUTTERFLY STORM PUNISHMENT!"

The world erupt in a blinding sea of colors as a vortex of multicolored butterflies flew through out the back yard, engulfing Ludo and his minions for a few moments before flying off into the sky.

Ludo groaned weakly, his body covered with nasty burn marks that stung worse each gentle breeze that came.

Ludo couldn't even give the order to retreat or scold his incompetent minions, opting to just open the portal as best he could, ignoring the intense and throbbing pain that racked his body as the monster shuffled through the swirling gateway, their injuries too painful to even walk a few feet safely, their bodies swaying uneasily as they made their escape.

Star's anger flushed out of her, replaced with dread and fear.

Star tried her hardest to stay calm, to remain positive but Marco's life was slipping away and every single thought that came into the young princess was useless. Each one of them unable to help more than the last.

"Marco...Marco" she whispered fearfully, his grip on her hand slacking more and more with each heartbeat.

"This is why I don't need a hero" She murmured softly, trying to hold herself as a miracle happened "This is why I don't want a hero..."

She stared into his light brown eyes, disheartened at how faded they became. Marco's eyes were her favorite shade of color.

Marco glanced up, terrifying and inky black darkness appearing at the edge of his sight and slowly closing in on the rest of it. Star's face shifted between a radiant, beautiful vision and a blurry, unfocused whirl of spectacular colors but he could hear every word she was saying, her face unusually serious as she shared her most well kept secret with the dying boy.

"People think because I act crazy...reckless...irresponsible they assume I'm dumb, I'm carefree and that I never think about my actions...about the future..."

Marco shook his head, knowing full well none of that was true.

Star gave him a little smile. He did understand. He knew the truth.

"My existence is to serve others. I live purely to service my kingdom. My life will be a constant balancing act of self sacrificing actions and forever being the target of evil, horrible monsters attempting to steal my wand for themselves until I pass the burden onto my daughter. But my people will live in the peace."

Star looked at Marco, sorrow in her crystal blue eyes

"I can't be selfish, I can't be greedy, I can't live for me...I have to live for others."

"But I want someone kind, caring, sweet who loves me for me. Fun to be around, just loves me for being Star Butterfly."

She took a deep breath

"I don't want a hero. Heroes are selfless, they give everything up for others whatever the cost. I am that heroine. I am the one that will give up everyone for someone. Heroes give up everything for anyone...Heroes save everyone. I want someone who will save just me. I don't want someone who will die for me. I want someone who will live for me, who will do everything they can for me because they love me. I want someone who will fight tooth and nail just to come back to my side, to chase away the loneliness and sorrow that will come with my burden.

Star clutched at her heart tightly, Marco's blood staining her outfit "I don't want to be alone...I don't want to be trapped, unloved. I...I just want someone to spend my days with. I want someone whom I can selfishly call my own, keep to myself because DAMMNT IT'S ALL I HAVE! IT'S THE ONLY TIME I CAN TRULY BE SELFISH! AND NO ONE CAN BLAME ME!"

She let out a heart breaking sob "No one can blame me..."

Marco's hand slipped out of her grasp, limp and lifeless.

Star could feel her heart breaking as Marco's closed his eyes, unable to keep fighting off the inevitable.

"Damnit Marco" Star screamed at him, violently pounding at his chest "This isn't how this story is supposed to end! You were supposed to realize you love me as much I love you! You were supposed to realize how perfect we are together! You were suppose to take me on our first day and it would be awkward and just horrible but we wouldn't care because we would finally be together! You were suppose to be my first kiss! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE CUTEST LITTLE GIRL EVER! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GROW OLD TOGETHER!

Star chocked out, unable stop her heart from breaking in half "You were suppose to be my king...my Marco..."

A righteous fury surged through Star as she lifted herself to her feet, raising her wand and pointing directly at her fallen friend. One spell, one spell and Marco would come back. Her wand glowed with an evil, bright red hue.

She was tempted, so tempted. There was a spell that raise the dead. Give life to those who had lost it. It was the only way to save Marco.

Her eyes were empty as she began muttering enchanting under her breath, a chilling wind picked up, the air become unnaturally thick as the skies darkened.

One more word and Marco would return...

except...he wouldn't

Star stopped, the world around returning to its former, bright self.

She couldn't use the spell...it was unnatural, borderline dark magic and anyone brought back that way didn't really come back. More like a husk of their former selves given movement, similar but never the same.

And she wanted her Marco, exactly as he was.

She fell to her knees, tears splashing onto the boy's face but he made no effort to clear them away.

"What good is being a magical princess if there's nothing magical about me!" Star screamed, wiping away her tears.

She glanced at Marco's lips, the very lips she dreamt of ever since he swept her off her feet at the Blood Moon Ball

Souls bounded together forever? What a cosmic joke...

Star leaned in. this isn't how she wanted their first kiss to be but it was only chance now before his lips grew cold.

She pressed her lips against his still warm ones, nearly breaking down at the touch of them. For one brief moment she could feel his body pulsing with life, his heart giving one last strong thump before remaining still.

Part of her knew she should stop but she couldn't. This was it. This was the one moment of happiness in her life before a lifetime of sadness and isolation. She had to make this last as long as she could.

Star began moving her lips against his, wishing for that miracle that always happened in those fairytales. The last minute save and the happily ever after...but this was real life, not some child's dream. There were no miracles...not everyone got a happily ever after.

Star's eyes shot open when she could feel his heart slowly began beating anew, his lips eagerly responding to hers. Star pulled away and was surprised to see Marco's head lift up to follow her, color returning to his pale skin.

Star took a glance at his wound, blood flowing back into his body as the sound of ribs realigning and skin growing at an increasingly rapid rate filled her ears. The wound quickly began to heal, the blood disappearing from her hands, her clothes even his body.

Star's eyes went wide when the wound closed itself, a bright flash of a pink light blinding her before showing her a new sight. Directly at the center of his chest were his fatal wound had once been was now a purple heart, similar to those she created during Mewberty.

Her fingers brushed against the heart, his skin warm to the touch. The mark was superimposed onto his skin remaining a symbol on his chest for all time.

She leaned closer to his face, letting a laugh of pure joy at the sight of Marco's eyes widening in a panic, his mouth wide as he took large gulps of air.

"S-Star?" Marco whispered, unable to comprehend what was going on "Am I..."

"Alive'" She cried, wiping away newly formed tears from her eyes "You're alive!"

"How?"

Star shook her head. She hadn't the slightest clue. Was her so called magical nature? Had it been the power of the Blood Moon? Or perhaps some otherworldly force was behind sparing Marco's life?

It didn't matter. Marco was alive. That's what was important.

Star sat down next to Marco, placing his head onto her lap as she gently began brushing his hair.

The pair sat that, content in each other's presence

"Star..."

She smiled brightly at him "Yes Marco?"

"Since I almost died...it really puts things into perspective"

"I bet"

"Did you want go out...with me?"

She giggled at his shy, bright red face. Even facing death hadn't helped the poor boy with his fear of asking Star out.

"Of course Marco. I would love to go out with you"

Marco smiled like he won the lottery "Great...I...I've always really..."

Star placed a finger over his lips "Rest Marco, you...you had a long day."

Marco nodded tiredly, closing his eyes and falling asleep quickly thanks to Star's gentle touch.

Star couldn't stop grinning as she softly kissed Marco's forehead, elastic at how warm and soft his skin felt.

"I don't need a hero...I just need my Marco."


	33. First Date (STARCO WEEK)

Marco let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair as he leaned his head against smooth, cold wall tile of the restaurants' bathroom. He brought his knees to his chest, his hands lazily atop his knees as he let out a frustrated growl.

"Tonight was suppose to be perfect! No monsters, narwhals destroying everything and definitely no rampaging hoards of llamas! Just me and Star on our first date..."

You heard him right folks, Marco Diaz finally asked out his best friend and long time crush Star Butterfly out on a date. Not a fake date, not a practice date, not a friend date. A real honest to goodness date.

It was in earlier in the day, Star and Marco laying lazily on the couch together, her body encompassing one half of the couch, his taking up the other half while their legs hanging over the couch arms, nervously twitching as the two met cheek to cheek in the middle.

"This is nice huh Marco?" Star muttered softly, sending chills down the young man's spine, the softness of her heart covered cheek against his making him so incredibly happy. He never knew how Star always kept her skin so smooth but he wasn't complaining.

"Hey Marco, what do you have plan today?" Star questioned, moving her head to face him. Marco's cheeks flushed as he followed her example, her bright blue eyes peered at him with the cutest curious look, melting his brain into puddle.

"Umm...Marco? Maaaaarco! MARCO!"

Marco leapt backwards in surprised as Star snapped her fingers, startling the poor boy and send him sprawling onto the floor.

"Marco! Are you okay?" Star raced forward a playful smile at the sight of Marco weakly scratching his head in complete embarrassment. It was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Well for now. Marco always seemed to top himself every once in a while.

"Y-yeah , sorry I...I was thinking about something" 

Marco Diaz actually did have something planned for tonight. Now if it actually happens would all depend on his personal courage to ask his best friend out. Marco had reserved a table for 2 at Echo Creek Eatery, one of the most exclusive places in the city. Marco couldn't even begin to remember all the countless favors he performed even get one seat, let alone two.

His plan was simple: Ask Star to dinner, a real date. Take her to said date and be so cool and perfect that he swept the magical princess off her feet. It was the only way he could be even remotely close to being worthy of Star. Everything had to go perfect.

And given how this was starting out, he highly doubt it was going to end well for him.

That wasn't the only thing stopping him. Recently Star went out on a date with Oskar and while she admitted it wasn't at all what she was hoping for, she also let it slip that she was hoping someone else would step up to the plate. Star was getting a little impatient waiting for this mysterious person to take his chance with her.

Marco's stomach churned, unsure who else Star had her eye own. There were so many boys in their class, heck in their entire school that would kill for a chance to take Star Butterfly out on a date. He should know, he was one of them.

And not that you could really blame them: With her bright, sunshine like hair, sparkling hypnotic blue eyes and her upbeat, happy go lucky, sweet personality, it was hard not to be infected by Star, just be a blubbering mess of smiles and derailed trains of thoughts.

Marco let out a depressed sigh, unsure if he could muster the courage he needed.

"Marco...are you okay? You sounded pretty depressed just now"

Marco mentally slapped himself. He hadn't meant to physically release the sigh.

"I...I-I'm fine" he whispered feebly.

Star pursed her lips, falling onto the floor and sitting directly across from him, eyes wide with concern and caring. Seriously Marco could just kiss her.

He also should've known there was no way to fool her. Star knew him better than himself. She knew when he was sad, when something was bothering him, when he needed a Star hug. Sometimes it felt like she even knew how he truly felt about her, randomly calling him into her room to see which outfit looked cuter on her or leaping onto his back, holding onto his shoulder gently as Marco gave her a piggyback ride, the two running at top speed just lost in the thrill of being next to each other.

"Marco..."

Marco let out a sigh. He might as well get this over with. It was like an old band aid. The sooner you ripped it off, the sooner you could scream out in pain, cursing under your breath before the pain finally faded.

Star's smiled grew when she noticed Marco shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. She loved having this power over him. Not only was it a clear sign Marco may have some really deep seated romantic feelings towards her, he was so adorable Star could just kiss him right there and then. She's nearly done it a few times before when she barely resisted the allure of his lips but with each passing day, the temptation to just kiss the boy grew. She spent all her time with him and constant exposure to her best friend just intoxicating and made her yearn for him more. She wasn't sure how much of this she could take before she leapt into the unknown and went for it.

"...I want to ask someone out...I...I got reservations to this really nice restaurant..." Marco muttered quietly, eyes downcast and unable to look at Star.

Star's heart burst full of jealousy, the urge to drop a narwhal on the lucky girl becoming a frightening reality as her wand glowed with a pinkish hue. Then she noticed the lack of eye contact from Marco, the pinkish tint his cheeks became painted with, the fidgeting of his fingers. Was he talking about asking her out?

Star's Cheshire-like grin let out the cutest giggle Marco ever heard.

"You should go for it. You're a great guy! Who wouldn't want to go out with you?"

You, Marco muttered in the back of his brain sadly.

"..."

Star leaned forward expectantly, wishing and praying this was the moment she dreamt of all these months.

"S-Star..." Marco flushed even worse, paying attention to her shoes rather than her face "I...I was wondering...i...if you wanted to..."

"I'll TOTALLY GO OUT WITH YOU!"

The shock on Marco's face was nothing compared to Star's, her eyes fearful while she covered her mouth with both her hands, wand across her lip as if sealing it from any more outbursts.

What was she thinking? What if Marco didn't want to go with her? How could she just assume! She briefly wondered if there was a memory spell she could use on Marco. N-not that sure would but you know if he accidentally were to be hit by such a spell...

Marco burst out laughing but before Star could voice her concerns Marco smiled happily in her direction

"Not how I was planning but awesome! Great, it's a date then."

The teens began turning pink as Marco surged forward "W-wait I mean if you want it to be a date! Which I mean I know you wouldn't because..."

Marco stopped dead in his tracks as Star's lips made contact with his cheek.

"Not how I was planning it but it works" She smiled brightly "Sounds great Marco. About time you asked me"

Marco realized that he was the one Star had been waiting for.

Marco could feel his heart racing as he stared at Star across the table from him. She was wearing some sparkly, gleaming light pink dress that seemed to reflect the dim lights in a shimmery sea that gave her a radiant glow. Her hair was done in an upwards bun with two curly strains on either side of her face, framing it perfectly.

"Y-you look amazing" Marco stuttered, feeling increasingly embarrassed under the magical princess's gaze.

Star giggled "Thank you Marco, you look amazing too"

and it was true. With his light brown hair gelled backwards, the restaurant's subtle atmosphere giving Marco's face an excellent lighting that really brought out her two favorite features of her best friend: His cute little mole and his caramel/chocolate color that made up his eyes. He wore a fancy navy blue coat with matching slacks, vest and bowtie, white collared shirt completely the look. He looked incredibly handsome, the urge to kiss him just grew.

"I am here to take your order" The waiter arrived, uneasily prepared to take the couple's order.

The two shared a glance with one another before turning to their waiter, their jaws dropping at the same time.

It was Buff Frog wearing a small wig and glasses over his eyes but his large form, wide yellow eyes and monstrous appearance wasn't fooling anyone

"Buff Frog!" They cried but he pretended to be startled by their accusation.

"Who? I am not this Buff Frog, I am Gaston" he muttered, waving his hands in a panic.

The two stared at each other, unsure to laugh or feel insulted if Ludo thought this plan was going to work.

Before either of them could hurl threats at the obvious attempt at Star's wand, another almost identical man came walking towards the two, confusing them at the sight of two Buff Frogs in poor disguises.

"I am Gaston, your waiter how may..." The waiters stared at each other in disbelief.

"Who are you?" they shouted at each other

"Umm Marco" Star asked slowly, unsure if she was really seeing what she was seeing.

"I see them Star."

"You are an imposter!" One shouted to the other.

"No you are the imposter!" the other replied in the exact same accent, tone everything. A perfect match.

"Can I narwhal blast them both?"

Marco shook his head, unsure how to solve this problem "I don't think that would be a good idea to strike our waiter before we get our order."

The pair stared at the twin waiters argue with one another, the urge to leave growing each second.

Star let out a puff of anger. Ludo was ruining her date and she was getting very angry at idea losing any time she could be spending with Marco.

She slammed her hands on the table violently, startling Marco, the waiters and everyone else in the room as she rose to her feet, a breathtaking combination of beauty and pure rage.

"That's it! I AM NARWHAL BLASTING THEM BOTH!"

Before Marco could even think about stopping Star, she reached into her purse, twirling her wand in her hands like she was carrying a revolver and aimed directly towards the two unfortunate souls that decided to interrupt her long awaited date. The wand glowed it a devilish pink gleam, the sound of magic supercharging the air sounding similar to a cannon charging.

Both waiter's looked curiously at Star, neither showing any sign that they understood how much danger they were really in.

"STAR, STAR WAIT!" Marco shouted, rising to his feet, outstretching his hand to pull away the wand.

Star leaned away from him, the wand crackling with energy as actual sparks began randomly appearing in the air surrounding the magical item.

Marco began to panic as plates, cups, forks and even people began moving back and forth subtly.

"STAR! Isn't that a little too much?!" Marco cried, a plate leaping off of their table and cracked against the floor below.

She didn't see to hear him as the air itself began shifting around, a light breeze running through the closed building.

"STAR!"

One waiter finally had enough, his eyes wide in fear as he began leaping away on all fours, his wig and glasses falling off to reveal, big surprise, Buff Frog.

"NARWHAL BLAST!" Star yelled, flying off her feet as the wand exploded with the force of a cannon, a large, whale sized narwhal crushed everything in front of it with the force of a freight train, knocking people towards the floor, overturning tables and smashing Buff Frog against the wall of the restaurant, the building unable to take the force of the attack and allowing the narwhal to break through, squishing Buff Frog against another building before it began to hop away, each time it connected with the ground causing a small quake.

"Wow...did not know I could do that." Star muttered as Ludo's monsters shed their disguises. Turns out the other patrons in the path of Star's attack were the monsters laying in wait. Why Ludo didn't use one of the more convincing monsters was beyond Star.

"Oh...my...my head" a tall trench coat, fedora wearing man mutter tiredly as he rose to his feet, the coat and hat falling away to reveal Ludo on top of Bearicorn's shoulders.

"G-Get me that..." Ludo groaned weakly as he fell forward, landing directly landing on his stomach. "the wand."

Before any monster could shake off their daze, there was a loud, rushing sound coming from outside. Suddenly without warning a large horde of llamas appeared, attracted by the noise and smell of delicious food wafting through the air.

Ludo's monsters stood no chance as they quickly ran down by the approaching herd, the sounds of bones crunching underhoof filling the air as the llamas made their way to the kitchen, a small, thin man chasing after them trying to get them back into the mobile petting zoo before they caused too much damage.

Marco took this time to slip into the men restroom, lamenting how horrible and terrible this date became.

"Marco?" Star's voice called as her footsteps began echoing loudly against the tile walls and floors.

Star found him huddled against the wall, disappointment etched in his face.

Star let out a sigh before sitting down next to him, placing her head on his shoulder.

"S-Star? STAR you can't be in here! This is the guy's restroom."

Star scoffed at the idea a little sign could stop her from spending time with her Marco.

"Like some little sign is going to me from being with you."

There was a content silence between to before Marco could feel Star's body tense up in fear.

"Marco..." Star's soft voice whispered in his ear "I'm really sorry I ruined our date."

Marco couldn't believe what he was hearing, why on earth would Star even think she...

"I shouldn't have charged my wand so much..I...I didn't even know I could do that. I got so excited...I..lost control and destroyed half of the restaurant..."

Marco wrapped around her shoulder, drawing her closer as he laughed gently at how cute she was.

Star flushed as she heard his joyous laugh, unsure why he was so happy despite how bad this date turned out.

"Star, you didn't ruin the date! In fact you managed to take out most of the monsters in one shot! And in a really cool way! It was awesome! I just...I just wish...I wanted this night to be perfect. I've wanted to ask you out for so long and...and Ludo ruined it..."

"Marco" Marco turned to see Star placing her hands on his chest.

"Marco, I don't care how perfect or terrible a date goes. All I care about is being with you! Even now I am just having so much fun" she twitched shyly as Marco wrapped his arms around her "Tonight was perfect to me because you were with me...Marco, I..."

Her confession was cut short when Marco's lips caught hers, her body relaxing as the two began to get lost in their kiss, all of their true feelings being shown to the other through this one sweet action.

The pair jumped away from each other when there was a loud knock at the door.

Star quickly rose to her feet, practically stomping over to the door before angrily flinging it open.

It was the manager of the restaurant, staring at a very provoked blonde girl.

"Ma'am, I'm...I'm sorry but I can't ignore the damages to my restaurant so..."

"You saw what I did to those monsters" Star started, the manager nodded nervously

"Yes that's exactly why..."

"So you know I can fix it no problem?"

The manager shifted nervously "Well I suppose that's true but..."

Star got right into the man's face, her sparkling blue eyes alive with malice intent.

"I am finally getting the one thing I've wanted for a long time now. I will narwhal blast you if you ruin this for me"

The manager nodded fearfully as Star gave him a bright smile, waving at him happily as she shut the door "Kay, thanks bye!"

"I...I think I should leave them alone for now..." he whispered to himself as the scattered monsters groaned as one

"We told you this was a bad idea Master Ludo"


	34. A very Starry Prom (STARCO WEEK)

Hello fanfiction! Author here, hoping you are well and good. Many warm thank yous for every review, favorite and follow. you readers are the best!

a special thanks to h mae- Star can be quite a handful. haha i feel like that sometimes watching the show, just chanting just kiss already JUST KISS! trust me Star's a sweet girl but lord help you if you try to take her Marco time away. thank you so much.

SVTFOEfanatic- i am not going to lie, i totally missed i note to myself to remind me to mention that their leader was named Kuzco oh well. don't worry thank you so much for even leaving a review, it means the world to me :D "What are you doing? does it look like we're out of danger? keep swimming! MOVE THOSE LITTLE CHUBBY LEGS OF YOURS MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

ultragamerkitty- i am glad you enjoyed it so much. i think we needed a joke chapter after the last one. and don't worry no monsters or llamas were killed during the filming of this scene. though Buff Frog was very badly hurt but he'll live

Finnjr- no the manager just really likes a well kept restaurant. thank you so much and i look forward to it. contact me at any time should you require my assistance. i am Alfred to your batman.

Secret Sauze- haha i watched episode 3 times which is why this took forever to upload. it was too cute and i demand more Janna interactions with Marco because they are funny. but there is no threat to the Starco shi[. STARCO FOREVER! thank you so much and i hope you keep enjoying my work.

thewookie- the forces of evil part of Star vs isn't referring to ludo or even Toffee, its really about the llamas, the secret overlords of darkness. Star is about to have one hell of a fight on her hands.

lost: do you not remember her memories from freeze day? she stole from ogres, she dressed like a bad girl, she took a carriage for a joy ride! Star is totally thug life! This is the last prompt of Starco week. Once i finish with the requests i have left, i will be taking more down the line but maybe a few months time. we will see but for sure i will be opening up for requests again. never apologize for long texts! LONG TEXTS ARE LIFE!

alprettycat- they totally adorkable which is why we love them so. haha i am so happy you enjoyed both chapters. let's not lie, you totally loved Marco being a cutie pie. admit it, you know you did :D

Sugheman- thank you so much. yes my dear readers even aliens ship starco. i also made a deal with them to revive you lovely readers should i accidentally overdose you on fluff.

grim- the next one is prom though i admit not too much of it. haha oh well. after that well i'll announce that in a bit.

IDC1314- HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN! i hope you had a great day and i have a several part series of KP planned. trust me i have way too many aus planned and its hard to pick where to go next. you are very welcome for both the hug and present. you keep being awesome too and i totally am going to write about that ice skating picture you drew. too cute.

Justin- that was with the other boy. Ludo knows they hang out all the time so he didn't think this time was any different. now he knows don't ever mess with Star's Marco time lest ye beware the llamas of march.

so first up Starco corner. Idrawcartoons1314 has some pretty cute pictures up on her instagram, including star and Marco ice skating. we got a new chapter from nothing comes easy from axis, diaz family road trip by unluckywrites, in full bloom an awesome different set of events after mewberty by completelycomatose and time twisted where Marco is sent far into the future by eggoraptor. and just in case you've been waiting too long, i have updated my other story if i miss you

Okay the final prompt of Starco week, prom. not going lie didn't really focus on the prom but i hope you enjoy anywya.

Some announcements. First of all i will not be updating tomorrow, it might be a very busy day at work and with this heat, i will be too busy trying not to die. that being said Look for an update of Starco academy and the stand alone story of Marco Diaz vs the world coming soon. I also have a very special project planned that will be completely ran by you awesome fans called Marco and Star's Jukebox where i basically recreate or write original scenarios for classic disney songs that you fans vote for (Which i may open up to other songs later) so keep your eye for that though dont pm about the songs. first one has been chosen and then i'll give you epic people options.

well thank you so much you amazing people, keep being just great readers. I hope you enjoy the last prompt of Starco week. since i want to keep the dance scenes down to prevent you guys from being burned out, Sol and Star will be pushed back to next week with it being the last time i push it back i swear. Now if you excuse me Marco has to kidnap Star in 19th century steampunk London. thank you so much, please enjoy and I own nothing!

* * *

Marco Diaz hated Oskar Greason. Not dislike, not mildly annoyed by the fellow teen. Marco straight up hated Oskar.

At first he wasn't sure how to feel about him, having gotten off on the wrong foot when Star spiraled into a downward depression when he failed to call all those years ago. Countless attempts and only when Ludo had attacked the pair did Star snap out of it and return to her beautiful, happy self. Then he called and Star fell in love in that literally 10 second conversation.

Her infatuation just grew worse and worse through the passing years. She swore Oskar was the one for her, her true love, the one who could understand her on the deepest level possible.

She began saying that Oskar was the one when the two 14 year old teens were more caught up in the present and having fun, the future a far off and impossible idea to grasp, Marco nodded. Star knew what she wanted and went for it, something Marco admired her for and wish he could follow her example and her courage.

As she began repeating her belief, the 15th year of their lives came around. Marco began to inching his way pass her in terms of height, the pair remained reckless and full of wanderlust but began to mature in subtle ways. For some reason Jackie Lynn Thomas did not make his heart beat as fast as it once did a year ago and instead Star now quickened his pulse, her hugs turning his chest into a bongo drum.. Still, Star vowed to hold a full minute of Oskar's attention while Marco vowed to ask out Jackie. The pair smiled and supported each other as they always had.

16 came and went in a spectacular fashion. Jackie was not the girl Marco thought she was, finally gaining the courage to ask her out only discover they had no chemistry, nothing in common. They decided friends suited them better and allowed their relationship to dissolve peacefully. Star still pinned for Oskar, determined to get him to look at her for longer than 5 minutes. Marco knew that's when he began hating Oskar, Star desperately and hopeless trying anything from new outfits, learning music (Which she promptly gave up on), even baiting Ludo to attack her in hopes Oskar would jump in to help defend her (He didn't) while Marco began to realize he may like Star more than he should've

It was during this time Marco and Star's friendship was strained to the breaking point. Star refused to leave Oskar's side, everyday a new idea, a new plan to get Oskar to like her. It began spilling over to Marco and suddenly they did not go dimension hopping, they did not hang out, Star often ditched Marco for her latest Oskar plan. They became strangers that lived in the same house.

There was a deep hole left behind when Star began to be absorbed by her Oskar plan. No matter how hard he tried, Marco couldn't fill the void left by the magical princess. He threw himself into his studies, into karate, even finally taking up his mother on her cooking lessons but nothing helped lessen the pain from the lack of Star in his life.

Eventually Marco confronted Star, angrily accusing her of focusing on Oskar, that her borderline obsession was really hurting everything else in her life. Star cryptically replied she totally wasn't confused, she wanted Oskar and she wasn't in denial. Before Marco could even react to that, she turned the tables, claiming he was a horrible friend, that he abandoned when she needed him most, that he was actively sabotaging her chances at happiness. The absolute worse.

It was too much for Marco as he felt betrayed by his former best friend and replaced by Oskar, unable to believe that Star cared for a boy who barely showed any interest in her more than him. after all they had done, all they had gone through. His anger grew, too large and impossible to contain within his body.

Star covered her mouth upon realizing what had spilled out of her mouth. This was Marco. Her best friend. Very person she missed terribly when he began dating Jackie, the coils of jealousy settling deep within her heart at the sight of them for some strange reason. She knew she was going pretty far in her quest to win Oskar's affection but she did not why. She felt like she needed him to like her, to justify all the wasted time and effort because Marco wouldn't always be around...one day he would leave her to pursuit his own happiness and that frightened her in ways she couldn't begin to understand.

She knew she went too far when Marco turned to her, eyes cold and distance in a way that she had never seen, not even to his most hated foe Jeremy. She braced herself, ready for the worst thing she could ever think of: an angry Marco. Marco stepped closer to her, each inch feeling too close for the young princess. He was blazing with self righteous fury and she knew she deserved it. This was Marco. Even now, distance, he still supported her. Made her nachos when she forgot to eat, picked up after her when one of her plans ran long. How could she even say that to him?

Marco opened his mouth and Star flinched, closing her eyes in terror. What came was the worst, devastating thing she had ever heard and far painful than she expected.

What came out was a soft sob, almost inaudible to the world but she heard it, the pain and sadness laced within breaking her heart. She opened her eyes, Marco's fury gone, replaced with a haunted and defeated look. Tears pooled in his eyes, trailing down his cheeks slowly. He looked like the world he knew had been ripped away, taken from him forcibly and now unsure what to do next.

She reached out to comfort him but it was the wrong thing to do. The sudden movement startled him. He jumped back, having completely forgotten where he was, his body trembling against his will as he stared at Star like he didn't know her.

Before Star could fix her mistake, he ran, unable to handle this.

"MARCO!" she cried but she was too late, he was gone just like the first day they met all those years ago.

Star raced after her best friend but somehow she lost in the few seconds he had over her. She never understood how he was faster than her.

She searched for hours before finally finding him where he had ran to all those years ago, mopping outside Stop & Slurp. What surprised Star was the army of defeated monsters at his feet. True Marco was lightly bleeding from a small cut that managed bypass through his hood but all in all, Marco was perfectly fine. Well relatively fine.

"Marco did you..." Star whispered in awe, quietly holding onto his hand tightly, afraid he'd run away from her once more as she began to heal his injury.

Marco silently nodded, unable to even face Star without a flash of pain coursing through his body.

"Marco I'm sorry, I didn't mean that...I...I was just hurt and angry but I was wrong" Star muttered, guilt stabbing into her as she felt Marco shake under her fingers.

Marco remained silent, unsure how to even respond.

Eventually Marco turned to Star and hugged her softly. Star was so overjoyed that she rushed into his arms only to realize something was off. He was holding back, unable to open up to his best friend out of fear of being hurt once more and Star knew it was all her fault.

Marco had changed after that day. He stopped caring about becoming too self aware. He began speaking Spanish in public, he no longer overreacted towards the dangerous world around him having embraced life as is though the biggest surprise (And cutest in Star's opinion) was a long hidden secret. Turns out Marco PH.D was not just for show. Marco began wearing his glasses, having admitted to using contacts to avoid being fun of.

But such change came at a high cost. He was no longer outspoken, his confidence plummeted to levels far worse than when Star met him and he became quiet and withdrawn. They were friends once more but Star could feel him holding back his affection, his guard always raised whenever they were alone. Star couldn't blame him. He lowered his guard for her and he was met with pain and was unappreciated.

Senior year came and the 17 year old's friendship slowly began to mend. Star dropped her Oskar plan for her more important and if she was going to be honest, more rewarding Marco plan. She spent every moment she could with her best friend, cracking jokes, encouraging him, even able to get a light tease about his subtle on his chin here and there. At first he was extremely distance, a thin smile often her only prize for her efforts. But soon came a full smile, a laugh, a happy twinkling of the eyes and even full blown laughter. They teased, dimension hopped, helped each other out and became best friends once more. Present day Marco slowly became the Marco she once knew. It was at this time she realized she had fallen in love with the young Earthling, his presence infectious and creating longing she had never known before.

It was the end of the year when she heard some girls plotting to ask Marco out to prom, citing with all that karate training and those glasses, he was too cute to pass up. Indeed Marco had grown up quite handsomely and soon all the girls demanded his attention.

Star could feel jealous bubbling in her stomach but as she raced to ask Marco out, Sabrina had beaten her to the punch, she clutching her pom poms as the pair met in front of the school.

"Marco...I...I was wondering" she muttered nervously "if you wanted to go to prom with me?"

Marco was taken back, unsure he was properly hearing her right. He never expected someone to want to go to prom with him.

Star covered her mouth as she let out an angry growl but before she could blast Sabrina, Marco replied "Oh, I'm sorry Sabrina. I'm not planning to go to prom, just an evening at home with Star."

Sabrina frowned, disappointed at his rejection while Star silently cheered, flushing at Marco's words.

Marco gave the poor girl a well meaning hug before telling she was a pretty girl and no doubt would find someone to take her to prom.

Sabrina smiled weakly, still stinging from rejection but feeling much better due to Marco's kindness.

Star was sure Marco was making it up. He was simply for the chance to ask the right girl (Jackie Star muttered bitterly in her mind) but as prom approached, Marco's answer had not changed. He was planning on spending the evening with Star and rejected all admirers. Star knew he was up to something but couldn't put her finger on what it was. But it looked like to find out, she would have to miss prom and as much as she had been looking forward to it, she rather lose it than her Marco.

Prom night came and Star stayed locked up in her room, wondering if anything was going to happen tonight. She admitted she didn't want to venture to the outside world in case her high hopes had gotten too high. Marco told everyone who wanted to spend the night with Star but it was 5 o'clock and there was no sign of him.

Star let out a sigh before tumbling over the bed, reaching for her book spells to see if there was something to help her pass the time.

Her eyes widened when her hands found empty air, her spellbook was gone and she was briefly worried if Janna snuck in and had taken it again. She glanced around and realized her wand was missing too!

She clutched at her in a panic, unsure where the magical item had gone when there was a knock at her door.

Star raced to the door as fast as she could only to see Mrs. Diaz smiling face, Star's wand resting gently in her hands.

"You forgot this Mija" Mrs. Diaz told her, handing the young princess the wand as she took a step in.

"THANK THANK THANK YOU MRS. DIAZ! I..." she was confused when Mrs. Diaz began circling around her, taking in every aspect of her from every angle "Mrs. Diaz?"

"Oh I'm sorry Star" She gave her a bright smile "Marco asked me to help you get ready for tonight."

Star couldn't keep the confusion off her face. What was Mrs. Diaz talking about.

"Marco told me to tell you if you want to go to prom, you best get ready"

Star blushed wildly, unable to believe what she was hearing. Marco was taking her to prom? But how? The tickets had been sold out for weeks and Marco never went inside the office to purchase them. What happened to their evening at home?

"O-okay Mrs. Diaz. Help me get ready, please?"

the time flew as the older woman began preparing Star for prom, the two of the chatting happily, almost like family.

Star was curious about what Mrs. Diaz had in mind but the older woman refused to let Star see until she was finished.

35 agonizingly slow minutes later, she was ready and thrown a dress to put on.

"I'm sure you'll have Marco's jaw drop to the floor" She giggled as she exited the room.

"MRS. DIAZ!" Star shouted, bright faced and embarrassed but Mrs. Diaz gave her a sly grin.

Star turned over the dress in her hands, nervously exactly what was waiting for her downstairs.

Marco paced back and forth. He wondered if what he was doing was okay, was a good idea. It seemed like the perfect plan all those months ago but now...

"Mijo, relax. I'm sure Star would love this surprise!" Mr. Diaz told his son gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Marco shifted nervously, his jet black suit, tie and dark, blood red undershirt matching perfectly with the calaca mask he wore on his face, the very same mask he used to sneak into the blood moon ball so many years ago. As much as he hated them, contacts for a night would have to do if he wanted this to go without a hitch.

"Right, right I got this. I got this."

"Marco?" Star's voice called from the top of the stairs, sending Marco into a frenzied panic.

"Idon'tgotthisidon'tgotthis!" he began whispering fearfully, Mr. Diaz jabbing him in his the rib cage to calm him down.

Marco smiled tensely as he called back "Coming down Star?"

"Y-yes."

Marco's eyes widen at the sight of Star. Her long, blonde hair had been pulled into a braided ponytail that flowed freely on her back with a little black bow on the top.

Her dress was jet black, the exact same shade as Marco's suit. A darkened sheer top covered her neck and shoulders, wearing long arm length black gloves while the dress flowed all the way down to her ankles, the ruffles at the bottom subtle and tasteful. There was large decorative bow on the other side of the dress while she gracefully slid down the stairs in some elegant heels.

"Marco?" she whispered, unsure what she was looking for. The living room looked exactly the same and while that was a bit disappointing, Marco in that suit with perfectly combed trademark hair spikes and that familiar mask that routinely haunted her fantasies staring back at her was making up for it in a big way.

"What's going on?"

Star made her way to Marco surprised when his parents shoved them together and began taking pictures of the two.

"Oh look how cute they are!"

"Marco, Marco take off the mask, come on show us a smile!"

"Now give him a kiss on the cheek Star!"

"MOM!" Marco shouted, his voice cracking "Can we get on with it?

His parents smiled happily, moving out of the way to reveal dark red curtains covering the screen door to the backyard.

"Marco?" she asked as her best friend turned to her with a big smile.

"Star...would you go to prom with me?"

She nodded, still confused but eager to discover what Marco had in store.

He offered his arm, Star taking it with giddiness.

Marco took a deep breath as his parents removed the curtains, a red light basking over the couple as Star took in the transformed backyard.

A large tent covered the entire yard, a dozen or so chairs and tables set up, a spinning disco ball that washed everything in a blood red light hung lazily from the top. There were little penguin waiters, little bowties around their necks with the cutest little trays on their flippers as they wandered around, looking for someone to serve. Along the edges was a large moat, dolphins with hearts and stars popping their head out and chattering happily before disappearing below.

"SURPRISE STAR!" a group of people shouted.

Star let out a few tears of joy as she spotted Pony head, Ferguson and Alfonso with their dates Hope and Sabrina, Jackie with Blake, Janna chilling out next to Justin and Francis among with a few other people she couldn't properly see among with every single one of her magical creations.

"Marco..." she muttered breathlessly.

"I figured a regular prom was too boring for Star Butterfly so I got together with the others and we decided to throw a Star prom!"

Star whirled around and embraced him tightly, unable to believe Marco went through all this trouble just for her."

"Wait" she pulled away, suspicion in her eyes "you took my wand!"

"And your spell book" Glossaryck added in "Took me right from under your bed."

Marco frowned at the magical being shoving his face full of pudding and chips "Come off it Glossy, you practically threw yourself at me once you discovered what I was planning"

"MY NAME IS GLOSS..."

"Glossy, got it." Marco turned to Star, shyly and scared he may have crossed his boundaries "I...I wanted to make tonight special for you but I couldn't do it without your wand or else you'd know what was up. So...I borrowed your wand to speed up the work, Glossy helped."

"My name is..." Marco rolled his eyes, shoving a spoon full of pudding into Glossaryck's mouth, pacifying him at once.

"Sorry Star"

Star's face was unreadable as she leaned in closer to her best friendship

"So let me get this straight, you stole my wand, kept this big event from me and wrangled my tutor into helping you?"

Marco gulped fearfully "Y-Yes"

Star pursed her lips thoughtfully "So I guess you have to make it up to me"

"H-how?"

Star gripped Marco's hands tightly "By dancing with me and only me tonight! No other girls in your dance card."

Marco smiled brightly "That sounds more than fair Star..."

The two became lost in each others eyes, leaning in close when a booming voice rang out, starling the two and making them jump back embarrassment.

"Now ladies and gentlemen! It's time for your Blood Moon Prom King and Queen!"

Marco looked lost "Wait that's not suppose to be till..."

"Your king is Marco Diaz!"

Before Marco could even let out a confused "hmmuh? The announcer quickly carried on

"And your queen is Star Butterfly!"

The pair were suddenly mob rushed by the others, dragging them to the dance floor while making sure they were close enough to still hold hands.

Marco stumbled forward, quickly catching Star.

The two stared at each other, unsure what to do next.

Brown met blue as the soft chiming of an organ began to float through the air, its cheerful but dark tune triggering a memory long since buried but forever dreamt of. It was the same music from the blood moon ball all those years ago when the two shared their first dance.

Marco gripped Star's hands tightly, spinning her around as the soft, blood red light became a spotlight upon them, sending the two spiraling backwards in time.

Star could feel history repeating, the stunned, dazed look on her face once more as she smiled slowly, Marco's mask just as mysterious and alluring as it had been before.

But this time she knew who lay beneath the mask and she wanted more for him to remove it so she could properly enjoy the moment.

Marco hadn't been expecting to win king. He expected Star to win Queen easily but apparently Star wasn't the only that had been kept in the dark. He mused how surreal this felt, playing out a scene that happened a lifetime ago.

But this time was different.

This time he was a head taller than Star, the curves of womanhood gracing her body as his body began to fill out into a man. This time he could appreciate Star's beauty, really take in how beautiful she truly was and how hopelessly in love he was with her. He didn't care if he didn't get the girl in the end. He just wanted this moment.

Star could feel her beating heart losing itself in the melody. She couldn't handle this anymore. She spent too long and wasted too much time on the wrong man, she didn't want to lose another moment with one that truly understood and cared for her.

She reached up, lifting Marco's mask onto his head. Marco's eyes widen as history began to change this time.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself onto her tippy toes as she slowly kissed his lips, deepening the kiss when he failed to pull away

Marco began moving his lips against hers, sending wild shocks of electricity through her body as she let out a breathy moan and dove deeper into the passionate act.

The crowd began to feel a little awkward as the two teens began to really get into it, eager to make up for lost time as their began to explore each others mouths.

Marco dipped Star, holding onto her tightly as she ran her hands through his hair.

"Umm...let's go check out the dolphins" Janna muttered to the group, the crowd dispersing as the couple finally broke apart for air.

"Best kiss ever" Marco whispered, trying to catch his breath.

Star smiled mischievously "You mean best kiss yet wild man" and before Marco could even react, she swooped in and kissed him again.


	35. Self Reflective Denial (Canon AU)

Hello fanfiction author here. many many awesome thank you for every review, favorite and follow. over 300 reviews, 96 followers, 97 favorites. you readers are the absolute best. seriously it means the world to me. thank you a million times over

a special thanks to h mae- no come back to life! PLEASE Aliens revive her now, we had a deal! and getting the reformer. well Marco didn't really mend their friendship since Star is the one that broke it. thank you for your review! reform because this chapter will really get you

SVTFOEfanatic- He must've felt like his heart was ripped in two because he started to realize how much he really liked Star. sometimes bad things happen to good people but they made up and got their happy ending. you keep being awesome too "If i want to strap a rocket to my back, it is my right as an american to trick someone not as smart as me to do it!"

Finnjr- thank you so much and any time i can be of assist batman, pm me.

snazzy- i dunno about you but if i just died, the girl i loved saved and brought back from the pearly gates and i had a second chance at a life that could end any second/ yeah i'd think i ask the girl i like out on a date.

lost- oh no, please don't die on me! aliens revive lost! the reviewer not the show with the terrible ending. seriously saw it a mile away. thank you so much for your kind words. here have another story. *chanting* 10 out 10 10 out of 10

ultragamerkitty- really? i dunno bout the best one but thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot.

rayfe- you like them both equally haha i think it is a real aspect of star. i mean she's very determined and straightforward, rushing head into everything but at the same time, i think she could take it too far, not realizing when to stop. i think it really humanizes her as a character. or im just weird haha thank you for the review.

thewookie: oringially it was supposed to be a much shorter passage of time but before i knew it ended being more than half the story. i think it worked better out that way. and thank you for letting me know, i have fixed the problem though the llamas have told me to tell you you best be careful where you place your theories. don't want to wake up in a mental ward under someone else's name...haha thank you again, i really do appreciate you telling me.

aleprettycat- no no, everyone stop dying! not i said stop dying, stop dying. aliens revive her quickly! haha i knew it and let's be realistic. every girl swoons over masked marco and every guy wants to be masked marco. i admit it. i want that mask.

IDC1314- i cannot wait to see what you draw next! thank you so much for your kind words. they mean alot to me. you are amazing too! and kp will come up soon. got...got a lot of au's i should..well organize really. seriously i need to come up with a filing system for the vault. that all you seem to know exist and how to get into.

sugheman- *Stares at fanart of Starco* we all ship the hell out of them and don't worry about that ship. the Starco is unsinkable. the blood moon said so itself. it told me in an email it ships the hell out of Marco and Star. though i will admit MArco nervous to save Jackie was pretty cute. (i love your reviews, thank you for them and enjoy the next chapter of the AU train woot woot)

xboxrica- i am so happy you enjoyed here have another.

justin- justin, justin don't die on me! the author commands you wonderful, amazing people stop dying on me! Aliens revive him! NOW!

grim- i think somehow, someway they would've found a way to fix it, to be together again. i am glad you liked the ending.

secret sauze- you are reading my stories in school! As a public figure i cannot support this *Slips you next chapter* i am happy you enjoyed it. makes me super happy and when i am super happy, i get writing. the promo was a bit weak which means the episode is going to be awesome since they can't show too much. that's how gravity falls gets me every time.

really quickly for starco corner, h mae doesn't have starco up unless i missed something but she does have a really cool and awesome human bill that reminds too much of tuxedo mask and a cute, child velma from scooby doo check her out at hains-mae at tumblr. we have i drawcartoons1314 on instagram with a pretty cool wreck it ralph style star racer. along with normal star. check her work out if you have a moment. for our amazing writers here on FF we have another awesome chapter from fanfictionfordayz faking it that made me just cheer in joy, getting many many weird looks from my coworkers. another chapter of Princess and the safe kid from PFtones that is an excellent memory loss chapter.

a quick update. some unforeseen things have came up so if i miss you may or may not be updated tomorrow. i will try but i cannot promise you anything. i deeply apologize but my day may be filled up tomorrow and Saturday is my cousins sweet 16. so at the very latest sunday i will update the story. once again i am so so sorry you amazing readers.

now this au takes place in the canon universe, after Mewdepence day. it is inspired by the manga version of soul eater. i won't get too into soul eater here since i have that au planned but basically during a rescue mission, the group gets caught up into a book that physically manifests the 7 deadly sins and forces the team to face them. they do well together but really start struggling when two of the main heroes are separated. I really love the idea of facing your internal self and loved that idea. give the series if you haven't it is awesome and you will be cheering for the two leads.

so in this au, Toffee has managed find an old magical relic and decides it is the best way to not beat Star and Marco but break them. Forced to confront their own sins, a great and earth shaking truth is revealed to our heroes.

I admit the steampunk was planned for today but i want to do that in 2 straight parts so this got pushed up instead. thank you so so so so so so so so much for everything without you lovely readers i would honestly be nothing. you are all the best. Next week expect Marco diaz vs the world, an update for Starco adacemy and hopefully both the steampunk chapter, guardians of the starco and the premier of Star and Marco's jukebox. thank you so much, keep being amazing people, enjoy the story and i own nothing! now i have to have Marco kidnap princess Butterfly. its for her own good. honest.

* * *

If you had told Marco and Star one of the biggest and most dangerous threats they would've ever face came from a dusty, old, faded book. Well, they would've laughed uncontrollably and mocked whoever told them such an idea.

But as Star, Marco, Ferguson and Alfonso left school that afternoon, planning to go shopping and hang out at the mall, the book sailed through the air, landing in front of the group with a thud. Before anyone could react to the strange object in their midst or even pointing out the lizard-like monster in a suit watching them closely from the bushes, the book snapped open, sucking in the teens in a whirl of magic and wind.

When the group's vision cleared, they found themselves in a pure white room, no discernible features aside from white tiles, walls, ceiling and a door on the far side.

"Well..."Star spoke up, eye the room carefully "Very, very booooring! Let's lighten it up a bit!"

Star smiled brightly as she twirled her wand, shouting "Rainbow color spray!"

A beam of color shot out from Star's wand only to bounce off the walls, ricocheting this way and that before slamming into Ferguson, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling to the floor, his black shirt now a pretty array of colors.

"So we can't use magic? I guess we'll just have to use the front door" Marco shrugged, not at all afraid of what this strange place was. After all when you hang out with Star Butterfly, you get used to strange and weird sights.

Marco took a step forward, his footstep echoing loudly through out the hallow room. A deep, resonating hum began to surround them as the words Gluttony scrawled in large letters across the floor, a harsh and low whisper repeating the word and sending a chill down their spine.

Suddenly from out of nowhere, a large pile of food appeared, a feast made for a king with Earth Pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs, Mewnian style calzones, even a whole turkey appeared before their very eyes. Star and Marco looked at each and shrugged. While the meal looked heavenly and the scent teased their stomachs to no end, both of them knew such a meal was only a trap and honestly, they could wait till they got home for some of Mrs. Diaz's cooking.

However there were two other people in the room. Star and Marco couldn't help but glance towards Ferguson, unsure if the young man could resist such temptation.

Ferguson looked absolutely bored when he noticed Star and Marco's gaze, the worried looks in their eyes. He frowned angrily towards them as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Seriously guys?! I am not the one you should be worried about"

Suddenly there was a cry of joy and the sounds of rapid consumption. The pair turned to see Alfonso stuffing his face full of every single food item he could get his hands on, crazed and wild look in his eyes.

Star and Marco shifted guilty as Ferguson walked over, effortlessly ignoring the vast bounty before him and began dragging Alfonso away, carrying him as if he weighed nothing while muttering things like "Dude you promised me." and "Stop your squirming! You were doing so well man!" before aggressively kicking the door open, gesturing to the next room, eyes filled with a little annoyance as Alfonso tried clawing his way back to the food.

Marco and Star raced to catch up to the two, softly apologizing to Ferguson as they passed into the inky darkness of the next room.

The door shut behind them before the sound of a loud light clicking on. Another wide, cavernous room with nothing within except a light blue floor, walls and ceiling.

"Sloth" the voice whispered harshly once more, the words appearing on the far wall.

The group felt very tired, weary from a long, boring day at school. The floor beneath felt soft and bouncy like they were standing ontop the world's softest bed. Ferguson fell face first, his eyes growing heavy as the sweet allure of sleep beckoned to him.

Star yawned cutely, her hearts becoming several z's rising up her cheeks. She swayed sleepily on her feet before falling forward, Marco catching her at the last moment while shouting out a panicked "STAR!"

Alfonso and Marco looked at each other, knowing full well that they had to escape before they fell victim to this room as well.

It took a precious few minutes but Marco managed to get Star onto his back, holding onto the dozing princess carefully as he helped Alfonso drag the sleeping Ferguson across the increasingly slippery and unstable floor.

Marco could feel his cheeks turn red as Star snuggled against his neck, her airy and light breathing tickling the back of his head as she whispered soft, sweet sounding mumbles into his ear.

The boys threw open the door, as quickly as they could, not even caring if another inky black room awaited them.

They passed through the threshold of the next room, their sleepy, exhausted bodies surging back to life, renewing them with energy and vigor.

Ferguson yawned, getting to his feet while begging his mother for five more minutes.

Star stretched her arms out, letting out an adorable yawn as her eyes blinked once, twice, three times before widening, unsure why she was riding piggy back on Marco's back.

"You fell asleep is why" He muttered quietly as she leaned backwards, placing her hands onto the floor before back flipping off her best friend.

"S-sorry Marco" Star muttered, clearly embarrassed at having so easily dozed off.

Marco waved her off, trying to clear his cheeks of the red tint "It's no problem Star. You're as light as a feather."

a loud booming of the lights being turned on greeted the teens, the yellow covered room filled to the brim of large, framed paintings.

"Pride" Echoed all around them, the words appearing on the ceiling.

Star walked up to the nearest painting and cooed happily.

"I remember this! It was when Pony Head and I stole some gems from those silly ogres! Man I was sooo cute! And look at my little legs go! Man I'm awesome!"

Another painting caught Star's eye and she couldn't help but race over to it.

"Oh this is when I learned to pop off necks from the royal guards. I remember when I knocked out one of the monsters that attacked that night. Even as a kid I was pretty baaaaadass and such a cutie!"

Ferguson found himself beaming at pride at the memory of him trying to pick up a girl at the annual fair. This memory was dear to him because he had only been slapped on the arm that time.

"She was totally into the Ferg" he whispered as his eyes took another time he was only slapped on the shoulder.

Alfonso looked peaceful, serene as he took in his painting, the memory still bring him joy and tranquility to this day.

"This was one of my happiest moments" he admitted to no one.

The painting depicted him surround by large columns of fire, laughing manically as his pixie bride and army began pushing the indentured workers harder to get more gems for their new king.

Marco took a step towards his painting, noticing it was the first time he saw Jackie, his pudgy little self nodding towards her full of pride.

Marco didn't smile at this memory, having remembered how longer he had really been nodding, hoping to get her attention, stuck in place for so many years with nothing to show for it.

He turned to walk away, the painting shifting once more to show a small Marco winning his first karate tournament, Jeremy not yet even old enough to walk yet.

He didn't smile at this one either as it just reminded him how far he had fallen recently. Jeremy was black belt while Marco was still just a lowly green, unable to suppress his rival and facing constant taunts and being teased for being too poor to buy his skill.

Marco let out a depressed sigh before trying to move once more, the painting shifting in a desperate attempt gain his attention.

It showed him tossing a book into the face stealer princess face, Star freed and smiling brightly at him, overjoyed he had managed to save her.

Marco felt a small spark of pride at this sight, a tiny smile gracing his face before he sighed once more. Star didn't need him to save her. She was more than capable of handling problems on her own. But she was his best friend and whatever little support he could offer her, he did so freely.

Marco walked away, ignoring the paintings attempting to regain his attention but Marco simply opened the door to the next room, the painting melting away and leaving empty canvass.

The others moaned disappointment, not at all happy they could no longer see their accomplishments.

They shared a deep glare towards Marco who simply muttered "We're facing the 7 deadly sins guys, we need to stick together and keep an eye out for each other."

The trio stared at him blankly as they muttered in unison "7 deadly whatsit?"

Marco gave himself a facepalm, trying not like his angry boil over "Seriously? You guys need to read more! The seven deadly sins! The 7 negative traits that humans can develop if they aren't careful which could lead them to become very selfish, uncaring, horrible people."

Star nodded in understanding "oooooh! So you mean the 7 Grimcks of Poerice?"

Marco opened and closed mouth several times before slowly nodded in agreement "Exactly Star"

Star let out a giggle "Marco, I made that up! I know what the seven deadly sins are!"

Marco flushed with embarrassment and a hint of irritation as Star took in his beet red face with amusement. So cute, she told herself.

The next room greed was easily passed by the group despite the wealth of gems, gold, jewels, even video games and more animals.

Star reasoned she was already royalty and thus such items were unneeded for her. If she brought back any of the riches, she would simply cause Earth or Mewnai to fall into inflation and that would damage the economy in a horrible fashion. As for the animals? She could always make her own.

Marco didn't even bat an eye at enormous pile of goods, his parents having taught him long ago it isn't how much you have that makes you a good person, it is how you use what is given to you. Even his favorite past time video games did not hold his interest. He hadn't touched his console the entire time since Star moved to his dimension, her presence was infinitely more fun and distracting than any man made creation on Earth.

Alfonso cared not for any of it, having learned the danger of such overburdening of wealth during his time as Pixie king, his greed driving a revolution that ended badly for those involved. He stepped down upon seeing his actions and the peace that came from his departure was well worth the price. Though he admitted he would totally seize power once more if given the chance.

Ferguson didn't really noticed anything, still caught up in his best Ferg moments that were in the other hall.

"Wrath" the voice whispered to them, somehow becoming more menacing and terrifying as the word were painted across the blood red walls, a study looking bridge hovering over a bottomless black pit telling the group this room wasn't the same as the others.

Marco felt a surge of anger, the shadowy mocking face Jermey appearing on the bridge, taunting and tormenting him about his failures at karate, at life and how he even failed at being cool.

He growled angrily ready to strike down his hated foe when something caught his eye. The blood red room pulsed as if it was responding to his anger, drawing strength from it. Each moment his heart beat with an unrestricted fury, the room seemed to become thicker with rage, the walls crescendo faster to the rhythm of his anger.

Marco took a step back, release a calming breath through his body. He would not allow the room to win. This book seemed to become more powerful the more they gave into their emotions. He was pretty sure it was only because they were in a group, their own personal sinful behavior contracted by another did they survive this long.

The still pulsed with a white intense fury but before Marco could realize why, the answer was shown before him. Star had raced off ahead, dozens of shades surrounding taking the form of Ludo's monster.

"STAR!" Marco shouted but she was lost to her own bloodlust, dangerously firing spells, kicking and smashing her wand into the non-existent foes.

"STAR!" Marco cried again, racing onto the bridge without hesitation.

He could feel his own blood boil at the sight the monsters, the urge to slam his fist into their faces growing every passing second. But he took deep breaths, resisting the impulse as the blood red walls of the room darkened more and more as Star's crazed yells filled the silence.

"Come on Star snap out of it!" Marco shouted, narrowly avoiding being knocked to the floor by one of Star's wayward spells.

Marco lunged forward, gripping Star's hand tightly as she whirled aorund, fist raised.

Marco stood there, unflinching as Star's fist was just inches away from his face, stopping just in time to avoid hurting the boy,

"Marco? Oh my gosh Marco!" Star shouted in fear, snapping out of her craze as she trembled "Marco...I'm so..."

Marco held her tight, stroking her hair as the room's color began to cool, the throbbing of the heart fading away.

"Shh, it's okay Star. I knew you wouldn't hurt me" he pulled away from her, smiling brightly at his best friend "You would never hurt me."

Star felt her heart swell, a deep appreciation for her best friend as she returned his smile.

A loud shriek disrupted the peace and before Star knew, Marco roughly shoved her away as something collided with him, grabbing onto him with an iron grip as they fell into the abyss below.

Marco looked directly into the beasts face, completely surprised when he saw his photo negative reflection staring back at him. Bluish black skin with yellow eyes with a white hooded smirking evilly at him.

"S-Star!" Marco cried out, using one hand to fend off his attacker while the other outstretched towards her.

"MARCO!" She screamed, leaping in after him as Alfonso and Ferguson raced over, peering cautiously over the bridge's edge before sharing a glance and a "Nope"

Star's eyes strained to find the shrinking figure of Marco and whatever attacked him but soon she found herself free falling through the darkness, both Marco and his assailant having disappeared into thin air.

Star landed onto the ground with a thud, surprised how soft and gentle the landing had been.

"MARCO! MARCO WHERE ARE YOU?!" Star shouted into the darkness, not even her echo returning her cries.

Star held her wand tight as she heard the voice of the book whisper but she couldn't make out the words, the darkness seem to suffocate all sounds.

A scene played out before her. Marco, much younger than Star had ever seen, sat on his doorstep, crying his eyes out. His parents appeared, hugging him tightly and telling him it would be okay, everything would be alright. He should cry to let all of it out.

Star felt envious at the sight before her, her own parents haven't done such a thing. She was always told to put on a straight face, no tears or fear and to stop crying about everything.

The next the scene that played in the dark was Marco begging and pleading with his parents to take up karate. Star was took absorbed in her emotions to hear what was said but the flicker of a thought passed through her head, commenting how cute Marco was when he was smaller.

Star wasn't allowed to take up combat, undignified for a princess she was told. It was only when her father secretly ordered the royal guards to babysit the fledgling girl that was able to learn to fight and protect herself. Marco never had that problem for it was okay for a boy to learn to fight but not a girl.

She let out a sigh, the envious snake in her heart growing larger as the next scene played.

Marco lost the weird, twisted version of himself the darkness but as he called out for Star, not even his voice carried out.

A whirling of light appeared and Marco turned to see a familiar memory. Marco and Star were walking down the hallway, his best friend happily saying hello to everyone who replied with equal enthusiasm. But when Marco said hello, they gave him thin smiles, nodded and repeating the greeting with much less eagerness.

Everyone loved Star but could care less for Marco. In fact the only reason the kids are school even paid him any mind was because of Star. Before her, he was mocked and teased as the safe kid, forever the outcast due to his dedication to school and his careful nature.

More scenes played, Star the loving bright star of the school and Marco, the tolerated friend.

Marco let out a depressed sigh as the scene of his parents cheerfully greeting Star's 55th day on Earth. Even his parents liked her more than him.

Not that he could blame them. She was amazing, energetic, fun, a bundle of joy you just wanted to greedily hold on to. And he was just the perpetual wet blanket.

He heard shuffling behind him and turned to see Star there, envy biting him and filling him with intense emotion.

"Star, you're okay!" He tried to say cheerfully but his voice couldn't muster it.

She simply nodded.

"Star?"

She remained silent.

"Star?"

No response.

He felt towards his best friend. He here was trying to help her and she was just being...her and...

Marco realized what was going on. Envy was next on the list and it must've been affecting both him and Star. The book was getting clever, separating them, filling them with worried while sneaking them into the next room and forcing them to break their own bond because of their envy. Though he couldn't imagine Star being envious of him.

"...I am really envious of you Star" Marco whispered, her dull eyes staring at him in surprise.

"I...you're this great...wonderful amazing girl. Everyone loves you, you know? Even my parents say you are the best foreign exchange student they've ever had...and...I.." he shifted uncomfortably "I'm just this regular guy who...everyone puts up with because they just want to be friends with you...and you're friends with me...so they have to...only reason anyone likes me is because of you..."

"I like you" Star whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of use "I like you for being you Marco . You are my best friend and you're always there for me. Everyone else likes me and they like you too because they realized how awesome you are and if they don't. Well...who cares. I think you're awesome and I guess that's all that matters huh?"

Marco smiled at her as Star raced into his arms, gripping tightly as if he was about to disappear into thin air.

"Thank you Star."

"Don't thank me yet" she muttered "I'm jealous of you...of the freedom you have. The fact your parents openly show you love while I barely get a hug from my parents...I...I.."

"Star, you are the most loved person on Earth, my parents think you are the coolest and heck even hug you if you want. You forgot that your dad and you love fighting monsters and maybe in the future can go hunting together. You mom loves you too. She could've sent you to Saint Olga's but she knew you would hate it so she sent you here instead. And..." Marco softly said, holding her even tighter than before "If you even need a hug, just ask me Star."

She nodded, holding onto her best friend, grateful at how much he cared for her.

There was a loud rushing of air and suddenly the pair were in the light pink room, a large mirror standing where the door should be.

"MARCO! STAR!" Ferguson's and Alfonso's voice cried out, racing forward to start a group hug.

Everyone began laughing as the voice called to them.

"Very clever, very clever indeed. One last challenge and you are home free"

Star broke away, pointing her wand directly to the ceiling "Bring it magical jerky book thing! We can handle anything!"

"Except the truth" The voice replied cryptically "The lust in your hearts. The longing you have never known before. A love unaware and unthought of. A truth long since buried, forever in the back of your minds but never fully realized. Step forward. Let your lust destroy you. Show me your heart's desire."

Marco took a step forward confidently. He liked Jackie. He liked her for the longest time. If anything, this was going to be a piece of cake.

Marco grinned happily towards his friends, raising a thumbs up before standing fully in the mirror, a shadowy shape forming before his eyes.

The shape predictably turned into a smiling Jackie, Marco's heart racing at his long time crush. See? He knew it.

The shape began to reform, surprising the young man as it grew longer hair, shifting closer to his height and stature.

Marco could feel his heart crawl to a stop as Star appeared in the mirror, smiling brightly towards his direction, sparkling sky blue eyes, her cute devil hairband ontop of her unusually bright gold hair as she leaned in, causing his face to flush against his will.

"Wha?" Marco murmured dumbly as the mirror began play memories. Memories Marco knew but never really thought of.

Star's first day on Earth, the countless times the two hung out together, alone and quietly basking in each others presence, mewberty when Star ascended into the sky awakening a deep, primal fear in Marco, the blood moon ball her stunned face as they danced together, the 60 plus hours they spent together messing around, eating cake and sharing a picnic atop frozen traffic jam.

Marco's heart beat wildly at the sight of his best friend who became more and more breathtaking with each passing vision, ending with Star dressed in her princess attire, reminding him she truly was a beauty from another world as she grinned at him and told him that he was her general.

"Now" the mysterious voice called to him "Let me rip it away from you!"

Star's face twisted in fear as she began silently calling Marco's name, a large monstrous hand wrapping around her body, trapping her in its grip as she was pulled away from him, the panic on her face too much to bear.

Marco raced forward, his throat unable to call her name as he placed one hand on the mirror, a burning sensation filling his skin each time he made contact with the mirror as he began to pounding against the glass roughly, desperate to break through and free Star, a giant Ludo taunting him as he held his best friend in one hand and an evil looking wand in the other.

He could hear Star calling his name in a panic but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through. He couldn't save Star!

"MARCO!" a pair of hands held onto his shoulder, turning him around to see the concerned face of Star, eyes fearful and full of worried.

Marco hadn't realized how hard he had been breathing. He reached out slowly to touch her when he saw the burn marks on both his hands, the pain of it finally sinking in

He took a step back, his skin slowly healing as the pain faded

Star was asking him something but he couldn't hear her.

She tried to embrace him but he pulled away, feeling too raw to properly function right now. He stared at the ground, unmoving as the truth of it all became apparent. He was love with his best friend...and he could do nothing to stop anyone from taking her from him.

Star decided the best thing to do was to get them all out of there. Whatever Marco saw was intense and she needed to ensure he was alright.

Star stepped forward to the mirror, her cocky smile grinning back to her.

"Let me show you your hearts true desire" the voice taunted, black shape changing before her eyes.

First it had became Tom, well a younger Tom when Star had fallen for him forever ago. She scoffed, rolling her eyes as a new shape formed. Star could feel her cheeks blush at the sight of Oskar, smiling her direction while playing his keytar silently. She let out sigh of joy, content with the image before. But the image hadn't remained, confusing Star as it became a bit thicker, more her height.

And before she realized she was taking a step forward to get a closer look, she was staring into the face of her best friend. His light caramel brown eyes shining brightly in her direction as a smile formed on his mouth, his cute mole looking even cuter for some reason. His well kept brown hair seemed as soft as a rabbit and Star was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to touch it.

Scenes began to play and Star realized as they played how handsome Marco really was. She had forgotten his pessimistic attitude, countless images of him smiling towards her filling her sight and showing often the withdrawn boy had shown his pearly whites. Mewberty played, Marco on his knees, tears in his eyes as he whispered goodbye only for him to race he raced forward towards her, initiating a hug for the first time in their friendship, the Blood Moon Ball played as masked Marco began to sweep her off her feet so effortlessly she had forgotten how much of a daze and hypnotized she was when they began their dance. She didn't realize she had spent 60 hours with him, alone in a halted world, just...being with each other, making no effort to even fix their mistake as they just enjoyed their time with one another.

Marco smiled at her and she could feel her heart pound happily at his attention. She was in love with Marco! And she never...

"And now let me destroy what you failed to cherish"

Suddenly water filled the glass, Marco struggling to stay above the rising tide before being plunged underwater, his eyes wide with panic as he pressed his hand against the glass, a steady trail of air bubbles escaping his lips.

"Marco..." she whispered fearfully, pressing her hand against his before a rush of determination filled her body. She raised her wand, smashing against the glass but there was no crack, no sign it had been hit as Marco's movements began to slow, subtly but the lack of air to his lungs becoming more obvious as time marched forward.

"NARWHAL BLAST" Star screamed, pointing her wand at point blank range. The narwhal slammed against the mirror before being shot back toward Star, sending her to the floor, bones aching as she struggled to sit up.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as Marco mouthed her name one final time before air bubbles stopped, his eyes becoming distance, looking her way but unable to see anything at all.

Star's eyes began to pool with tears as she struggled to breathe.

Before she knew what happened, darkness overtook her.

She woke violently, nearly screaming Marco's name before realizing he was staring at her.

It was an illusion. Star had forgotten in it was just an illusion.

They were in the back of the Diaz van, far away from the school.

Ferguson filled her in after Star had passed out. Ferguson stepped up next and apparently the mirror was unable to decide what to show Ferguson, his heart's constantly shifting demands confusing the mirror so much it broke. Marco carried her out and they found themselves outside of town, the book burning to a crisp once they awoke. They called Mr. and Mrs. Diaz and she was now caught up.

She nodded, hugging everyone in the car as tight as she could though she could feel her heart jump out of control when she embraced Marco, holding on far longer than another of the others and equally surprised he made no motion to get out of her hug.

After dropping off Alfonso and Ferguson, the two teens tiredly went to their rooms, horrified they had been gone 7 hours in real time, the moon hanging high in the sky as a reminder.

They shyly said good night to the other, the revelation of their true feelings still fresh and new. And as far as they could tell, completely unreceptive by the other.

Marco laid on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. To say he was shocked would be an understatement.

He used to be so sure of his feelings for Jackie, for Star that he just kept on trying. But the book showed him many things, all of which were true.

He used to think of his mind as a lake. He would stand at the edge of it, look at his reflection and say with a knowing smile that he loved Jackie. And the lake's reflection would repeat his words back to him. And he was content. He did not peer deeper into the lake's unseen surface. He simply skimmed the top, never truly wondering or even processing what lay beneath. But the mirror dragged him under the surface, the icy cold water forcing him wide awake as his true feelings stared at him, formed right under the reflection he so often used to believe was true.

But he couldn't tell Star. She...she couldn't love him back. He was just Marco, safe kid. She liked Oskar right? True she said she liked him but that was as a friend.

"I'll never be worthy of Star" he whispered to himself.

Star Butterly began pacing her room, wondering if tonight was a good time or maybe she should wait.

"I really really want to tell him" she told herself "But it's been such a long day. A long, emotionally tough day...but he might need some Starshine! I mean I saw those images, I remember them. He loves being around me...maybe he loves..."

Star took a deep breath. She was Star Butterfly and she was going to tell Marco how she felt about him even if he doesn't feel the same! Because that's what you do when you love someone, tell them and be there for them even if they don't love the same way back!

Marco played with a loose thread on his jam jams when he heard on his door.

Before he could reply, the door was thrown up, Star's wide, shocked eyes the cutest thing he had seen so far.

"Whoops, Sorry Marco!" She shyly but cheerfully told him "I...I couldn't wait. I really need to talk to you about something..."

Star's heartbeat nervously, nearly leaping up her throat. Now that she was actually here, she felt scared and began doubting herself. Maybe it wasn't the best time. Maybe she couldn't handle him rejecting her. Maybe she should've just kept her feelings locked up.

No, she told herself, her feelings were already locked up and now that she had seen the light, she never wanted to go back to the darkness again. She loved Marco and she could no longer deny herself the warmth and joy she felt around him now that she knew the real reason she felt this way.

Though, she felt a spark of hope flicker brightly when he replied with an equally nervous tone and a very flattering "Sure Starshine, we can talk"

and as Star closed the door behind her, Marco's flushing and bright red face as his eyes were bright and completely awestruck at the sight of her, she couldn't help but think to herself.

Oh what's this? hee, Marco's _totally_ in love with me.


	36. So I'm kidnapping you part 1 (STEAM AU

Helloooooo fanfiction! Author here, how you doing? good i hope. Thank you so much for every review, follow and favorite. they mean soooo much to me.

a special thanks to h mae- thank you so much i am so happy you enjoyed this. I think it really helps to give the character flaws or something that makes us relate to them better like someone not knowing what they really want or maybe they might be a little on the evil side (alfonso)

SVTFOEfanatic- haha sounds like a pokemon game or rpg. 7 deadly sins appear! *battle music plays* we all possess some of them but they can be conquered and defeated! i assume you made that quote "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, sabotage your competition and sell it at twice the price once you corner the market."

Finnjr- I love the deadly sins in cartoons and anime but not alot of people do it. its a little disappointing. its a great plot device for some self reflection and eye opening revelations. thank you so much for your kind words

the wookie- because even the mirror couldn't handle Ferguson's demands. Don't let the glasses fool you, Alfonso is a cunning mastermind that will abuse power everytime he gets it. Star tends to fit more of them because of her personality and confidence while Marco has his driven nature and he doesn't like himself much. i noticed that. there's alot quite a few mistakes here but i am happy you all enjoyed it still man i haven't heard that game in forever!

lost- thank you. stick around, soul eater is planned *With Star as the meister and Marco as the weapon* I dunno if i can keep this au up but ill add Toffee in more chapters. I try to avoid using characters with little character development but now i have no choice. i wouldn't call myself the best, h mae, fanfictionfordayz and axis are extremely great writers.

ulterkittygamer- man i would love to work for disney writing star episodes. it would be amazing and fun and stressful because it is a job. and i can't let you readers down!

fanfictionfordayz- don't die1 Aliens revive him! thank you so much and if it makes you feel better, i have an outtake for that AU planned showing a different, less serious lust chapter that i liked but didn't fit yet still was pretty funny. I'll upload it sometime this week.

IDC1314- thank you so much. keep up the great work. it's really awesome. i won't lie i got like dozens of aus planned. Frozen, tangled, the requests, kp, american dragon, couple of original ones and of course scary ones for halloween. it's quite a lot. and i am very happy you enjoyed it.

Secret Sauze- I don't have an instagram. stop checking out these stories in school! *Hands you next chapter* but i will check yours out. it is the least i can do for you awesome readers since you took a time to leave me a review and read my story. thank you for it. Now i need to go see the season finale and probably cry. if its like gravity falls lack of promos means its gonna be a big episode. hmm austin and ally i forgot about that show and did i just see clothes swap between Star, marco, dipper and paficia? it blows my mind it still fits the characters. and i am very happy you i have wonderful amazing readers like you.

xboxrica' thank you for the review. have another story.

grim- hmm...you're looking at the vault again aren't you?

justin- thank you for being alive. apparently my stories kill people so i really need to be careful. here have another story

TotallyobessedSTFOVE- first of all thank you for your review. it means a lot. in order. For the story i had to up his skill because i have lots of boss battles planned for him and *CoughstarCough* it was cute. i thought it was marco time to step up and freak out when it looked like it backedfired. STARCO FOR THE WIN!

yourfellowthespian- i am glad you enjoyed it. did you enjoy the lust part of the story?

watermalone- hiya good to see you back! we missed you around here. in order. 1 Star's google translate is called Mr. Diaz :) 2. i dunno about that. Marco bleed out quite a bit. i was wondering why Star, a princess, didn't want a hero from BMB and then i realized with the wand, she'll be the hero which means she's going to have to give up alot. 3.i was really hope you readers would scream out at all the near tense moments between the two. between you and mae i believe i did so. 4. telling by your story yes yes i totally you believe dem pain feels. sometimes its a good feeling. 5. sometimes to move forward, we need to look inward and realize maybe what we want is what we need. Let's face it, in some ways Marco and Star are two lonely people who found someone in the other. hey hey no melting, ill just stick you in the freezer, it works with mae. well used to. anyway get back here and enjoy the chapter! best wishes to you as well!

sugheman- thank you so much. next up is jerk british marco kidnapping Star in a steampunk Echo Creek. enjoy!

julie- hiya! i think i have one planned too but it'll be a while. trying to get quite a few things out there for you wonderful fans. if you want some painful sad times, if i miss you has been updated!

and of course my guest reviewer. i am so happy you loved it.

now quickly at Starco corner. Let's see we have some more awesome, epic drawings for H mae a humanized Bill and Toffee. i love the little comic where bill is trying to make a deal with toffee. check her work at Hains-mae at tumblr. Idrawcartoon1314 at instagram has some really cute 7ish year old of our favorite pairs of friends, Jackie and janna, ferguson and alfonso and Marco and Star! they are ridiculously cute. story wise we have until you realize and its hard to be in love with your rival from fanfictionfordayz, star vs the finale by skleero butterfly forever by exotos135. the big moment where star and marco split up in my story if i miss you is finally up if you've been waiting for that.

Okay shameless plug aside, here we go. this is a steam punk AU that takes place in british Echo creek that i imagined as 19th century london. Marco diaz is poor, troublemaker that doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut but one bad choice leads him into the hands of Toffee and Apple, he'll be forced to kidnap royal princess Star Butterfly to save her from an assassinate attempt.

I wanted to try something new so there's some british and american terminology mixed in ill put author notes for. Here's some author warnings. been a while. Marco is crass, cusses a lot and is sarcastic. actually a lot of people cuss so just letting you know. this is the first part of this au so i had to build the world and the events that are going to happen so there isn't too much steampunk or star *she appears at the end* so forgive me for that. I was inspired the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert downy Jr. Bioshock Infinite wild west type things I also created an OC Apple which is toffee's female counterpart *whispers* and girlfriend. just for fun

Okay some british slang which is just a loose meaning of them. Brav- Bro, Cuz- friend, bloke(s)- guy(s), nicked- Stolen, steal etc. Scratch-cash, Bollocks- basically shit. pinched- caught, taking a piss- are you shitting me, piss off- Fuck off. Bobby/bobbies-police.

So i hope you enjoy my experimental chapter. there are more parts to this but im hope you readers give me feed back about what you liked, what you didn't like etc etc. thank you so much for everything i really hope you enjoy this story. keep being amazing people. I have to get ready for the season finale of Star. thank you and i own nothing!

* * *

The moon was high over the smokey chimney stacks of Echo Creek, the city brightly lit by thousands upon thousands gas powered street lamps. A permanent, hazy, smokey fog hovered over the city. It was a wondrous age of invention, of progress, of a technological revolution birthed and grown before the world's very eyes.

"Oi, off with you bloody loser!"

Not that many of the people cared. Life was tough enough in the city. Crime, poverty, the eternal struggle to make ends meet in a sea of millions, very few people looked out for others unless there was something it for them. It was a dog each dog world out there and only the biggest, cleverest dogs survived. Or luckiest.

The young man was clever but far from lucky. He stumbled to keep his balance as the owner shoved him out the door, swaying uneasily on his feet before landing face first into a puddle of nasty, rancid water left over from the rain and stepped in by everyone and their mothers.

The man pulled his head from the puddle as the door slammed on the 3 story drinking establishment and...companion house.

He spat out as much of the water as he could, wiping his face clear of it as he tussled his light brown hair, attempting to dry it as much as he could.

"Yeah well fuck you too!" Marco Diaz shouted, shaking his head to remove any excessive water from his dirty, patched cover clothing

"Golden age of prosperity my ass." he muttered under his breath as he reached for his lucky red scarf, pulling it out of his coat pocket and wrapping it around his neck.

"Can't seem to stay out of trouble eh Marco?" his best friend Ferguson teased from the shadows, Alfonso close behind, both looking as raggedy as he did.

"Arnold is just a prick" Marco muttered, gently patting himself down in search for his prized keepsake.

"I hear that, hasn't been the same since his daughter ran off with that con artist"

Alfonso laughed out "I heard that they stole a lot of pocket change from dear old daddy before they left town."

Ferguson let out a cheerful laugh "Well no one wonder he's got a stick up his ass." The two turned to Marco began to frantically panic as he failed to find what he was looking for "C'mon Marco, I know better pub with a lot of cute girls who all love the Ferg. Bet I can convince one or two them to look at you two ugly blokes"

Alfonso gently jabbed at Ferguson's shoulder who winced in pain "Oww, shit I mean that didn't hurt nothing."

"Son of a..." Marco exclaimed, turning to the front door "That prick nicked my watch."

Ferguson and Alfonso glanced at each other wearily. Marco cared a lot about that old broken, worthless pocket watch. Gotten him into more trouble than it was worth but Marco refused to let it go for any reason. Irrational as it was.

"Maybe it's time you let that piece of junk go" Ferguson suggested "Ain't no way Arnold is going to let you back in there and it's not worth the trouble"

"He's probably put up in his office on the second floor" Marco muttered to himself, taking a few steps back to see if he could spot which windows was the one he was looking for.

"He isn't listening anymore cuz" Alfonso muttered "Best to ditch him and get on with our night."

Ferguson shook his head "Wait, wanna bet?"

Alfonso looked at him, intrigued what he had planned this time.

Marco took the black newsboy cap from Alfonso head, fixing it tightly before he patted off the dust on his black slacks, stretching as his black vest hugged his white collared shirt tightly.

"No one steals from Marco Diaz" Marco muttered under his breath as he slid his fingers into a crack in the wall, barely enough room to even grip it properly

"You are crazy brav" Ferguson shouted as Marco began to quickly scale the side of the building, tuning out everything as he focused on where to position his hands and feet next.

"So what's the bet?" Alfonso muttered softly to Ferguson just on the off chance Marco could hear them

"A pound says our boy Marco comes out that window" Ferguson motioned to the large, dirtied display window, the many happy, cheerful and completely wasted patrons laughing their troubles away barely visible through its grimy surface.

"Deal" Alfonso grinned "Ain't no way Arnold going to be tossing Marco through that window. Not after his daughter made him. Not much scratch left"

Ferguson's smile unnerved Alfonso and suddenly the young man felt like he just walked into a trap.

"True enough Al but today's Friday"

Alfonso wasn't following "So what?"

Marco lifted the closed window, unsurprised it hadn't been locked from the inside. Most people were very careless about home security, especially on the higher levels of buildings. Marco slipped in as quietly as he could, silently shutting the window behind him.

"Dredger works Fridays"

Alfonso lifted his glasses his glasses, rubbing his eyes wearily

"Oh sh...And you let Marco go?"

Ferguson shrugged "Ain't my fault he won't let some piece of trash trinket go. Be a good lesson for him."

Ferguson and Alfonso leaned again the opposing brick building, falling into a relaxing pose as they awaited the results of their little wage.

"Come on, where are you?" Marco whispered to himself, his hands shuffling papers, random pieces of gears, pens and some loose change under the cover of darkness

"I know you took it you thieving ass"

Marco pulled open a drawer as slowly as he could, noticing a rather large collection of watches, rings, keys and even a peg leg, every single one in a different condition, some perfect and pristine and others barely held together.

"Knew it" Marco let out a hush exclamation as he reached, carefully drawing out a battery, rusted, faded silver pocketwatch with the initials I.D on them.

"Sorry dad" Marco whispered fondly "I won't lose you again promise."

Marco rose to his feet, strutting towards the door, completely lost in his moment of triumph to remember exactly where he was.

He opened the faded, hardly useable piece of wood called a door to the hallway, it letting out a loud and noisy squeak but Marco was too busy examining his prize carefully, making sure there were no new dents or dings caused by the low, life thieving pub owner.

"Much better" Marco happily told himself, the light provided by some overheard candles allowing him to see much more clearly than that darkened office room "Nothing seems to be damaged. Thank god or else I'd have to teach that stupid piece of shit a thing or two."

"Oi! What the hell you doing here?"

Marco spun around to see the snarling face of balding, 30 something year old Arnold at the end of the hallway, glaring daggers towards his direction

Marco froze, remembering how he snuck in the window and how he really should've left he came.

"Arnold" Marco said cheerfully

Arnold began taking thick, menacing steps towards Marco who quickly shoved the watch into his pocket

"What did you say about me?" Marco resisted the urge to his throw up at the smell of Arnold decaying breath. Even the water he was thrown into didn't smell as bad.

"What? Got nothing to say now prick?" Arnold took another step forward

Marco took a deep breath "I said you are a piece of shit and your breath smells worse than your piss tasting ale."

Arnold's eyes narrowed, Marco could hear the bones in his neck crack as he gripped Marco's shirt tightly.

Marco never could kept his mouth shut.

The pub was lively and rowdy as it always was at Arnold's. Everyone was laughing, insulting each other, playing friendly games of chance or poker, having a happy time. The bar was tucked underneath the second floor, the stairs to the left spiraling upwards to the upper landing of the business where one could stand and see the entire bar (Which wasn't much given the small size of the building. Everything tight and cramp with very little room to maneuver)

Suddenly an angry yell and shuffling of footsteps broke the joyful atmosphere, everyone glancing around drunkenly wondering where that unholy racket was coming from. The rushing footsteps grew and grew until there was a loud crack of wood being snapped in half, the second floor railing giving out as a body fell onto one of the tables, a heated game of poker now ruined, money scattering to the floor.

Marco raced over to the edge, peering over to see Arnold weakly groaning in pain. Marco couldn't help but smile which quickly turned to a frown when he noticed a collective angry glare coming from the people below. Their good time was ruined, their current favorite pub owner laid on the floor, brought down low by some no good looking punk. A poker game was ruined and worst of all, drinks had been spilled. They were not happy by a long shot.

Marco scratched his cheek nervously as drunks got up as one, uneasily swaying on their feet. There was only way out of this.

"HE CHEATED!" Marco shouted at the top of his lungs, making no motion to who he was talking about.

Suddenly, the zombie like stance of rage shifted to one another, distrust replacing the anger in their eyes.

"I knew it!" someone shouted as the group lunged at each other, entirely convinced each one of them had been personally wronged by everyone else in the room.

Marco shook his head disappointingly, the display of humanity before him making him really wish he lived among the animals

"At least they I can reason with" he muttered as a bottle came sailing towards his head, Marco narrowly ducking in time to avoid the attack.

Chuckling to himself Marco turned around and ran head first into a thick mass of muscles that made his nose ache in pain,

He took a step back, rubbing his nose to alleviate his pain as he stared upwards, a giant of a man blocking all light and blanketing Marco in his shadow.

"Dredger...you are working tonight...daddy didn't let you go out to play tonight?" Marco said fearfully as he took in the sight of the elder son of Arnold.

Dredger was a head and half taller than Marco, his clothes even more frayed and patched worked together than Marco's, being composed of wildly different colors and pieces of multiple clothing sown together to make a custom clothing line for the man. He had a thick, bushy black beard, a long, deep knife scar going over and under his left eye, the pale white iris staring directly at Marco as his green eye narrowed in anger.

"Head start?" Marco muttered weakly.

Dredger let out angry grunt as his large hands began reaching for Marco's face.

Marco ducked backwards under the approaching hand, pivoting on his feet as he rushed forward, nearly tumbling over the rail less edge by steadying himself

He turned back to Dredger slowly making his way towards him, each footstep making the floor groan weakly under his weight.

Marco raced down the stairs, narrowly avoiding a swipe from Dredger before realizing there no way to out race the giant.

Half way down the steps, Marco gripped the bars tightly, pulling back before vaulting over the railing in a single leap, unsteadily landing to onto the bar floor. Marco took a second to re-balance himself before someone was launched into his direction, slamming him into the side railing of the stairs. He nearly cussed out loud, shoving the human projectile off of him before barely avoiding a fist coming his way, his newest attacker staring him unsure if he was the same man he was fighting before.

Marco pointed to the floor where he tossed the other man while telling him in the most casual voice he could "Over there brav."

The man thanked Marco before launching himself at his foe but this moment of rest didn't last a second as Marco's eyes widen when another person glared at his direction, gripping a bottle by its neck tightly before turning it over, its content spilling wastefully onto the floor.

"I fell obliged to warn you that smashing a bottle does not break it in half" Marco shouted to he man, the urge to roll his eyes almost too much to resist as the man smashed the bottle against the table before letting out a shout of dull pain, the bottle remaining perfectly intact.

Before the man could voice his displeasure, his eyes rolling into the back of his as Marco's fist connected with the side of his jaw.

"That hurts like a..." Marco groaned, shaking it wildly as the pain began to turn into a dull ache at his wrist "God that's why you never straight jab!"

The bar went deathly silent, the loud cracking of wooden floor tile breaking underneath a pair of incredibly thick, heavy boots.

Dredger landed onto the first floor, dropping from the second floor. He rose to full height, his eyes scanning the now still room, everyone twitching under the watchful eye of Arnold's eldest son.

Marco turned his head slightly, noticing that it was a straight run for him through the bar counter, into the back storage room and to the back door that led to freedom. If he was fast enough he could easily make it out of here without any trouble!

Marco's head snapped back to Dredger. A loud, angry animal-like roar coming out of the giant's mouth as his legs tensed tightly, preparing to charge straight in his direction.

"Bollocks" Marco muttered under his breath, practically hearing the old time guitar playing at this standoff.

"AHHHH" Marco and Dredger screamed at each other: one racing towards freedom and the safety of the night, the other ready to crush the runner between his giant, thick fingers.

Marco leapt over over turned tables, drinks and people, shoving anyone he could with enough force to sending them tumbling to the floor all the while shouting at the top of my lungs "Out of my way! SCOOT MOVE IT OR LOSE IT BRAV!"

Dredger made no such comments, using wide swings to shove people out of his way, sending them flying into others or violently over the bar counter, his rage focused on Marco and Marco alone.

Marco almost made it through, just a second more and he could slide underneath the little divide and roll into freedom. His hand outstretched, reaching for something to grip tightly as he propelled himself forward. His hand touched the wood of the bar, Dredger rapidly approaching out of the corner of his eye. Marco held on as dropped to his knees, tossing himself forward as he tucked into the ball, sliding perfectly under the little space between the bar counter and wall, skidding to the other side.

He jumped to his feet, letting out a triumphant cheer as a large hand gripped his shoulder roughly, the bones straining to break under the insane pressure.

The hand pulled back, spinning Marco against his will as another hand enveloped his neck, perfectly covering every inch of his exposed skin. Marco was lifted off his feet, slowly choking as he began punching and kicking at every part of his assailant as he could.

Dredger didn't a feel a thing, Marco's relatively weak blows feeling nothing more than love taps. Marco had been a boxing champion once upon a dream but there wasn't a man alive that could knock out Dredger.

"H-Hey...k-kinda choking me brav, care to let me down?" Marco managed to choke out, Dredger's eyes staring at him quizzically as if he was a really exciting experiment or something

"Y-you don't get off on this do you? C-cause tha-t that be p-pretty gross"

Dredger made no indication he heard Marco's insult, seemingly content just holding up the troublemaker until he passed out.

Marco's ears faintly detected the steady puff, puff, puff of a steam chimney blowing steam into the sky, the creaking of metal and stomping of iron boots echoing loudly against the cobbled streets making the sounds of an army outside the bar.

"This" A voice shouted from the outside "Is the police. We have reports of a fight in progress. Stop this at once or we will take action to stop it. Forcibly."

Marco groaned loudly, voicing what was on everyone's mind "F-fuck p-pigs on stilts!"

"They aren't responding" The voice turned away from them, clearly talking to the others outside "Flush them out boys"

There was a loud whine and thud as a small rock broke through the bar glass, spraying some unfortunate souls with glass, cutting their skin as the rock sailed through the air, knocking one of the slower drunks to the floor.

There was a soft thunk and a small container bounced into the room where the rock had cleared the way. The container span this way and that, spinning and spinning until slowly stopping.

"da hell was that!" Someone shouted as black, heavy smoke began to pour out from both sides, quickly blanketing the entire room with a fog that none could drew breath from.

As people fell to the floor, knocked unconscious from the lack air entering their lungs though finding plenty of it when they collided against wood planks, the air being pushed closer to the ground.

Dredger found himself distracted giving Marco the chance he needed. He gripped onto both of the giant's arms before swinging backwards, kicking forward with all his might knocking all the air out of Dredger's stomach forcing the man to let go of Marco, unable to respond in time as the young man escaped out the backdoor.

Marco took in as much air as his strained lungs allowed, his wheezing cutting through the stillness of the night as he stumbled his way to freedom.

He looked to the sky, the moon blocked by a massive, silently floating blimp that just hung there, watching, waiting. Property of the police

"I hate this city" Marco coughed out, patting his chest as the loud clank of iron hooves crushing against the cobbled streets became louder and louder once more.

"Look what we got here" A voice taunted.

"Bloody hell" Marco cursed as he took in the sight before him.

It was one of those new steam powered walkers that were driving a wild craze among the upper echelon of the city and the police force.

The walker itself 7 feet tall, a dull bronze shine covering every inch of its riveted, smooth metallic surface. It's body was circular, a large smoke steam steadily pouring pure white steam into the foggy night as the police officer peered safely from behind the main body, the shell making a frontal assault completely useless. It's large, bent forward legs reminded Marco of chicken's. the iron, boot-like feet of the machine were as large as Marco's head and could easily outpace him in a straight sprint.

"Stop right there. Do not resist arrest or it will be worse for you!" the officer called to Marco, hands a whirl as he played with the levers that controlled the walker.

Marco shrugged apologetically "Sorry brav but I rather not go to jail. Kinda hard to survive a night in the slammer if I told them I got pinched by a chicken. Makes me look rather me silly"

Before the officer could react, Marco bolted directly across the narrow alleyway, feet and hands climbing wildly over a wooden fence in record time as the thud, thud, thud of the walker's massive feet closed in from behind.

Marco didn't even bother to stop to see if the chicken was pursing him, opting instead to keep running, randomly making turns in an effort to lose his pursuer in the maze of narrow alleys and streets.

There was a loud screech as a jet black horseless metal carriage cut Marco off from his intended route, forcing the young man to skid to a stop.

The door opened dramatically, creaking as metal scrapped against metal. The two figures inside were impeccably well dressed, their clothes looking like they didn't even understand the concept of dirt and uncleaned.

The man was tall, nearly the same height as Dredger, with slick back black hair and two yellowish eyes shone from behind the dark tinted glasses he was wearing. His pitch dark suit gave Marco uneasy feeling but he couldn't pegged why that was yet.

Marco glanced at the other occupant of the strange carriage. A pair of green eyes were glinting at him with a mischievous gleam, her short hair was unusual for there was a single green and red stripe running down alongside black ran down her head. Her dressed was much smaller than any he had seen before, the same high quality as all those other fancy ladies but nowhere near as large. Marco could actually probably fit in the carriage alongside these two with how the dress clung tightly to her.

"Mr. Diaz." The man began, a calm, almost serpent like edge to his voice "Would you care for a ride?"

"Dunno" Marco took a step back, his body braced to run in the opposite direction just in case "Last time a bloke in a finely made suit and his lady friend, who did nothing but stare at me mind you, offered me a ride I woke up half naked, handcuffed to a hotel bed when it was time for the cleaning. Maid was cute buuuut" Marco clicked his mouth nervously "Not looking forward to repeating that wonderful experience."

"Perhaps" The man pressed on coolly, unfazed by Marco's story "If we offered our names. My name is Toffee"

"I'm Apple" The girl chimed in with a joyful drawl.

Marco looked at the pair in disbelief, rubbing his eyes tiredly "Toffee Apple? You taking a piss? So in addition to being these" Marco gestured with his hand, unsure how to properly word his accusation "These really shady, cultist, shadowy organization types, you also have a really weak sense of humor."

"We need a man of your particular talents" Toffee cooed, clearly impressed by Marco's attitude and wit

"You need a poor factory worker whose most valuable possession is the soot in his lungs? Cause I can point you to a dozen other blokes who are more qualified than me. Piss off" Marco muttered angrily as he waved the two off, turning away from the carriage only to hear the echoing of the police just around the corner.

"How about this...:" Toffee began with a meaning smirk "No more false flattery or obvious attempts to appeal to your ego. It's us or the bobbies."

Marco paled at the sound of the walkers stepping closer and closer

"Yeah you make a very good point" he muttered, racing into the carriage before the door shut with a loud clank, the carriage speeding off far faster than Marco had ever experienced before.

Marco could feel his stomach churned at speed this strange carriage was reaching. Horses were slower but didn't want to make him throw his lunch up.

"Here's the deal Diaz" Toffee told him, glasses sliding down his nose as he stared directly into Marco's eyes "We need you kidnap someone"

Marco groaned unhappily, clutching his stomach as the carriage made a sharp right turn "Why the bloody hell would I do that?"

"Princess Star Butterfly" Apple spoke up, switching seats so she could talk directly to Marco, handing him a faded black and white photo, a cheerful, smiling girl about his age staring cheerfully at him, two hearts on either cheek that really seemed to emphasize her uniqueness "Is the next in line for the throne of Mewni."

"So?" Marco said, outward appearance showing no interest in this but internally trying his hardest to keep his eyes off the photo in his hand.

"She is...reckless" Toffee began slowly "Wild, irresponsible. Generally an overgrown brat. But she is popular, very well loved. Promotes peace and talks of treaties among warring nations. When she becomes queen, she could usher in a new age of peace among the world."

"Which is why someone is planning to assassinate her" Apple supplied.

Marco wanted to know why anyone would try to hurt such a pret...innocent girl but he knew how the world works. Sometimes there was just more profit in war than there was in peace.

"So" Marco glanced at the two of them uneasily "I'm supposed to kidnap her to save her from an assassination attempt? Seems a bit much no? Wouldn't be easier just to warn her government that someones coming after her."

"We've contacted the Mewnain government of course but they do not believe the princess is in real danger given her...popularity...besides" Toffee uncomfortably fixed his tie, glancing around the room in an effort to avoid Marco's eyes "They aren't too fond of us what with the attempted coup we tried perform a few years ago as well as other...complicated matters."

"Great...so what if I don't want to this whole cloak and dagger bullshit?"

Toffee shrugged "We will simply inform the police of the true instigator of the riot at Arnold's was and in addition to resisting and evading arrest, I'm sure Mr. Arnold would like to add breaking and entering, theft and assault ontop of the charges. After all Dredger saw you with his own eyes."

"Right" Marco muttered nervously, not at all liking how much information these two had on him. "Best to save a princess eh? What's the plan?"

"Princess Butterfly is set to check in the Royal Hill hotel in 2 days. Now security will be tight. Princess Butterfly will have an entire floor to herself with armed guards station on both ends covering the stairwell." Apple supplied, handing Marco a small, heavy black box

"Jesus, this weighs a ton." Marco whined, Toffee's glare unfazed the now regretful youth.

"It's a grappling hook" Apple smiled cheerfully

"Excuse me, a what?"

"You shoot it by clicking the edges of the box, it latches onto something and you climb up or down it. Idiot proof" Toffee explained, his eyes coldly fixated on Marco.

"Right gotcha..." Marco replied tensely.

"Anyway, access to the roof should be minimum so we were thinking if, under the cover of night, you make way into the garden, make your way past the patrols, grapple to the roof, sneak in through there, distract the guards, enter princess Butterfly's room and grab her before rappelling out her window! Easiest plan ever!"

"That" Marco slowly said "Is the most needlessly complex plan I have ever heard. Seriously, what is with you shadowy types and the need to complicate everything."

"You...have a better plan?" Toffee narrowed his eyes in doubt.

"Yeah actually. My friend Ferg's sister Franny works at the Royal Hill Hotel. Kept her out of trouble, scared some aggressive boys away from her, owes me a few. I'll just have her nick me usher clothing and sign me up for the night shift. Very special guests are assigned one usher to carter to their every need. I walk right in, grab the girl and I probably leave through the balcony."

Toffee and Apple shared an unspoken look before turning to Marco, the carriage slowing to a stop.

"It sounds good Mr. Diaz. Here" Marco cautiously takes the business card from Toffee's hand, an address scrawled in perfect handwriting on the back, his name on the front "Bring her to that location. We shall assure her safety."

"Right, gotcha" Marco muttered as he weakly made his way out of the carriage.

"And Mr. Diaz"

Marco looked up to see a revolver thrust into his hands

"Wait, wait I don't do guns" Marco muttered quietly but Toffee clicked his tongue at him

"Insurance in case you have to deal with the assassin. You know, a trained killer who knows how to eliminate his prey and their protectors with... _efficient_ results."

"Right..."

Marco turned distastefully towards Toffee, his eyes emotionless as his voice was low and soft

"Do not fail in this. Too much rides on Star Butterfly."

"And with that lovely pep talk" Marco grinned sarcastically "I'm off to put my mission together."

"Good bye Mr. Diaz. We shall see you soon"

and as unexpectedly as they arrived, Toffee and Apple disappeared into the night, seemingly swallowed whole by the darkness.

2 days later.

Marco began feeling very uncomfortable, each step leading him higher and deeper inside the Royal Hill Hotel. A beautiful, brightly lit building ontop of a hill that overlooked the entire city, the ugliness from below never seeming to reach high enough taint that magnificent white painted mansion that the rich and powerful used as their playground.

And Marco was here to kidnap a princess to save her from being assassinated. Funny how life turns out that way.

Marco was wearing the red and white uniform of the ushers of the hotel, pressed to perfection with no hint or trace of folds or dirt. He still wore Alfonso's newsboy hat, having not seen him in the last few days and just enjoying how Marco looked in it while he tried to ignore the lump in his coat pocket that was the revolver given to him.

Just as Marco planned, Franny managed to easily sneak out an extra uniform for him to wear and signed him up for the night duty for the top floor where Princess Butterfly was staying. Normally volunteers were expected but nobody liked to work for royal families however amazing their reputation preceded them. More often than not, the reputations were false.

Marco could feel a quiet dread when he reached the top floor, not a single soul in sight to protect the princess.

"This...is some terrible prank I fear" Marco whispered as he made his way to the middle of the hall, to where Star Butterfly was supposedly staying.

Why was he even doing this? This Princess Butterfly was probably an uptight, horrible, selfish, wasteful royal brat that just didn't care for the plight of the poor, working folk. For those starving in the gutters, forced to turn to crime just to pay the bills. He shouldn't be here. He should be on the next train out of here, taking his chances in the country or some other god forsaken city where no one knew his name, his past. He loved Ferguson, Franny and Alfonso but if it meant getting free of this strange twist of life, he gladly would've hopped on that train and washed his hands of this mess.

Except he couldn't. For some reason Star Butterfly plagued his thoughts. He found himself staring at her photo constantly but wasn't sure why. He didn't like people. They were all selfish, rude and often laughed at your expense. Even Ferguson and Alfonso were not immune to that rule.

But Star...Star haunted him, driving him to go forth with this insane plan to save her. All because Marco had a school yard crush on a girl he had never met, never seen and didn't even knew existed until two strangers showed up demanding to save her life.

And there was Toffee and Apple. There was something off about them. Well aside their cloak and dagger tactics and recruitment style. Marco didn't trust them but at the moment, he didn't have much of a choice. He bunked with Ferg and Alfonso and there was no way he was dragging the princess back to them. They'd tease him for it then probably turn him in for the reward money.

Marco was dragged out of his thoughts when a dish crashed to the floor with a loud clang, something metal echoing down the empty, pristine hallway.

Marco looked up to find himself to staring at another usher, eyes narrowing in suspicion and making no effort to pick up the dish he just dropped.

There wasn't supposed to be anyone else up here which meant..

"Ello cuz" Marco smiled cheerfully "Here to kill the princess?"

As quick as lightning, the man in front of him drew knife from his breast pocket, slashing wildly at Marco

But Marco wasn't an average chump. He was a former boxing champion and gotten into more fights than he'd like to admit.

Marco leaned back, the blade barely cutting his uniform as he took a step forward when the blade passed by, his fist connecting with his attackers stomach. The assassin didn't even register the blow, twirling and twisting the knife in his hand expertly as he aimed straight for Marco's exposed neck.

Marco ducked under the wide swing, one of his fist smashing into the man's cheek while the other quickly followed into the side of the man. The man let out a grunt of pain but Marco wasn't letting up. The assassin's face turned to shoot Marco a look of pure hatred as Marco's fist connected with his nose, blood splattering the walls while the assassin fell to the floor, knife released from his grip.

"That's what I thought' Marco panted, shaking off the dull ache from his hand and cracking his neck as he slid the key into the door, struggling with the lock for a moment before door opened.

Marco smiled, surprised how well everything was going

But Marco forgot one detail. The assassin was not his usual opponents, drunks couldn't handle a punch to the face like they couldn't handle their liquid.

The assassin leapt to his feet, drawing another knife from his back while lunging directly at Marco.

Marco barely could turn around in turn, knocked off balanced, the assassin rising the knife high into the air, the sharpness of the weapon gleaming evilly with the reflection of the light as Marco's back smashed into the carpeted floor, cracking under the weight as the assassin brought down the blade to take his life.

Marco crossed his arms, catching the assassin's hand in between his forearms, the knife just few inches his eye. Out of the corner of his sight he could see dainty shoes just standing there, watching this scene unfold before the person's eyes.

"Hey buddy!" Marco strained to shout. Between trying to breathing, fighting off an assassin and ignoring the pain through his body, it was really hard to say things "Wanna help me fight off this assassin?"

The shoes made no motion to move

"No? Just gonna let him kill me right here in front of you?" Marco shrugged, the redness of his face betraying how much effort he was putting into his defense "That's cool. That's awesome"

Marco managed to slip his knees against the assassin's stomach, letting out a yell of effort as he lifted the assassin with his legs, sending flipping forward onto a wooden table, splitting it in half as the assassin dropped the knife once more, wildly grasping the air in pain.

"Oh stop being a baby" Marco took in a breath "I fell on my back twice this week. Doesn't hurt that much. Actually it really does"

"Are you okay? I'm sorry. I wasn't helpful. I confused about what just happened?" a soft, flute called to him, somebody blocking the light as they stood over him..

Marco's eyes widen. The photo of Star Butterfly did her no justice. Her sparkling, crystal blue eyes stared at him in concern, her long, blonde hair looked incredibly soft and vibrant against the silhouetted light. She brushed a strain of loose hair behind her ear, her pink lips oddly tempting and those pink hearts on her cheeks looked too cute to be real.

"Sir, are you okay?" she asked again.

Marco opened his mouth before the thunderous roar of footsteps inched closer. Marco and Star stared at the door, a group of rough looking and nasty men slid into view, waiting in the door, clearly up to no good. They began reaching for their guns hidden in various locations

"What's going on!" Star shouted in a panic, Marco getting to his feet and gently taking Star's hand into his own, leading them behind the couch, the group of men finally drawing their guns and taking aim.

The pair barely made it to the safety, the smell of gun powder filling the air, bullets sinking the walls, couches, breaking windows, the sound of gunfire too loud in the small hallway.

"Well..." Marco began, reaching for his own firearm "They're here to kill you and I'm here to kidnap you"

Star's confused look melted into shock and fright as she stared at Marco then back to the group of thugs.

"Wait what?"

Marco could never keep his big mouth shut.


	37. Blind as a bat and this date (RANDOM AU)

Hello fanfiction, author here. so soon? yes yes indeed. A very thank thank thank you to every follow, favorite, and review. they mean so much to me that i am literally just grateful to have amazing readers like all of you.

a special thanks to h mae- i am very happy you are enjoying the story so far. wait till part 2 where starco comes. Marco adorable? hmm i suppose so and yay almost no mistakes! woot woot time to party. haha toffee apple was a silly idea. hmm we all know toffee is up to no good. don't worry part 2 is on the way! sooooon

SVTFOEfanatic- I dont watch him much. respect his work though. sorry i had to build up the story and all that jazz. next part shall have heavy starco."Nothing is impossible, just improbable.

IDC1314- they were extremely cute, just saying the truth dont worry i got plenty of more stories though now the burden of starco falls to me and my fellow writers. we shall take up the challenge with honor and pride. also insanity from the waiting.

rayfe- yeah, this is what happens when Marco stops caring but also doesn't get the idea of maybe keep yourself under control.

finnjr- thank you i shall though feel free to tell me if i start lacking.

lost- i am glad you enjoyed it even if your not a fan of these types of stories. dont worry next chapter shall have heavy starco so you'll enjoy it more. for spoiler reasons ill do the hug story later. want to give everyone a chance to see the episode.

the wookie- I hope she's ready, diaz doesn't seem to know where he's going. hmm tommy gun? and added in.

Secret Sauze- i kid i kid. you read my stories wherever you want. school or not. just dont blame me if you get caught or scolded. i supply you people, what you do with your starco is up to you. haha enjoy the next chapter and i hope you watched the episode. it was epic. have a great day!

sugheman- don't die, insurance for you readers is getting pricey. everyone keeps dying STOP DYING! aww that's sweet. it isn't a steampunk chapter but have another story.

and finally grim- so...im gonna have to lock you in the vault huh? okay, theres no air in there by the i have laser sharks that walk on land and t-rexs with giant robo arms. haha starco happens in part 2, starco.

okay so first of all that episode was amazing, awesome, great and overall mind blowing. theories here i come. Second of all it consumed me and thus we have this story. I love you guys but it is currently early, very early in the morning so no starco corner today. sorry i shall give you writers and artist proper tribute next time.

this au comes from a play i saw a few days ago. i loved the idea and after seeing the episode, couldn't stop myself. Marco and Star are set up on a blind date and already think they dont like what they see but as the night progress they realize their outward impressions of each other may be due to some unresolved issues.

Author notes. There are moments that take place in the person's mind. Star and Marco are the only people physically in the restaurant though their friends show up in their minds to give them advice and their opinion. **Marco's thoughts and fantasies are bold** _while star's are well italics_

Let's see, some cussing, mention of the sex word. yeah that's about it. thank you so much for all the love support and amazing reviews, follows, and favorite. i love you people. now i need to go to sleep. i hope you enjoy the story. i own nothing! and good night!

* * *

"Why did I let them convince me this was a good idea?" 25 year old Marco Diaz muttered to himself, looking nervously around the near empty restaurant. Well bar would be more accurate with its dimly lit with a sea of blue and green lights, several dozen chic, modern bar counters to the 6 actual dinner tables in the room.

Marco lifted his glasses upward, rubbing his eyes tiredly as a peppy waiter made his way to the young man, eying him carefully while noticing his tense, stressed body.

"Umm can I help you sir?" the waiter asked carefully in case this man had one too many to drink yet.

"Er yes...I don't know...maybe? I...I'm here for a blind date my friends set up for me." Marco answered softly, fishing out a small note Ferguson placed in his jacket pocket "I'm looking for...Star Butterfly?"

Marco rolled his eyes in annoyance "That's got to be a totally made up name"

"Actually" The waiter cut in "Star Butterfly just went to the bathroom before you came in. She's waiting for her blind date. I think the name was..."

"Marco? Marco Diaz?" Marco supplied, unsure how to take the waiter's judgmental stare

"Yes that is right. Marco Diaz. A...a little dressed up for a blind date aren't we?"

Marco frowned at the waiter's question, looking down briefly to give his clothes a quick overlook.

Marco was wearing light blue shirt with a black suit jacket, loafers, slacks and tie. Normally his clothes be crisp and well pressed but after a long day at work and the all the running, writing, typing and general hectic nature of his livelihood, his clothes were on the untidy side.

"Oh. I just came from work" Marco explained, motioning to his outfit "I know I'm a little wrinkled but I was hoping this might me look I don't know successful, sharp, confident?"

The waiter looked thoughtfully before shaking his head "No it makes you look desperate, trying too hard and overcompensating for something."

"Ah..." Marco said, unsure how to take the waiter's insulting tone and description of him "Anything I can do to change that?"

The waiter quickly looked him over "lose the tie" Marco quickly undid his tie, shoving into his pockets as he loosen the top button of his shirt before motion with his hands if this was good enough.

"Lose the glasses"

Marco nodded, sliding off the glasses, completely caught by surprise when the waiter shoved them back onto his face

"On second thought let's keep the glasses on."

"Awesome..." Marco muttered tiredly. This was not a good sign. Maybe he should go. He was never good at the dating scene and it already had been a long day. He didn't want to top it off with a failure. Tended to hurt the self esteem.

"Anything else?" Marco asked, barely keeping his temper in check.

The waiter shook his head sorrowfully "Sorry, I'm not a miracle worker and here comes your date. Need something?"

"A better waiter" Marco muttered under his breath

"I'm sorry?"

"A beer would do. Whatever you think is good" Marco answered out loud, a false smiling gracing his face as he mentally nudged this guy to just go away.

The waiter nodded as he slipped away "Gotcha boss."

Marco rubbed his eyes once more, not sure how to take the waiter's advice. Marco knew he wasn't the handsomest guy around but he thought he made the right choice wearing his suit to a date but apparently he missed the mark. Again.

"Umm excuse me?" A soft, melodic voice called from behind him "Are you Marco Diaz?"

"Yes" Marco cried, trying to hide the fact his date managed to sneak up on him like a ninja. He turned around as smoothly as possible "I'm Marco..." His eyes went wide as his jaw practically fell to the floor when he gazed upon Star Butterfly for the first time "...Diaz."

She was absolutely gorgeous with light, bright crystal blue eyes. She had long, straighten blonde hair that seemed to gold and lively as the sun. She wore a red blouse and black skirt that went to her knees which met up with some black knee high boots and leather jacket wrapped around her body. Two pink hearts covered her cheeks, something Marco thought looked great on her.

She was stunning, she was bright, she was breathtaking

and she was exactly the type of girl who ignored him in high school. The artistic, free spirited, only dates bad boys because she just loved them so type girl. And she was totally out of his league.

"I'm Star, Star Butterfly" she said with a smile, subtly taking in her date for the first time ever.

She admitted from the back he much thinner than he really was, the suit really fitting tight against him, clearly showing something hidden under but not exactly giving Star a clue as to what.

She was happy he was much more handsome than she thought he was going to be since her previous blind dates had been rather...well they lied.

Still Star wasn't sure about him. Well dressed, pose straight and perfect, nervous smile with dorky but cute glasses. This was the type of guy was a goody goody, did no wrong, worked his bones until they crumbled away, having no spark of life or passion except making money. You know the friends but not date guy.

She could be totally wrong.

"You look beautiful" Marco muttered, clearly stunned before snapping out of it, making silly hand motions with each new word out of his mouth "I mean cute, pretty, nice, adorable...how about E all of the above?"

Though Star doubted this guy could surprise. her

"Thank you, you look good too." She replied, the two of them taking a seat at the counter at the center of the room, other people clearly comfortable and relaxed.

"So...what do we do now?" Marco muttered softly

Star raised an eyebrow at his strange question "What do you mean?"

"I-I'm new to this. First time ever going on a blind date actually...I...I'm not sure what to do next"

Star was tempted to laugh at how cute he looked, the lost puppy dog look just too endearing on him.

"We get to know each other. You got the name part down so let's keep up the good work huh?"

"Okay" Marco said slowly "umm oh! What do you do for a living?"

"Me? I'm a director at an art museum. You?"

"That's cool. I'm an accountant over at Wilhelm and Son. I...I balance the numbers, give the okay for expenses and sometimes I even get to help out with the cases. Not the most...exciting job but it pays the bills."

Star looked disappointed at this answer "Is that all you care about? Money? Nothing spiritual, nothing to feed your soul?"

"It...it feeds my sole purpose of making money!" Marco weakly joked, confidence slipping away at Star's unimpressed face.

"Ah...you're one of those people" she murmured quietly

"No, no there's more to me than just money!" Marco defensively stated "Ask me anything. I am an open book."

Star smirked playfully, enjoying how much power she had just been given by Marco. See people say they're an open book but Star Butterfly knew exactly what to ask to see if they actually meant it.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

Marco's reaction did not disappoint. His face turned bright red, his eyes wide and completely embarrassed and his gaze suddenly shifted anywhere but Star.

Star smiled, happy with the results. Even the manliest man will fall apart with the S question.

"2 years"

Star blinked, unsure what exactly was she hearing. 2 years? For?

"That's the last time..." Marco softly whispered, still not looking at Star "I...you know..."

"Oh...OH" Star nodded, actually impressed by his courage despite of such an awkward question.

Marco coughed uneasily, gratefully taking the beer from the waiter before chugging a good amount of it down.

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Star teased, wondering if he would fall for the bait.

"I thought a lady didn't tell"

Star smiled "No a lady doesn't tell. So...what did you hear about me?"

Marco's eyes popped open, unsure what Star was asking. He quickly put down his beer, confusion written all over her face "hear about...you?"

"From Ferguson?"

"Oh...OH. Umm He told me you were an artist, cute and very lively."

"And do I fit the bill?"

"I'd say so"

"That's it?"

Marco began to twitch anxiously. This was much harder than he expected. Star was so straightforward, so in your face it was making him even more nervous. Everything felt like a trap, like she was just toying with him before dropping the hammer of rejection on his head.

"Well I just got to know you so..."

"Sure Diaz" Star teased

There was a tense silence, Star looking around like she was bored out of her mind.

"So" Marco started "Do...do you do this often?"

"Do what often?"

"Go out on dates?"

Star looked offended, eyes narrowing in anger as she got straight into Marco's face

"What are you implying Diaz?"

"N-nothing!" Marco quickly stammered "I mean you really relax and calm while I'm sweating like pig over a fire."

Star glared at him and Marco was sure the date was going to end right here and now

"Haha sorry Marco. I couldn't resist"

"That wasn't funny..."

"A little funny"

"No, not really."

Star scoffed "Lighten up Marco it was a joke."

Marco stared at her, now his turn to be unimpressed "I thought jokes were supposed to be funny."

Star flinched, surprised not only how sharp his turn was but also how good a comeback that was.

"So...you going to answer my question?" Marco questioned as he took another sip of his beer.

"Well..." Star began, her glance distance as the vision of a young man with appeared before, his fang like teeth grinning seductively while one visible green eye winked at her "It has been a while."

Marco turned around, unsure what Star was staring at. A very dull wall it seemed.

"You could've fooled me."

"huh?" Star snapped out of it, the vision vanishing from her mind's eye.

"You seem really confident, like you know what you're doing."

Star laughed "I always confident!" the young man appeared again, teasing her with a smile

She frowned, biting her lip nervously "Umm...almost...always."

Marco let out a cheerful laugh "That's something my ex used to give me crap for..."

The world slowed to a halt, fading for a moment.

" **DUDE!" A voice called out to him**

 **Marco peered around the darkened restaurant, Star frozen before him, still biting her lip cutely.**

 **Marco jumped back as Ferguson and Alfonso, his two best friends in the world appeared. Well they weren't really there but Marco often imaged them when he thought of their advice.**

" **What are you doing?" Ferguson cried angrily at him**

" **What, I just mentioned Jac..."**

 **Alfonso covered his mouth quickly as a swell of orchestral strings began when Marco started to say her name "Don't say her name!"**

" **Dude we told you. Never mention the ex on the first date!" Ferguson scolded, lightly smacking Marco's head.**

" **Oww. Geesh, I'm sorry" Marco began rubbing his head where Ferguson hit "It just came up! I mean I didn't mean to bring up Jac.."**

 **Alfonso slapped him hard while Ferguson shook his name disappointingly, the music swell still echoing from that near miss.**

 **Ferguson and Alfonso shouted at him together "DON'T SAY HER NAME!"**

 **Marco let out a frustrated groan "Right right. Don't bring her up. Don't mention J...the ex." Marco quickly changed as his best friends raised their hands once more "So how do I get out of this one?"**

" **Lie!" Ferguson suggested**

" **just casually drop it" Alfonso chimed in.**

" **Right, drop it. Just drop it. Thanks guys"**

 **the pair smiled proudly at him as they snapped their fingers, the world picking up pace once more.**

"What did your ex give you crap for?" Star looked him quizzically.

"L-lack of confidence" Marco answered, nervously scratching the back of his head "y-yep. Lack o' confidence."

"Ah huh" Star nodded, unsure where this strange behavior was coming from "well my ex..."

The world slowed to a stop, lights dimming to near darkness

" _Oh girl you didn't" A sassy voice called from out of nowhere_

 _Star looked around as Marco remained frozen in front of her, sipping his beer like he was trying to shut his own mouth_

" _Patrica? Is that you?"_

 _Star jumped back as Patrica "Pony Head" Harrison jumped from out of nowhere. She was just a bit shorter than Star, her long, mane-like pink hair shifting wildly, her teal eyes with yellow specks in them narrowing at her in disappoint, the mole on her forehead crinkling with disapproval._

" _Girl, what did I tell you about bringing up your ex on a first date?"_

" _W-well...he mentioned his ex! It's only fair I mention Osk..."_

 _Pony Head shut Star's mouth as a rush of horrible, out tune keytar playing began before quickly fading away._

" _He's an earth turd, of course he's going to bring up his ex! I mean look at him" Pony Head clicked her teeth disappointingly at Marco "He wore a suit."_

" _I know! And he's some weird banker whose only doing it for the money!" Star shouted angrily "I should just go. I mean what was the point of even setting me up with this guy Pony Head?"_

" _To remind you there is a life after that last train wreck you lived through B-Fly"_

 _Star whined loudly "But with him?_ _"_

" _I dunno he's not that bad B-Fly"_

" _Then you go on a date with him!"_

" _Psst. N to the ever."_

" _See? Seriously he's just being stumbling since we got here!" Star complained angrily gesturing to the frozen Marco "He's not right for me."_

" _I dunno, maybe he could be if you gave him a fair chance!" Pony Head scolded_

 _Star shifted uneasily in her seat "I have been..._

" _And I'm a disembodied unicorn head. Bullshit B-Fly!"_

 _Star pouted before giving in "Fine, fine I'll give him a real, honest to goodness chance. Still doubt he's going to surprise me"_

" _Well sometimes people aren't what they seem. And remember no mentioning the ex" Pony Head stared directly into her eyes, warning her "Got it?"_

 _Star sighed dramatically "Got it"_

"That was too confident sometimes' Star finished, nervously playing with her hair as she tried to block a certain keytar player out of her head, the pain in her heart whenever he said those words wounding her slightly even now.

"Well he was stupid"

Star let out a small confused gasp, staring at Marco carefully "What?"

Marco shrugged "He was stupid. You are very confident that's a great thing to have. I mean I'm not and look at me."

"Psst, Oskar" the vision appeared again, taunting Star with a cute smile "is not stupid!"

Marco looked at her as she was crazy "He sounds stupid to me."

Star angrily stared at Marco "You're the one sounding stupid with your umms and Ohs and pauses!"

Marco's eyes widen, pain clearly etched inside them.

Star blinked out of her rage, the vision of Oskar disappearing with a sly and knowing grin.

"I-I'm sorry Marco" She started slowly "I-I didn't mean..."

"It's fine" Marco replied quietly "it's true anyway. I...I'm not very confident. Hell I don't even know what I am doing and it's very obvious"

Marco looked like he wanted to run, lost, confused and hurt. Star realized she had gone too far, once again protecting Oskar from the truth.

"Y-you know" Marco started "Maybe I should just..."

"Go get a table?" the waiter shouted cheerfully, catching the attention of the entire building "Agreed."

"I really don't think..." Marco tried to say but he was booed at once, the rest of the restaurant bar patrons shouting for him to spend some more time with the girl, that he wouldn't get another shot at this.

Outnumbered, outvoted and outshouted Marco and Star glumly allowed the waiter to show them to a table, Marco pulling out Star's seat before pushing it in like a true gentleman.

Star had to admit it was nice to be treated like a proper lady for once.

The pair quickly opened their menus, unwilling to talk to the other quiet yet.

" **Guys?" Marco called out, Ferguson and Alfonso manifested nearby, messing with a couple nearby and not hearing Marco at all.**

" **GUYS!" Marco shouted, snapping his fingers to get their attention.**

" **Oh, sorry bro. What's up?"**

" **Did you not hear her? She defended her ex! She's obsessed with him! I can't date her."**

 **Ferguson and Alfonso gave each other a knowing look as the silhouette of Jackie began to form in front of Marco's eyes.**

" **Whose acting high and mighty now?"**

" **You have the same problem"**

 **"But it's not the same...me and...her were different." Marco tried to defend himself weakly but he knew he was wrong.**

" **Yeah you know you're wrong!" Ferguson shouted, Alfonso nodding in agreement.**

" **What the hell am I supposed to do? She clearly doesn't want to date me! I mean look at her! Now back to me, back to her, back to me and what do you see? Because I see a loser trying to go out with a gorgeous girl who is clearly not interested!"**

" **You just got to try harder man. She's a babe. They don't come around everyday you know?"**

 **Marco lifted his glasses, rubbing his eyes "I don't get the girl guys. I never get the girl! I'm not supposed to win!"**

" **Psst not with that attitude"**

" **Come on Marco. Just hold on a little longer. This could be the one you win."**

" _Don't say it" Star muttered feebly_

 _Pony Head said nothing, filing her nails as she waited for Star to get on with it_

" _I messed up. In more ways than one. I hurt my date and once again I protected my asshole of an ex."_

" _Mhm. Yeah you better call this a night. You just drove off your date"_

 _Star began tugging at her hair fearfully "you think so?"_

" _B-Fly I know so. I've seen that look. The look of hopelessness and loss. He figured he had no shot with you and now he knows it. He's about the head out the door."_

 _Star let out angrily growl "God, every time! Every time I try move passed...him I always end up chasing my date away."_

" _Girl, I'm surprise your sex question didn't do that."_

" _Yeah me too"_

" _Maybe he will stay. You never know."_

the two put down their menus, staring at each other tensely as they try to figure out what to say.

"So..umm..." Marco began before calmly putting his napkin on the table "I'm just going to..."

Star panicked, the desire to not only help Marco feel better but finally move on grew too great in her body to keep inside "Wait! I mean don't go yet. I mean we" Star motioned back and forth "might not be right for each other but surely we could..."

 **Ferguson and Alfonso peered at her, eyes wide at what she might say**

" **Oh god, she's not saying it is she?"**

"...be..."

" _B-fly, B-fly stop! STOP RIGHT NOW!"_

"Friends?"

 **Ferguson and Alfonso played disappointed trombones noise before letting out a sigh of defeat.**

" **We've been friend zoned people. Let's pack it up!" Ferguson shouted, clapping Marco's shoulder**

 **Marco said nothing, the disappointment of rejection once again threatening to overcome him.**

" **It's okay buddy. Next time"**

 **Marco scoffed as he shoved Ferguson's hand off of him "next time? Next time Ferg? There is no next time! I'm always going to be Marco Diaz, friend...never good enough to date...or marry..."**

 **Marco let a depressed sigh.**

"Oh..." Marco said, unsure what exactly to do next "I...I was just going to the bathroom...but...well.." Marco coughed awkwardly "Well I am still going to the bathroom but...umm going to try to drown myself in the sink...so...umm...I'll be back."

Marco practically raced out of the room, not at all happy or content.

" _What was that B-Fly?" Pony Head scolded, unable to believe what she just witness_

" _I FREAKED! Okay? I...I thought he was leaving and I...I just didn't give him a chance...and ugh..." Star cradled her head in her hands "It was bad. It was totally bad right?"_

" _You friend zoned him! Of course it is bad. That is not what a date wants to hear"_

" _What if I set him up with someone else? You know help him find his happy ever after?"_

" _I dunno B-Fly, that Earth turd he was low on courage and it looks like he spent all of it on you"_

 _Star let out a frustrated grunt._

"Well..." Marco's came from nowhere, his body shifting awkwardly

Star jumped, twisting in her chair to see Marco without his jacket it on, but instead wrapped around his arm as if he was preparing to go.

"As fun...as this has been...friend...I...I think I'm going to go home now...and...do something" Marco muttered, completely defeated.

Star shifted guilty, sadden that she ruined her potential chance at happiness but still willing to help out Marco.

"You know...I know a lot of single girls..."

Marco was confused by what Star was implying

"Play your cards right maybe I can hook you up with them."

Marco bit his lip, something Star found oddly charming before returning to his seat.

"You...you do?" Marco said hopefully, his bright, wide eyes too adorable and causing Star blush fiercely.

"Yeah. Totally. Umm what's your type?"

"My type? oh...umm...adventurous, cool, loves to surf, oh strong and just loves the ocean" Marco began, each passing word causing an image of Jackie to appear before him, smiling, waving, flirting.

Marco snapped out of it, shaking his head before returning his attention to Star, feeling very hot under her focused and intense gaze. It felt pretty nice to have a girl actually give him some undivided attention even if it wasn't going to lead to anything.

"Nothing Specific" Marco muttered softly.

"Hmm..." Star thought, trying to ignore the feeling of regret deep in her heart. Now that he wasn't as nervous anymore, Star had to admit he found him pretty endearing.

"OH! I know the perfect girl!" Star shouted in excitement

Marco's eyes lit in a way that somehow was more breathtaking than any Christmas lights Star had ever seen, his light brown eyes reflecting the dim atmosphere in a sexy and rather attractive way Star hadn't noticed before. It was really distracting.

"Her names Jackie..."

Marco's face fell, his eyes staring off into the distance as Jackie began to reform once more.

"She just got out of a relationship."

"You don't say..." Marco whispered, trying his hardest to fought off the image but failing horribly.

"Jackie Lynn...Jackie Lynn what"

Marco took a deep breaths but it failed to stop his mind from conjuring up the image of her once more.

"oh! I remember!'

Jackie smiled seductively towards him, strutting her way over step by step, inch by inch making his heart grow heavier at the sight of her.

"Jackie Lynn Reynolds!"

Marco let out a sigh of relief, holding onto the table tightly while muttering "Oh thank god."

Star peered him confused but finding his antics strangely bearable now "Do...you know her?"

Marco blinked a few times before saying "her...no...but for a moment..."

 **Ferguson and Alfonso began waving large red flags, trying to wave off Marco**

" **Dude, don't do it! YOU'RE not ready yet!'**

" **Dude you've come so far! Don't risk it all"**

"i thought you were talking about Jackie Lynn Thomas

 **The orchestra began to play beautiful music as Jackie reappeared, knocking away Ferguson and Alfonso, smiling brightly at Marco though his heart did not beat as fast it normally did.**

"That's an interesting name...is that your ex?"

Marco nodded "Yeah..she was my ex...it...umm...yeah."

"What happened?'

"umm...well...she...and I...just didn't...well she left me. I mean...well..."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Umm...2 years ago...In a hall...with a band...people sitting in chairs...the priest waiting patiently as we...awaited for her to arrive."

Star could feel her heart crack in half, this truth revealing so many answers to Marco's behavior.

"Wait. She left you at the altar?"

Marco scoffed ironically "I wish she made it to the altar...I found her running through the parking lot shouting at the top of her lungs 'I'm sorry Marco I just can't do this!' before leaping into a taxi and flying off to who knows where..."

"That bitch!"

Marco looked up at Star, surprised to see a defensive and caring look on her face

"Where does she live? Where does she live Marco? We're going to get even with her so..."

Marco grabbed Star's arm, holding on gently as she began trying to get out of her seat. Marco flushed, realizing this was the first time he held a girl in well 2 years.

"Star, Star it...it's not her fault. There was a lot of pressure on both of us."

"Don't you dare defend her Diaz" Star shouted "no one deserves that, least of all you!"

"Star..."

"No, it isn't right or fair."

"Star I'm sure..."

"Open your eyes, she was a bitch."

Marco opened his mouth to defend Jackie but Star was on a roll

"She didn't understand what a special person she had. How lucky she was to have someone as kind and considerate as you! And she can go fuck off!"

Marco looked the image of Jackie, shocked and appalled Star's description of her. She motion for Marco to defend her honor, to correct Star.

Marco turned to Star, her eyes vivid at the idea someone could treat him so horribly.

Marco could feel his heart warm at the sight of her and he turned to the image of Jackie.

 **Ferguson and Alfonso appeared behind Jackie, nodding in approvement towards Star**

" **She's right, she was selfish, cruel, heartless bitch and you deserve better."**

" **Like Star."**

" **Like Star' Marco repeated.**

"You're right Star" Marco said, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth "You are right. She was a no good, selfish, horrible bitch. And she lost out on something great!"

Star smiled as wide as she could before flushing when Marco gripped her hands tightly, lovingly, her heart beating wildly at his touch.

"Star...I don't want to date any of your friends. I want to date you."

"Wha?" Star murmured, Oskar appearing behind Marco once more, taunting her about how he was the only that could love her.

"I know we had a bad start but I think...I think with your encouragement I can be more...well outgoing and with my patience...I...I dunno I can help you in someway...What do you say Star?"

"Umm..." Star muttered weakly, Oskar taunting filling her with fear and dread "I..."

Was it possible to love again? To try once more even though she didn't deserve it. Oskar was her true love forever and a half...but now...she couldn't mend her broken heart.

Marco could feel his heart drop at the sight of Star's gaze, avoiding him like the plague.

He let go of her hands, Star already missing the warm he brought to her.

"I...I guess I have my answer..."

Marco stood up, wrapping his jacket around her body "A thank you...you did so much for me...I...I can't not even begin to thank you. Take care of yourself Star."

Marco gave the waiter a large amount of money, Star had no idea how much but by telling how happy the waiter looked, it was quite a lot.

"Whatever the gorgeous girl wants" He muttered, walking off before Star could stop him.

Star tried to call out for him but her voice refused to work, her heart racing at what just happened. How did he go from unconfident loser to Mr. perfect.

Star looked upwards, a vision of Oskar cockily grinning her way, holding his arms wide open as if she was going to come running back.

But not this time. This time she saw a real man, a real man who liked her...maybe even more. She connected with him the moment they met but she was so determined about Oskar, she was so sure about her ex that she buried, ran from it, tried to ignore it.

Well not even more. She felt love, true love and she wanted more of it.

"Fuck off Oskar" she said proudly, digging out her phone as Oskar disappeared from her mind

"hey Pony Head. Going to need a huge favor."

* * *

"Here we go again" Marco muttered to himself, looking around for his blind date that once again Ferguson set up for him.

He wasn't excited, or confident not because he lacked those things but rather he really didn't want to be here.

Ever since that one night, Star had been on his mind 24/7. He...he couldn't help how amazing she was, supportive, caring. She helped him get over Jackie! Something no one else could even remotely do.

He connected with her and those last moments with her he could tell, that was the real Star Butterfly.

He really wanted to go out on a date with her. Well another date where he didn't mess up so much. Maybe if he had been more...more out going or something he could've had a real shot with Star. But Jackie ruins something else good in his life.

Still, this was good for him. Getting out into the world, trying his hardest even though the girl he wanted was...

He couldn't think about that. First through this date, then beating up Ferguson

and...something about Star.

Marco should just leave her alone and respect her choice.

"Mr. Diaz?" The waiter from before came up to him "Your date is waiting over there. I'll take you to her. Still rocking the suit look I see?"

Marco shrugged "It worked last time...kinda"

"I'm sure this time it will work even better."

"Sure."

Marco made his way over, looking around at all the happy couples, wondering when it was going to be his turn.

"Here you are sir, your blind date"

Marco finally snapped his attention forward, his eyes unable to believe the person sitting in front of him. His smile was soft, shy but so happy and eager at the sight of her.

She looked radiant in a red, flowing dress, her hair done in curls as she offered her hand to shake his, some fancy bracelet hanging loosely off her wrist.

"H-Hi I'm Marco Diaz" Marco muttered weakly, barely able to find his seat, unable to focus properly due to the girl in front of him

She gave out a cute giggle, one that tug on his heartstrings as she flashed him a brilliant grin

"Hello Marco, I'm Star Butterfly."


	38. Star's Sol (Sol Request AU)

Hello fanfiction, author here. hope you are doing good. a many thanks for every single review, follow and favorite. they mean so much to do me as you dear readers do as well.

A special thanks to h mae.- i am glad you liked the chapter. I am always trying ideas, styles, words etc etc so im really happy this one came out better than i thought. that was a part of the play and i loved idea so much i had to add it in. it was just too perfect not too! The play was a musical called first date. or the first date. not sure if the is important.

SVTFOEfanatic- that is the best metaphor of confidence i have heard. i couldn't have described it better myself. no problem, i am just grateful you left me a review. it meant the world to me. been hanging around mystical monkeys huh? "You can keep looking forward to the future or backwards to the past but you can't do both. pick one and keep walking, journey's not over yet buddy"

finnjr- to each their own. i can't always hit home runs but i hope you still found the stories enjoyable. hopefully this one is more up your alley. enjoy!

Rayfe: Im sorry have a hug *HUG!*

Secret Sauze- thank you! here another chapter!

wookie1- as long as Marco has Star, everything is great!

Drowninginfeelz- i am glad you enjoy my stories so much. thank you for your reviews. im working on steampunk part 2 but here enjoy this other chapter for the moment.

heyitsbfly- your icon is insanely cute seriously Star is just the cutest.

Sughman- that finale was great, especially the Italian Unicorn. well gotta keep you fans alive for season 2. here have a story.

Lost; You are spoiling me with all these 10 out of 10s right now im not sure about a part 2 *Totally do able* but i will probably come back to it soonishly. here have a 1 for being an awesome reader

grim- haha humanized pony head rules! here you need this pass or my security system will erase you from existence *Hands you pass*

fanfictionfordayz- it was a nice change of pace to age them up. thank you for your kind words.

cartoonlover187 thank you so much but it was the play that inspired me so credit goes to it. yes starco is a drug and we all love it so.

IDC1314- its the weekend everyone drown yourself in Starco!

and watermalone- thank you so much it means a lot to me you would take time out of your busy schedule to leave me a review. stop...melting...the freezer not the freezer! here let's send you to the arctic maybe that'll help. good luck to you too my dear author.

okay on starco corner. H mae doesn't have new star stuff up but there is a pretty cute drawing of herself shyly accepting praise and a few other reblogs including a cute pines family moment. IDC1314 on instagram has some more doodles up of Star kids and fancy dressed Marco and Star. i also want to give her credit because star's school outfit was based on a picture she drew of the Sol AU loved it so much i had to use it, hope you don't mind Sara? im gonna go with sara. New to Starco corner is Fandomharbor also on instagram who did a pretty good drawing of the Starco hug in the finale. and a cool OC drawing as well so check it out. On FF we have another awesome chapter of Princess and safe kid from PFTones, You're my wish come true from fanfictionfordayz, the satisfying ending of Star vs the finale from Skleero. I also updated If i miss you

So this is a request from fanfictionfordayz who wanted to see the event described in the ending of the Sol AU play out. So here we go Freshman year in high school and the only thing Sol wants is to ask Star out to the dance. but can Star forget years of torment to go out with evil Emperor Solar? she might but why did it have to be so damn hard? I hope you enjoy this fanfictionfordayz and i hope it is what you expected. please feel free to tell me if it isnt.

So author's note Posa means butterfly juuuust in case.

Okay thank you so much for all the love and support! it means the world to me i hope you enjoy the long awaited part 2 of Sol AU i have a special request at the bottom of the page and i would really grateful for your input. enjoy the story and I own nothing!

* * *

If you asked Sol why he dislike Star Butterfly, he would say it was her general attitude. She was bright, positive, her determination to bring the world joy one smile at a time and her favorite target was Sol. She was childish, too peppy, way too cute and and and! she loved to wish him a happy morning with this huge smile on her face! She smelled way too much like a girl, she loved to invade his personal space, random hugs, the fact he often sat alone at this far end table away from the all seeing eye of the general population and Star just _happens_ to assume it's okay if she sits next to him...on the seat that was made way to close too his...so their arms and legs...lightly touched each other.

Everyone knew Sol was lying. Everyone knew he harbored strong, romantic feelings for Star Butterfly but no one knew why he didn't act on them. Despite his words, he had long ceased being antagonistic to the young blonde, his once harsh and barbed comments and mockery now softening to a light and rather cute flirty teasing. Many assumed he was scared of rejection, that the years of torment he inflicted upon the object of his affection had made her cold and bitter towards him, that all this touchy feely stuff she did was just an act to get swift vengeance on the boy when he let his guard down.

Others assumed he wasn't sure how he felt about the girl, unable to determine if he loved or hated her.

One person even went as far as to calm that Sol was trying to fool her, get her guard down so he could destroy his dreaded foe once and for all.

Only Sol knew the truth of what he did what he did and it was far simpler than anyone assumed

He was shy. He was a 14 year old boy with a decade long crush! How did people expect him to react? He had always been a timid boy, uneasy when the spotlight of attention fell upon him. His tough and antagonistic attitude was just a facade, an act to cope with the stresses of life. He possessed a huge crush on Star when they first met in Kindergarten, first spotting her as Tom tormented her mercilessly in the sandbox.

Why a first grader would sneak in to torment a kindergartner was beyond Sol. Then again Tom had always been a bit messed up but in any case, he couldn't just sit by and watch someone get tormented. And so he leapt to Star's aid, shouting after the retreating figure of Tom that nobody torments Star.

And as he turned to see if she was okay, he was caught off guard. Star smiled at him brightly, her blue eyes gleaming with gratitude as her blonde pigtails bounced up at down as she thanked him, shyly playing with the hem of her summer dress.

Sol felt his heart beat rapidly, his cheeks turning red on their own. He didn't know what was happening, having never felt this before. At the time he assumed he was angry for some reason since the only time he ever seen someone turn as red as he felt was in his cartoons, some transgression done to the person that was unforgivable.

He told her not to thank him, that only he got to torment her.

He thought she was going to cry, her eyes were bright but imagine to his surprise with the girl cheerfully declared him her enemy and one that Star Butterfly would never lose to

"What was your name again?" Little Star asked shyly

"umm...Sol ah...umm..." he muttered nervously, unsure what was going on anymore.

"Right, Empire Solar you are going down."

"Wait it's Sol! MY NAME IS SOL!" he cried after her but the name stuck.

And thus the rivalry had been born.

Sol thought he must dislike Star for his rapidly beating heart and flushed cheeks meant he was angry at her even if that wasn't how he really felt.

He remembered how much he disapproved being the bad guy in her stories, how she would always declare him her mortal enemy and how she would defeat him and good would win.

Why was he the bad guy? He didn't like being the bad guy. He much rather preferred being Star's pri...sidekick. You know goofy comic relief or something of the sort.

But alas he was Empire Solar, enemy to Star Butterfly and that annoyed him to no end until Star finally learned his name in 5th grade.

It wasn't until this freshman year in high school that Sol finally clued in on his feelings towards Star.

It had been 3 long months. Ferguson had gone out of country while Alfonso went out of state. Sol spent most of his time reading, brushing up on his karate or generally watching television. He possessed the freedom to do whatever he wished but he was given too much freedom, so eventually his days became dull and boring, finding himself longing for school to start.

He arrived early to school, too eager to finally have something to do when he spotted Star.

His heart raced wildly at the sight of her blonde her tucked into a side ponytail, pink heart splattered all across her light blue shirt, opting on wearing a strange ballerina like skirt for the first day of schoo.

She spotted him, a giant smile on her face as she practically raced over to him, enveloping him in a massive, warm hug.

Sol feebly attempted to break her hold on him, the scent of vanilla and for a strange reason, chocolate surrounding him and sending him a happy daze.

"Hey, hey. Knock it off Butterfly!" Sol shouted, panicking at the proximity to him Star was. She was too close, too close! He couldn't handle this.

Star nuzzled against his cheek, which sent a syrupy, happy feeling in his chest.

"Nah uh Sol, not till you say my name"

"I-I'm warning you Butterfly!"

"Nope, saaaaay my name Sol!"

"Ugh, Butterfly..." he growled, no bite to his bark

"Sooooool." Star teased, eyes twinkling in joy and some unknown emotion.

"F...Fine!" Sol cried out, finally cracking under the pressure. If this continued any longer, he was to kiss her right there and then.

"Let go me of Star!" He shouted, stiff as a board when Star released him from her embrace.

She giggled in the cutest way possible, staring expectantly towards Sol.

"Soooo did you miss me?"

Sol scoffed, turning away, arms crossed, cheeks as red as could be

"N-no, why would I miss you Butterface?"

Star grinned mischievously, he totally missed her.

"Cuz I'm the only girl that hugs you" she said, a strange predatory glint in her eyes.

Sol frowned realizing this was true. He had always been labeled cute and adorable by girls in their class and every year one, two, 7 would hug him for some unknown purpose. But as the years went on,as he grew into a less cute and adorable teen, the hugs began to dry out, fewer and fewer girls approaching him until only Star remained the only hugger in his life.

He wondered why was that but it was a mystery he would never solve and while out loud he protested, he loved his Star hugs.

"So Prince Sol, how was your summer?"

Sol did a double take, staring at Star like she grew a second head. If she found this behavior strange, she didn't let on as she stared him with her black, spiky turtle backpack held at her side.

"Umm...did you just call me...?"

"Prince?" she supplied, nodding eagerly "Yep, not much of Emperor now that I caught up to you."

Sol flushed. To others it would fueled by anger but Star knew it was more out of embarrassment.

As children, Sol always loomed over Star, tall for his age. But as the years passed ,Star began to catch up to Sol until finally the two were equal height, something that made Sol uncomfortable for some reason.

Sol pretended to mad about the height, stating it wasn't as fun to tease Star anymore since they now saw eye to eye but the truth of the matter was he had always heard girls talk about how much they preferred and liked taller boys, something Sol was no longer to Star.

"Well I got class to go to. Bye bye _Prince_ Sol" she waved cheerfully to him, Sol nearly missing the empathizes she put on the prince part.

There was another reason she began calling him prince but any thoughts he had on the matter flew out the window when he noticed the other boys now looking at Star with eager and nervous glances.

He hoped the trend would cease in middle school but apparently it hadn't.

Star remained the same as ever, crazy, upbeat, weird. Even her delusion remained the same. Star was Star and would always be Star.

But she was also a pretty young girl whose beauty became more apparent each passing year.

So that, coupled with her crazy, bold yet kind, caring nature made Star very popular.

Every guy wanted her attention, every girl wanted to be Star and everyone just loved her.

Sol was well liked but not to the degree of Star. Crazy was the new cool and Star was that word incarnate.

The school year slowly began to pick up, racing faster and faster to the event on everyone's mind: The first dance of high school.

Sol normally wouldn't have cared. He didn't like to dance, girls often liked to stare creepily at him and Star was often in the center of a ring of impenetrable students (not that Sol was trying to...

Who was he kidding? He wanted to ask Star to the dance. He wanted to be the only person with her and maybe, just maybe tell her how he truly felt about her.

Sol knew Star couldn't have liked him back. He spent like 90% of their lives teasing and tormenting her. It was the only way he could show her he liked her in the moment but it was a pretty stupid way.

Sol wasn't going to ask Star out. He couldn't. He was sure there was no way she would say yes.

Until he noticed an unusual trend.

It was a small thing at first, something Star had been saying for years so he paid it no mind as Star began becoming a regular fixture in his school life. True for the first time ever they had the same classes together, but they also had lockers right next to each other. He ran into Star so many times he was almost sure she was just waiting for him to pass by to ambush him.

"Your princess wants to speak to you" Star would say softly, grinning ear to ear whenever he pretend to groan in frustration.

"Your princess wants your attention"

"Your princess wants to know if you an extra apple or something"

"Your princess wants to see what you got for number 2. Hey, hey don't hide your answers. We all know you're smart Sol!"

Your princess.

Sol heard the word princess over a million times growing up with Star so, at first, he didn't process the rest of the sentence. Princess Star Butterfly, same as ever.

But then came the new phrase

"Aww what does Prince Sol want his homework back? Because I brrrrrrrrought it! Oh sorry my...umm cat kinda chewed on it."

"What prince Sol doesn't like wet socks? Seriously, there are like a million other things that worst than wet socks"

"Prince Sol isn't sleeping enough huh?"

He had been called Emperor Solar (later Emperor Sol) his entire life, so he was kinda used to this change. Though he must admit being called Prince Sol was strange and oddly endearing to him for some reason.

But the biggest change came in the form of when she mixed the two.

"Prince Sol, your princess wants to eat under the tree for a change. It isn't that bad."

"Prince Sol, your princess wants to know why you have a raven on your shoulder...what does losing a bet have anything to do with this?"

"Prince Sol, did you know that your princess just got a C in math. I GOT A C! WOO!"

Prince Sol...your princess?

This was completely new to him and it sent him sputtering into a stuttering mess of a boy each and every time he heard it.

Was Star just teasing him, returning years of teasing upon him with frightening efficiency?

or was she trying to tell him something? Star was a crazy girl but everything she did was with a purpose.

But what exactly was she trying to do?

It eluded Sol and he was desperate to find out. This felt like 5th grade all over again but now it felt like Sol was the weird kid that didn't fit in. Missing an obvious answer that everyone seemed to know.

It didn't help whenever he asked or question Star about her new found (and very well loved phrase) she would reply

"Why don't you just ask me?" a knowing glint in her eyes.

Sol was confused, he was pretty sure he did just ask her why she was doing all this stuff. When did he change from hated, evil enemy Emperor Sol to unsure if they are still fighting or enemies or maybe they teamed up Prince Sol.

Every time he asked her, he would get the same response "Why don't you just ask me?"

She was baiting for something but Sol hadn't the slightest idea what. Apparently he had been asking the wrong questions but what exactly was the right question?

Sol thought Star would gather tired, annoyed and agitated at his constant questioning (He did grow up with her and knew how impatient she could, which was extremely) but she seemed rather calm, more than willing to wait as Prince Sol slowly pieced together what she meant.

He began asking other questions "Is it something I did?" "Was it something you did?" "Were they even enemies anymore?" "What exactly was her art project and did it need to involve an Ostrich and bottle rockets?" oh and of course on days he was becoming impatient "What did you want from me?!"

She replied, same knowing glint, same mischievous gleam "Why don't you ask me?"

Sol decided to ask her to the dance. If she said or no, he wouldn't care as he long as he finally tried (That was a total lie, he would be devastated if she said no). He wanted to go to the dance with her and for some reason, he had a feeling she wanted to go with him.

Wishful thinking.

He remembered how bad the day of the dance was, how everything seemed to conspire against him.

First, he woke up late, barely arriving to the school in time to get his books. He turned to see Star waiting for him, eagerly looking at him despite the fact they only had 30 seconds to run half way across the school.

He opened his mouth, trying to ignore how dry his mouth felt. He was so sure Star would've gone without him but here she was.

He tried to get out the words, he tried his hardest to ask her out.

Star knew this was important. She leaned in closer and closer, smiling one of the brightest smiles Sol ever saw grace her face.

This of course made Sol even more nervous, the words getting stuck in his throat and only coming out in near incomprehensible bursts.

"S-Star...I...I..w...an...t...to...umm...school you...me...umm...dan..."

The bell rang loudly, startling the two teens.

They looked at each other fearfully and ran as one towards their class, Sol's face one of absolutely terror while Star just kept on grinning like this was the best moment of her life.

He tried again in 2nd period (Already having been scolded and in trouble during first) He wrote a note that simply asked if Star wanted to go with him tonight's dance (Sol totally didn't already have the tickets...that...would be...you know crazy)

This was the one class Star sat far away from him, near the large window that often teased students with the outside world. Star routinely looked out the window, caring not if she failed math or not. She hated math. Math could burn in a fire and send them all back to the dark ages for all she cared.

Sol made the note into a paper airplane, folding it carefully and making it as perfect as he could. He did not trust the others in the class since every guy eyed his note warily, eyes narrowed as if they knew what he was trying to do and did not approve of it.

He waited till the teacher's back was turned, half lifting out of his seat as he launched his declaration in Star's direction, taking a deep breath when it twisted and turned, even doing a loop mid-air, flying closer and closer to the unsuspecting Star.

He almost a cheer of joy when it looked like it was about to land on Star's desk but suddenly the air conditioner kicked on, the rush of air pushing the plane much faster than expected.

It raced passed Star's head, having gained enough speed to fly by in a blur, making a loud whooshing noise, her hair trailing after it when it passed her at mach 1. she looked up, face unsure what exactly she heard before turning to see the paper fly towards the window.

Sol almost let out another cheer. This was perfect! The plane would hit the window, fall to the floor next to Star and viola, she would still get the...

Sol's face fell, surprised and amazed as the plane sailed through the window glass, twisting and turning before landing inside a wood chipper, ripped violently into thousands upon thousands pieces.

"I don't know who threw that" Miss Skullnick growled angrily "but just because the window needs to be replaced does not mean you can just toss planes out of it!

Sol put his head down, banging his head over and over on his desk.

Lunch time rolled around and Sol's breathing became heavy, sweat running down his forehead as he he heard Tom roar angrily behind him.

Sol's eyes widened as he leapt over an over turn desk that was just sitting in the middle of the hallway. Seriously?! Who does that?!

What had been an attempt to pump himself up and give himself courage to ask Star to the dance became a mad dash to be first when Tom walked by, overhearing his words and realizing no one had asked Star out yet.

The two boy shared a look of pure hatred as they raced in different directions, each talking their own path to Star.

Only to run into each other when the paths converged.

"Umm..." Sol muttered intelligently.

"This is...strange..." Tom muttered quietly

A moment passed as Sol flicked Tom's nose, running ahead of him as he flinched back in surprise.

"Star, Star, Star. Gotta find Star!" Sol muttered under his breath, eyes searching wildly for her, not even caring if anymore heard him mutter her name like a prayer

He skidded to a stop as he spotted her under the tree.

He could feel the cold chill of disappointment fill his body as she laughed outloud, smacking arm of the boy who sat next to her.

Tom caught up but silently huffed and raged upon seeing Star Butterfly hanging out with Oskar Greason,. Apparently the rumors were true.

For the last week there was a rather disheartening rumor that Star was hanging out (And possibly dating) Oskar "I'm failing my classes so bad the school won't even waste a tutor on me" Greason, resident bad boy and horrible keytar player.

Sol tried to accept it. Sol wished it wasn't true but alas it was. There she was, pointing and smiling toward some book in his lap, probably his photo collection of himself or something.

It was too late. Sol was too late.

Sol let out a disappointing sigh when the second after school bell rang, reminding students it was the weekend and to leave and not bother the staff anymore.

He sat under the tree he had just seen Star flirting with Oskar, a whirl of emotions.

Most of them self loathing but there was a sense of loss buried somewhere in there.

He let out a depressed sigh, elbow propped against the grass, hand holding up his head.

"Sol?" a soft, song like voice called to him.

Sol flushed as Star approached him, eyes watching him with concern.

"What do you want Butterface?" he muttered low and harsh. He really couldn't deal with this right now.

"Sol, are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay!" he shouted, unsure why he was reacting this way. It wasn't Star's fault he was a jerk "Why wouldn't I be okay? Because you're dating Oskar?"

"Umm..Sol..."

"Because he's taking you to the dance?"

"Sol?"

"Because I've been trying to ask you to the dance for the last freaking month and I keep stumbling and failing and looking like a complete idiot because I can't just freaking say hey Star, want to go to the dance with me tonight?"

"S-sol! I'd love to go with you!"

Sol snapped out of rant, his brown eyes meeting her light blue ones.

"W-wha?" he slipped out, utterly confused how he went from self hating loser to Star date having winner.

She smiled gently at him, cheeks flushing "I'd love to go with you Sol."

"I" Sol felt like the world had been pulled from under him "But...I...you...Oskar...you two were..."

"Studying. I've been tutoring him this whole week because his mom finally decided to try to get to know her son and he's been trying to raise his grades up so she wouldn't be disappointed in him again."

"Oh... _oh..."_

Star giggled, taking a seat next to Sol, unable to looking at him now that she was going to admit a secret to him

"I was really scared you weren't getting my hints..." she whispered, braiding her hair absentmindedly

"H-hints?"

"Why don't you ask me?"

"The dance" Sol muttered, all the air knocked out of his lungs as the realization hit him in the face like a ton of bricks "You wanted me to ask you to the dance..."

Star shyly nodded, still unable to look upon Sol's face "Where else is the Prince supposed to dance with the Princess?"

The answer was so simple that Sol felt like he needed to turn in all his grades and wear a permanently wear an F on his forehead for the rest of his life

"So...will you go with me?"

Star looked disappointed "I am glad you asked me but it's too late now. They stopped selling tickets and..."

It was nice change of pace to see Star's eyes widen in surprise, Sol holding up two tickets to the dance in front of her face.

"See you at 7?" he asked slyly

The gym had transformed into this dark, massive rave like party, beams of blue, red, and green shooting off randomly in all directions as the constantly color changing lights basked any and everything an array of distracting hues.

Sol shyly stared into his cup of fruit punch, smiling and laughing with Star as they hung out to the side, laughing, talking, enjoying each other's presence.

Most of the night was spent just being with one another, each too shy to ask the other to dance but still enjoying the setting of the dance. They knew they should at least share a single dance to fulfill the requirement of being at a dance but the temptation to sit there, laughing at their ridiculous classmates attempts at dancing and romance was too great to ignore. Especially Ferguson deciding to paint a face on his stomach and asking random girls to dance with it.

"Did he really think that was going to work?" Sol snorted, laughing while Star lightly shoved his shoulder.

"It's Ferguson! Of course he thought it was going to work!" Star giggle was pure music to Sol's ears and he took this chance to sneak another glance at his date.

Star looked absolutely angelic. She was wearing thigh high white boots, pink hearts on the bottom and red ribbons at the top. Her dress a wide with a wave of pink on the bottom while the rest was a lighter shade of red, a heart bow on her stomach. The dress was a single sleeved pinned with a pink heart at her shoulder. She had two long sleeved white gloves and her long hair had been done up in a beehive bun, two strains of the hair curled and hanging off the sides of her head. A pink, heart shape bag was slung over her shoulder fitting the outfit perfectly.

Apparently she wasn't lying when she said she was hoping for him to ask her out.

As Sol snorted again in laughter at Star's joke, she took a moment to take in his outfit.

He wore a suit, dark oceanic blue with a crisp, pure white collared shirt, small red heart shaped cufflinks on his wrists while a red bowtie was wrapped around his neck. His light brown hair was gelled, slicked down giving him a really mature and refined look.

The dance crawled to a slow pace, a soft, tender song filling the air as the younger crowd dispersed, too embarrassed at the romantic setting while the upperclassman stayed, enjoying as much time as they could with their loved ones.

Star smiled, eyes soft at the sight of all the couples, content to just watch the love filling the room.

But Sol wasn't. Sol was almost content but there was one last thing on his list he needed to make this night complete. Even if he failed, he was going to at least try.

He took a deep breath, mentally telling himself that he was Sol Ernesto Ubaldo Reyes Diaz and he was going to ask Star for a dance.

"Sol? You look really serious"

Sol took a deep breath but the words disappeared from his brain as he steadily became embarrassed at Star's quizzical look.

"I..."

"You"

"I..."

"You..."

"I..!"

"You!"

Sol let out an angry grunt, opting to just hold onto Star's gloved hand as he led the pair to the center of gym, catching everyone's attention as Sol twirled Star expertly before effortlessly finding his way onto her waist and shoulder when he caught her.

Star flushed, eyes wide, mouth opened at what she just experienced. She never knew Sol could be so graceful.

A new song played, a soft piano the only instrument echoing through the building as the two began to sway back and forth, Sol's face as still as a mask while Star couldn't help but stare in awe.

A red light washed over the pair before switching to a softer pink, a dark blue.

"Sol..." Star muttered breathlessly

How did it come to this? 10 years of tormenting, teasing slowly morphing into one beautiful night, one terrible longing neither of them wanted to live with anymore.

"Star..." Sol muttered, his face confident even if his nerves were frayed and frantic "Star...I really like you"

"I know."

Star smiled at Sol's face, basking in the confusion of making the smartest teen in the school dumbfounded without much effort.

"I..you...wha?"

"You liked me since Kindergarten when you jumped in to protect me from Tom...of course I hadn't realized at the time. When you gave me my gift and your jacket in 5th grade which you never took back by the way, that's when I realized that you liked me."

Sol could feel himself heating up as Star pulled back but allowed Sol to hold on to her while she reached inside the bag.

"And that's when I realized..."

Sol couldn't believe his eyes, unsure if he was really seeing what he thought he saw.

It had aged far better than he expected. He hadn't it expect it to survive the month he gave it to her let alone 4 years into the future. But there it was, well kept, cleaned and almost as new as the day he gave it to her so long ago.

In her hands was the purple wand with a bright yellow star in the middle and two white wings on the top. Sol's birthday gift to Star

"I liked you too."

"You like me?" Sol repeated

Star shyly nodded, unable to keep her eyes off of Sol.

"Star, will you be my girlfriend?"

There was a moment of pause, a moment of fear that filled Sol. This was way too fast, way too quick. He just found out she liked him. Why did...

"Yes Sol, I will."

Star flushed as Sol held onto her tightly, foreheads touching while they stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

"I have to warn you Star, I have no idea what I'm doing."

Star laughed out loud "Sol, look who you are talking to! I am like the princess of not knowing what to do. But that's okay, we'll learn together."

"Together" Sol whispered, causing Star tense up as he brushed his lips against her forehead, loving the way she stared downward in embarrassment "My Posa"

* * *

So i am currently working on part 2 of Steampunk but i have a little problem. i having trouble picking which AU to work on in between the 2nd and 3rd part of the steampunk AU. so what better way than to let you lovely, amazing readers to help me choose. if you leave a review, please tell me which of the follwoing AU's you would to see next. i appreciate it and thank you all for everything. most votes will be what i write after steampunk part 2. the choices are

1: The Call of Star (Canon au)- mewberty may have passed but it's effects aren't over yet. Star and Marco discover that once a year, Star releases pheromone that cause every teenage male within range to become madly in love with Star, becoming mindless Star zombies! and it's a school day! The pair has to work to keep Star out of the clutches of the male population long enough for the pheromones to wear off. but will Marco fall victim to the call of Star?

2\. I said I don't dance, not can't (Canon au) Songfic story (song is Shake a tailfeather from Ray Charles): Marco is upset when one of the more confident, suave Diaz cousins manages convince to Star to dance with him during a family wedding. Marco can't hide his jealousy anymore as he cuts in, showing Star which Diaz she should be dancing with.

3\. Which one of us is addicted? (Canon AU): A truth and dare game goes horribly wrong when Marco is forced to kiss Star but when she fails to respond or even acknowledges the kiss, Marco is hurt. he wasn't that bad was he? but soon Star begins ambushing him with kisses of her own, confusing Marco to no end about the meaning behind them. Is Marco addicted to the mystery of Star's behavior or is Star addicted to Marco?

thanks for helping and keep being amazing, great readers!


	39. So I'm kidnapping you part 2 (STEAM AU)

Hello fanfiction, Author here, writing, being silly as ever. Thank you so much for every single review, favorite, follow and just reading in general. it means the world to me.

A special thanks to H mae- haha back to air once more. I better get the butterfly net. ah! its funny because its just me with Marco on my shoulders with Star on his shoulders with a net trying to catch your air form. I am so happy you liked it. Luckily i've set up pillows.

SVTFOEfanatic- love is a random and powerful things. even bitterest of enemies can find themselves in love with one another. I am so happy you enjoyed it and don't worry about being too busy I completely understand. "You and I are not so different. Perhaps in another life, I could've called you friend"

IDC1314- I am happy you enjoyed the chapter so much sara. and thank you for coming up with such a Star outfit. it was too perfect to pass up and it fit Star so well in the Sol AU and thank you for letting me use it. Take your time with your drawings. we got a long way to go for season 2.

phoneixhunter- i am so happy you enjoyed it so.

Rayfe- well i am glad i surprised you. Don't worry I haven't forgotten about Star wars Au though i am curious about those Marco, Star NPCs. would love to see them. Right now i have 4 different horror styles for my *Month of Starcoween* so no worries about getting your horror fix.

Fiinjr- thank you so much for your review. here, hopefully this one is good. not sure how to feel about it yet.

Fanfictionfordayz- it means so much that you enjoyed it. please be careful when banging your hands on the floor. and thank you for helping me focus on the Sol Au with your request and guidelines. it made it a lot easier to direct the story. I also look forward to your next update.

lost: i hope i can. thank you for your review.

superawesomenacho- Alright, i shall keep it up for you superawesomenacho because that is a cute picture of Marco on your avatar!

thewooke- now i want to watch cheers...after i watch Sailor moon...for..no specific reason. I am not researching anything! well you can still cast your vote. i will do all of them at some point.

Calistrophia- first of all thank you for your review, it means a lot to me. Don't worry about not writing reviews. I have quite a few i have to write because i keep forgetting to and i need to show support to my fellow writers! I have no plans to stop any time soon I thank you so much for your kind words. I always strive to try my best, to learn new words, skills, descriptions, styles of writing and try to play around with the cliche. I try to make the same old plots and not make them original but make them my own. I am very happy i am showing improvement. very are cases do my characters share my personal beliefs like concept of love in if i miss you.

sliverdastarco- i love princess and the safe kid. an awesome series of one shots I am so happy you enjoy both our stories hope you don't forget about the awesome writers out there. Don't worry i will be doing all three. this is just to determine the order.

Melody of 3- Makes me happy to know you enjoy my stories so. i will totally do all of them

grim- ill explain in a second. no wrries. you are welcome. i am will to give you a sporting chance in the field of vault dodger. or hunter i should say please be careful. dont want you dying on me haha

watermalone- it was insanely adorable to write. i wanted to give it a cartoon feel so viola. I really hope a monster traps star and Marco in a universe where they have to be Sol and Star.

jayinee- thank you so much for your review. i am glad you enjoyed it so. trust me i was staring at those sentences like "Something here is wrong but i can't figure it out." I speak spanish very well but i don't write it that often. but im practicing for next time. thanks for the helpful advice!

Qruis- thanks for your review, here have part 2 of the steampunk chapter.

xboxrica- i am happy you liked the chapter.

First up on Starco corner we have some awesome reblogs on H maes site on tumblr including one that's freaking me out a bit because i might've accidently predicted it with my story if i miss you. check her out on hains-mae. Sara Idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has a host of new doodles for us including older, fancy dress Star, chalkboard Star and Marco from Mewberty and blood moon ball Marco and Star. If you haven't already, check out her older pictures for the sol au picture that inspired Star's look in the previous chapter. it is pretty awesome. new to the corner is fandomharbor also on Instagram. two awesome hug Starco pictures and a very flattering drawing of Marco and Star from the Starry prom chapter. it looks great! keep up the amazing work! also Mae's little sister is on tumblr now. she doesn't have any of her own work up yet but she still has some awesome reblogs and awesome set of pictures from the forefather of voice actors Mel Blanc, so check her out on cherlosity at tumblr. On the writing section of starco corner we have a very sweet Mother Daugther moment from H mae called Moon's Lullaby that is too freaking cute, after the storm from amimegx43 which takes place after the finale, something new from watermalone about older Marco and Star dealing with 're my wish come true from fanfictionfordayz which is a really cute one shot about Buff frog asking Star and Marco to babysit which makes me wanna do one. too many ideas. and of course the princess and the safe kid from PFTones. they are all awesome I am leaving reviews soon!

so first of all, did everyone enjoy the blood moon yesterday? i did. didn't dance with my star but some day my star will come...and i just parodied disney haha wow

So to clear up any confusion, Sol is the original concept of Marco. at first Star was a deluded elemental school girl who thought she was a magical princess and into sailor moon. Sol was the first version of Marco, an antagonistic enemy like person to Star who took karate because he loved dragonball z. so if anyone was confused why i changed Marco into Sol its because that's MArco's original name. Seriously Sol and Star were chosen to match each other. Starco ship is unsinkable!

So here we go, part 2 of the steampunk chapter. I am not sure i feel pretty eh about this but i tried my hardest and that's all i can do. I hope you readers enjoy it and get ready as i totally make up for the lack of starco in part 1 by drowning you in it in this one. Part 3 is coming soon after we finish voting. Thank you so much for everything, you readers are the best. enjoy the chapter, check the bottom for an update on the voting and I OWN NOTHING!

* * *

If you told Princess Star Butterfly of Mewni that today she would be visiting a foreign land where police rode around on giant mechanical walkers, a strange floating object watched the city from the sky and that two men would break into her hotel room, one trying to kill the other before being defeated just moments before an assortment of rather serious and ill intending men came rushing into the doorway, drawing guns as a man held her hand and led her to safety before informing her he was there to kidnap her and the others were they to kill her...well she would've said it sounded like a fun day.

But now, as the bullets sunk into the woodwork of her room, as gunpowder and smoke filled the air, assaulting her nose with a rather pleasant smell, she would still call it a fun day

not that she could as she was too focus on her hand, the same one this stranger man with a cute cap held as he raced the pair to freedom.

"I just touched a man's hand..." she whispered, flushing brightly at the idea.

The royal house of Mewni was very conservative for many reasons. Most of them involving traditions. Star was required to wear gloves whenever she had to interact with the outside world even with other nobles. On top of that, the only men she ever interacted with with other nobility. All the servants of the princess were female, her handmaidens personally took care of everything and the street would be cleared of anyone males before she would arrive. Her mother nearly went ballistic at the idea of a male usher taking care of her daughter but the manager told her that he was the only one willing to sign up.

So when she went to the bathroom to change into a more relaxing royal dress of various shades of blue rather than her house sized ball outfit, she was not expecting for her room to be violently opened. Caught off guard, Star raced out of the bathroom, leaving her gloves behind on the counter.

And touching a man's hand for the first time was such a strange feeling. His hands were tough, calloused no doubt from the hard work he must've done for a living but they were also soft, gentle treating her like she was the most fragile thing in the world.

Even the other nobles had weak yet rough grips.

She flushed even brighter as the man filled her in on the situation

"...I'm here to kidnap you"

She snapped out of it, the dreaded K word echoing around in her skull as the suddenly less cute man peered over the couch carefully, ducking as a rain of bullets came their direction

"Wait, what?" she muttered, dropping into a battle ready position to strike at this man

"Well that's a hit squad luv and I'm a kidnapper" he told her bluntly, cocking back the hammer of the Colt 45 in his hand.

"L-love?" Star could feel her cheeks warming how could this man love her already? They literally just met! Though he was pretty handsome if she was going to be honest.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, it's a saying we do here. It means...umm..." Marco scratched his cheek nervously, realizing that luv could be use as a term of endearment "it's a title for girls is all. Like Bloke or brav or cuz is for guys"

"Bloke? Brav? And whose cousin?" Star asked quizzically

"Right, watch the slang round the blondie." Marco muttered under his breath as the sound of empty bullet casings dully thudded against the floor.

Marco grinned, a rush of confidence coursingnthrough his body as he rose to a standing position, lifting the revolver overhead before aiming it directly to the doorway where 4 or 5 men stood, scrunched together, eyes fearfully staring at the barrel of Marco's gun and Marco's victorious grin.

Marco felt everything slow down, the world crawling to a near stop. His finger slowly descended upon the trigger, the hammer falling down towards the cylinder opening with a loud click, striking the back of the bullet case, metal against metal scraping against each other which caused the little flicker of a spark burst to life, igniting the gunpowder and launching the bullet directly towards Marco's enemy in a glorious blaze of flame and iron.

Marco's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as the revolver violently lifted upwards and flung his hand skyward, the vibrations of the shot painfully aching against his body

"Fuck!" he cried outloud" That fucking hurts!"

Marco's trouble weren't over yet as his shot dug itself a foot away from the nearest thug, the group of criminals sharing a confused look before turning as one towards Marco.

"Here!" Star shouted, rising to her feet and grabbing the gun away from Marco's loose grip.

Marco let out a small "eep!" reaching for it before putting his hands up as Star turned the gun on him.

The shuffling of the thugs reminded the two that they were not alone.

Star whirled towards the thugs, clutching the gun in two hands, clicking back the hammer before opening fire.

The first bullet found its way into someone's arm. The next 4 also rapidly found nice homes in the various limbs of the attackers who began limping and crying away, shouting about some sort of "psychotic princess bitch"

"What was that!" Star shouted, turning to Marco angrily "I thought you were some lowly, no good, criminal kidnapper? You don't even know how to fire a gun!"

Marco glared at her, trying to ignore how beautiful she was up close as he pointed a finger defensive at her "Whoa, whoa, whoa luv. Not every criminal knows how to work a gun. It's not like there's lessons on the street. Get your sharpshooting lessons here. The cops won't hear a thing! Not to mention that thing costs a pound and an arm"

Star opened her mouth to retort when there was steady pounding of a heavy weight heading towards their direction.

Star reached her hands towards Marco, eyes fixated on the door as she said to him quickly "Give me more bullets."

"Bullets? Luv I've only got one left"

Star turned to him once more, eyes full of disbelief as she began to scream at him "You only brought 7 bullets!"

Marco scoffed "6 of those bullets were gift! And the one I bought was pricey as hell!"

The loud heavy footsteps became louder and louder, the old hotel wooden floor creaking and groaning under its massive weight.

"Give me the other bullet now!" Star shouted towards Marco.

"What? no!"

"No?"

"No" Marco repeated, watching the princess carefully "You're just going to shoot me with it!"

"Do you not hear that loud thud thud thud coming straight for us!" Star shrieked, pointing to the doorway and the ever increasing loud footsteps "Give me the bullet or so help me I'll..."

"What, shoot me? Kinda hard to do without bullets luv"

Star growled angrily and before she knew, she threw a punch towards her kidnapper's stupid, adorable face.

Her anger melted away when Marco nonchalantly and effortlessly dodge her attack, looking more bored than furious at her sudden assault.

She quickly overturned the revolver, gripping the barrel tightly as she swung it as hard as she could towards Marco who shifted his weight for a brief moment, twirling and dodging the gun at the last moment.

"H-how did you..." Star murmured, willing her face to not reveal utterly and amazingly impressed she was with his surprising grace and agility. No one had ever blocked her attacks before let alone dodged them.

"Former boxing champion. Retired" Marco quickly added, a flash of pride filling his body as he recalled the memories "Not because I got my ass knocked out."

Star let out a gasp, covering mouth with her free as her facial features became mortified

"You shouldn't say that!'

"What, ass?"

Marco flinched as the princess suddenly smacked his shoulder roughly, a real amount of power behind the weight of her attack.

"You are in the presence of the a lady! A princess in fact! You should not use such language!"

"Oww, son of...OWW! The fuck I care, I'm here to kidnap you remember?"

Star attacked him with even more ferocity, the strikes from her palms beginning to sting and itch painfully against his arm

"Fu...fine fine I'll stop I'll stop!" Marco shouted as he could, holding his hands up in surrender "Just stop hitting me will you?"

"Even criminals can act like civilized gentleman" Star huffed, closing her eyes and turning away from Marco.

"And even princesses can fight like a drunken sailor." Marco muttered, rubbing his arm in hopes to easing his pain.

"What was that?"

"Nothing luv."

Star's cheek were dusted pink as she shyly began twisting the revolver in her hands.

"So wait where did the princess of Mewni learn to fire a gun?"

"Umm...well..you see..." Star began, stalling as long as she could so she did not to bring up how her best friend and handmaiden Astrid was willing to trade fighting tips and marksmanship lessons in exchange for learning how not to chase away her crush, the castle blacksmith's apprentice who went by the name Hiccup.

"ARGH!" a previously unheard voice came from the door way, his metallic boots crunching quietly against the carpeted hotel room floor.

Star and Marco had never seen something like this before and sight of this... _thing_ frightened them to no end.

This...man? If it was a man was wearing shiny, dark gray suit like armor, every inch of him just a sheet of pure metal held together by rivets and scorch marks. Over his head was a circular bucket with a large slit in the middle to allow whatever it was inside to see the world.

The metal man lifted his arm, pointing it directly towards the pair as Marco caught sight of a large boiler latched onto his back, the hissing of gas filling a snug, cramped space faintly caught by Marco's ears.

He grabbed Star's arm, pulling her away from the couch as fast and carefully as he could

"Hey! Let me go! LET ME GO! I REFUSE TO BE KIDNAPPED!" Star shouted, struggling against his grip, trying to ignore how gentle the man still was with her.

"Fine" Marco said calmly, releasing his hold on Star's arm, letting her tumble to the floor without much worry or care as he made his way to the balcony doors.

Star was unsure what was going on, her hair now covering her face, preventing her from seeing anything as the kidnapper's footsteps stepped away from her, his walk casual and brisk despite the situation.

She flipped her hair back onto the top of her head where it belonged, the man now standing outside on the balcony and playing with some sort of small but sturdy looking black box.

There was a click and the whooshing of air, the room suddenly becoming humid and warm as the crackling sounds of fire began to surround the young princess.

Star could feel her heat bask against her body, uncomfortably rising the temperature as the couch was set ablaze just inches in front of her.

"Umm...Sir?" Star said carefully, rising to her feet, eying the metal man began walking through the sea of flames that engulfed the room with no indication he was in any sort of danger

"SIR!" Star shouted, racing outside where the kidnapper stood, a strange hook embedding itself onto the roof of the hotel, a long strain of rope now wrapped around the man's belt as he muttered to himself "Oooh...the box is a weight. I guess he was right, it is idiot proof."

Star tried to catch her breath, fanning herself with her free hand while nervously glancing backwards to the room

"So...I was thinking..." Star started slowly, the man still not paying attention to her

"You were thinking?" Marco repeated, making sure the rope was secured properly, tight enough to support his weight but not tight enough to prevent scaling down the side of the building. With a mighty toss, the black box fell into the darkness of the night, free falling down the side of the building before smashing into the dirt below.

"I was thinking...maybe you know...I could be kidnapped? It would be a new experience for me!"

Marco sarcastically laughed "Ooooh now you want to be kidnapped? What changed your mind princess?"

"Umm..." Star muttered, the heavy thuds of the metal man growing in her ears "well you see..."

"Well sorry" Marco told her, a matter of fact tone in his voice as he stared into her beautiful, crystal blue fearful filled eyes, trying to break the hypnotic daze the young princess was pulling him under "But you didn't want to be kidnapped and I've got less dangerous things to do than kidnap a beautiful girl"

Star stared at him, cheeks and hearts bright pink as she leaned closer to him, unsure if she actually heard what he said.

"I-I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Open your ears luv" Marco repeated, his face hidden as he checked the rope once more, not out of necessity but to hide the flaring of his cheeks as he told her "I have less dangerous things to do than kidnap you princess."

"Oh..." Star stated simply, still not convinced that's what he said the first time.

Marco glanced over the edge of the balcony, the ground shakily moving back and forth in his eyes, the climb down looking much further than it really was.

"Sir..." Star pleaded softly, her melodic, flute-like voice tugging at his heartstrings while undertone of her plea was practically screaming at him PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME

"Sir..." Star repeated, unsure how to get the words out of her mouth. She was about to ask to be kidnap to prevent herself from being burned alive.

"Marco"

"Huh?" Star could only stare at him, surprised he would reveal such a personal detail to her

"Marco...it...it's my name" he told her quietly, tugging on the rope one last time

He had no idea why he said his name. Was it because he always disliked whenever people talked to him but refused to learn his name like he wasn't worthy of their time. Maybe it was the fact he wanted to keep it fair having already learned Star's name from Toffee and Apple. Or maybe, just maybe...well maybe he just wanted to hear a princess say his name for the only time in his life. He didn't know if it was because said princess was Star or just due to her title but Marco felt a warm, joyful feeling blaze to life in his chest when she replied "Marco..."

Marco paused, unable to look directly at the young woman before him. He knew he'd crack the moment he lay his eyes upon her once more. The fear in her voice, the desperation, the fact she was willing to go with the lesser evil, the one trying to kidnap her rather than kill her. It was heartbreaking to hear but not as much as the next words out of Star's mouth.

"Please Marco..."

His resolved to get away crumbled with hardly any effort from Star.

Marco let out a loud, fake annoyed grunt, closing his eyes as he told Star "uuuugh FINE!"

Star's smile lit up the room far more than the actual fire inside, Marco felt his heart pound violently against his chest.

"Really?"

"YES!" He said "Now hurry up and get on my back before I change my bloody mind!'

Star carefully made her way behind Marco, wrapping her arms around his neck and found the rapid beating of his heart pulsing under her fingertips. It was oddly soothing.

Marco felt his heart stop as Star whispered softly into his ear "Thank you Marco."

"Now hold on tight! I have no idea what I'm doing!"

"Wait what?!" Star shouted, holding on for dear life as Marco pushed himself off the railing, slipping into the night as the fire raged on.

"Where are we going?" Star asked curiously, looking in awe at the vast, towering city she found herself wandering through. She never had been to Echo Creek before but every inch of the city was just amazing. This was nothing like Mewni.

An hour had passed since the duo's escape and Marco was trying his best to salvage a half cocked plan he never expected to succeed. So far word of Princess Butterfly's disappearance had not spread into the city but between her slightly charred but completely recognizable attire and the sheer beauty she possessed, it was just a matter of time before someone caught onto them.

"We need to change clothing." Marco muttered, carefully checking if his usher uniform was still suitable for resale.

If there was blessing for having Star Butterfly as a hostage (aside how much time Marco could lose looking at her and her refreshing kind demeanor and child like sense of wonder as they explored the city.) was the fact that he did nothing to keep her pacified.

"So...do you like tie my hands up or like threaten my family to keep me in line?" Star asked, peering in to get a better look at Marco's face. He liked to hide himself underneath that cute cap but from the little she managed to see, Star was absolute awestruck by his appearance.

"What?" Marco turned to her allowing Star to get a glimpse of his light brown eyes that were far kinder than his attitude would suggest.

"To stop me from running. I mean I could make a run for it now Mr. Marco."

"Just call me Marco" Marco answered, embarrassed at the girl's formality "And if you want to run, run. I'll be heading to the train station."

"To escape before the police arrest you?"

"To leave town. I doubt the police would arrest me given how I saved you life."

"T-thank you for that by the way Mr...Marco" Star smiled a brilliant bright smile in his direction, causing him to shift uncomfortably under her grateful gaze.

"I-it was nothing" He murmured softly

"So where are we going?"

"A warehouse. My associates will keep you safe until we return you back to the hotel."

"Return me?" Star questioned, unsure what was the grand plan of this kidnapping plan "Wait you're not going to ask for money? Jewels? Land? Just decided to kidnap me to keep me away from my duties before returning me? You are not a very good kidnapper."

Marco shrugged "I'm just a pawn. Once I take you to the warehouse, you are not my responsibility anymore"

"Oh..." Star muttered quietly, oddly disappointed her time with her kidnapper/hero was slowly coming to an end. "I see..."

an awkward silence fell over the two as the night began to wane and the sun slowly began to rise. They had only known each other for the last hour and the idea of them separating weighed heavily on the two of them.

"Quick" Marco motioned to a ratty, hole in the wall shop "In here luv"

"Well, well, well" a hunched over, balding man in finely dressed clothing eyed the pair as they entered the clothing shop, clothes of various states sprawled out on varied tables, shelves and coat hangers. "How may I help you two lovely people?"

"We need new clothes. We don't have money but I believe what we are wearing is enough to be traded in."

The man scratched his chin, thoughtfully glancing over the two though he spent a little more time eying Star.

"I do not know...these clothes seem..."

"That" Marco pointed to Star's outfit "Is a royal dress of the highest quality. Even in its current state it'll fetch a high price brav. And I'm wearing an official usher uniform. Perfect to sell to... _certain_ people of stature. "

"Very well but I get the clothing first. Wouldn't want to get cheated out of a deal. You first dear." The man stared lustfully towards Star.

Star flushed, an icy, uncomfortable feeling settling in her stomach. Surely this man did not mean to change...here...now...

The man flinched in surprise as Marco snapped his finger in front of his face, forcing the shopkeeper to look at him rather than the increasingly distraught princess.

"Oi, keep it to yourself brav or you'll be facing the business end of my fist."

"How dare you...!"

"Star, pick out your outfit while I deal with lecherous shop keep.

Star uneasily made her way through the clothing store, picking up random articles of clothing before shuffling into the private changing area. She hadn't the slightest idea what Marco was saying but telling by the shop keepers terrified whimpers, Marco must've made his point.

Star quietly made her way out, unsure what kind of scene she was about to walk into. Marco was a nice guy but he proved he had been in more than his fair share of fights. He might not be able to shoot a gun to save his life but he knew how to take down a person with his bare fist.

"M-Marco I'm...oh my.." Star averted her gaze, trying her hardest not to turn the brightest shade of red in her entire life. _That_ wasn't what she was expected to see.

Marco had his arms cross, a red scarf in his hands as he watched the shopkeeper carefully to ensure he didn't have some dirty peep hole in the back, his glare freezing the pervert in his tracks. He was wearing a white undershirt and some boxer shorts, the usher uniform folded carefully on the counter, his cap still resting on his head.

"You done? Awesome. Give him the dress Star." Marco told her, his voice doing nothing to wipe away the image of a half naked Marco that now burned itself into her mind's eye. She hadn't realized how well built and muscular he was and she could feel herself turning very warm at the idea of him.

Marco began looking around the shop, seemingly not caring how he was currently dressed as he carefully picked out his clothing, taking more time than Star had, trying his hardest not to stare at the princess.

He didn't know if it was just him or it was because it was just Star (Though the shopkeeper's quick glances towards the royal princess filled him in on which it was) but Star looked great no matter what she wore.

In her haste she chose the random pieces of clothing but they all came together and painted an even more impressive image of beauty because now she looked like a regular citizen, not some out of reach princess Marco could never hope to impress.

She picked a white and black dress blouse, a cute little black bow permanently sown into the neck of the top. The dress was long enough to reach her knees and Marco was unsure why her pale, fair skinned legs were now covered with some black material that he never saw before that reached to her knees, perfectly matching the small boots Star managed to find. Marco figured Mewni must've been a warmer place than Echo Creek because Star also picked out a rather large coat to tuck herself into.

"Watch out for him" Marco called as he made his way to change "If he tries anything, let me know"

Star handed the dress to the man, careful to keep her distance from him as he looked anywhere Star wasn't.

The silence made the minute Marco was gone stretch into a lifetime, Star unsure if she should make a run for it or not. She should really attempt to get back to the hotel but she didn't know the way and it was really cold outside, not to mention it was pretty rude to just leave someone behind without warning...

Star knew she was feebly trying in her attempts to justify an escape attempt. In truth she was much too enthralled with the city and Marco to run away. She didn't feel like she was in danger since Marco seemed oddly protective of her as person, rather than some sort of prisoner. She could also sense a kind, caring person underneath his rough, jaded exterior and she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious what lay beneath.

And the city was just a new, beautiful experience. One she may never experience again. She planned to enjoy it as long as possible.

"Okay luv, best to be get on out of here." Marco's voice called from behind her.

Star happily turned around only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight of him.

His new clothes consisted of faded black slacks with two thick, stout boots, a white collared shirt with a black vest, a dull sliver chain of a pocket watch tucked into one of the vest pockets, his cap sat peacefully on the top of his head. She knew Marco looked amazing but now she really knew it.

"C'mon Star, best to get going" Marco told her, carefully guiding her towards the door while watching the Shopkeeper distastefully.

"Oi, what about the cap? That was part of the deal!" the man shouted furiously.

Marco give him a cheeky grin, moving Star out the door as he shrugged nonchalantly "Deal was for the uniform brav, this is my hat."

Marco raced out of the shop as the man rose took his feet, grabbing onto Star's hand and pulling her away quickly before disappearing into a crowd, the man racing outside and shouting after the pair.

"Haha did you see his face!" Marco chuckled, glancing backwards to make sure they weren't being chased, the mirth in his eyes made him absolutely loveable to the young princess.

She felt her heart hammering away in her chest, his hand warm against hers, his unguarded face one of the best things she had ever seen in her life. This was Marco she would like to see more often as she shyly joined in the laughter.

The pair stared at each ocher, laughter stopping upon realizing what exactly was going on.

Marco dropped her hand quickly, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully as he motioned to a nearby alley. "It's...It's this way luv."

Star smiled tensely, already missing the feel of his hand in hers "Right...umm..lead the way Marco."

The journey took four hours as the warehouse Toffee was located nestled itself in the middle of the city. Marco and Stat exchanged a surprising amount of information to each other in that short amount of time. If anyone were to guess the relationship between the two, they would describe it as in love but completely confused by it.

Star told Marco how she grew up, always forced to do whatever her parents said, never really having seen the outside world except the times she was forced to wade through it to reach a royal engagement. She told him how she dreamt of seeing the world, letting go of all her responsibilities and just spend the rest of her life exploring, searching for new and wonderful places to see and experience. She told him about the times she would run off with Astrid to train, learning to defend herself despite her parents insistence that her bodyguards would do so. She also explained why her bodyguards were not present during the assault on her hotel room as she gave them the night off after traveling a long distance and forcing them away from their families.

Marco told her he moved to Echo Creek from the country. He was a small boy about the age of 6 when the city got his hooks into him and just never seemed to want to let go. He mentioned the various jobs he worked over the years: A steel mill, a mail courier, a bodyguard for a powerful businessman, a fisherman, a salesman, a cobbler before currently being a factory worker for one of the big named companies (A job he was current missing). He mentioned how once upon a time he was the boxer champion of Echo Creek before a corrupt politician forced him to retire so his chosen champion could win a bet for him.

Neither them had opened up so easily and so quickly to another person before and they both admitted it felt nice not to be completely guarded all the time. They felt more like friends than hostage and kidnapper as the warehouse stretched into view.

Marco knew the warehouse well, having once worked there when he was a younger and stupider man. The company suddenly went out belly up when the owner got drunk one night and wandered his way onto the path of an oncoming train. An accident by a lowly lowlife the police wrote it off as.

Except Marco, as well as everyone who worked under the man, knew he was a devoted religious man who refused the lure of the bottle, having far more love and self respect for himself than anyone else. Kind and well loved, the idea he would ever get drunk was appalling and dishonored his memory.

"So...it's here?" Star peered out of the corner they were hiding in, her bright eyes staring at the poor neighborhood with the same excited look on her face that she had ever since leaving the hotel with Marco.

Marco tried to ignore the shivering of Star's body near his, thick dark clouds rolling over the skyline indicting rain was on its way.

"Yeah" Marco whispered, unsure why but feeling uneasily to see the warehouse he once loved again.

Marco turned to Star when she let out a little sneeze, her face trembling as she buried herself deeper into the coat

"Cold?" Marco asked curiously

Star nodded, clearly disliking the weather at the moment "Mewni is a lot warmer than Echo Creek.. I-I'll get used to it, don't worry about me. Lead on to the warehouse."

Star stared at Marco as he wrapped his red scarf around her neck, the warmth from it making her feel cozy and relaxed. She opened her mouth to thank Marco when he quickly placed his cap on her head, moving it this way and that to ensure it would shield her if the rain began to fall.

"There, better?" Marco whispered, trying his hardest not to hold onto Star.

She nodded slowly, looking downwards at their shoes "Thank you"

"Now stay here"

"Huh? But why?"

Marco looked around, trying to see if he could spot Toffee or Apple's metal carriage somewhere nearby.

"I need to make sure everything is alright." he muttered, taking off into the street before Star could ask what he meant.

Marco's landing over the iron fence was dulled by the wet grass and soft pat, pat, pat of the rain that began lightly sprinkling over him.

He should've recognized the address of the warehouse but if he was going to be completely honest, he was never good with memorizing addresses and street numbers, preferring to use landmarks and the sights to find his way around the city.

He had to make sure Toffee and Apple had Star's best intentions in mind. He couldn't just hand her over to the pair without making sure she was truly going to be safe.

To the general population, there was only one entrance to the warehouse. Once you pushed open the large doors that led within, everyone would know someone was coming and all secret conversations would be halted at once.

Luckily Marco knew of another way in, a loose metal sheet that was never really fixed by his beloved boss Mr. Harris.

Marco carefully moved the sheet, sliding inside under the cover of the rain, the loud echos of footsteps bouncing around the lifeless building.

"He should be here. Where is he?" Toffee's voice came at Marco from the darkness.

"Don't worry honey, I'm sure he's on his way!" Apple chipped in cheerfully.

"I can't believe he survived!"

Marco leaned in closer, ears straining to catch the rest of the Toffee's plan.

"Well you shouldn't have gave him the grappling hook. Would've been dead alongside the princess. We would've gotten our headline 'crazy man burns self and royal princess to a crisp!' but at least he's on the way."

"I had no choice. He was clearly much smarter than I believed him to be. If I hadn't gave him the grappling hook, he wouldn't have taken the job. No matter. Once we have the princess, I'll make sure the police ensure Mr. Diaz falls prey to an unfortunate accident."

Toffee glanced around, unsure why he felt like he was being watched by someone in the shadows.

Marco crept out of the warehouse as quietly and as fast as he could.

"Star, Star!" Marco whispered, desperately looking around for the blonde haired girl "Star, where are you?"

Marco turned around a corner only to be nearly trampled by a gang of children, each laughing happily despite the poverty of their lives.

"Huh wha..." Marco looked around before a body collided solidly with him, sending him sprawling to the water logged floor, catching Star as she fell on top of her.

"Oh..I'm so...Marco!" Star shouted excitedly, giggling loudly as she helped Marco to his feet "Sorry I was just playing with the kids."

"What?" Marco glanced around to see a tiny army of children surrounding the pair.

"Star is so cool! She said we were so much fun to play with!" One child said

"She said she'll come back and visit us and have a special surprise when she does!"

"She told us if we work hard enough, we can do anything!"

Marco couldn't believe his eyes as Star lifted one of the smallest of the bunch high into the air, not at all caring about the dirt and filth that covered the child.

Marco felt his heart soften as Star began lifting all the children that cried for her attention, spinning them around, a wide smile gracing her face. Star Butterfly was like no one Marco had ever known before.

"Sorry kids, gotta take Star somewhere."

They all booed at him, hissing and complaining until Star bent over, making sure to look each and everyone directly in the eyes as she told them that Marco was her bodyguard and he was only looking out for her.

She told them she had to leave but promised to be back very soon and they would continued their game when she returned.

The children waved goodbye to Star and Marco, calling out things like "Take good care of her Mr. Marco or else!" "BYE STAR! Come back soon!" as they disappeared int the mist of the streets.

The rain began to pick up as Marco stared Star in wonder, the hearts on her cheeks smudged with dirt but Star looked like she was having the time of her life.

"So...are we going to the warehouse?" Star asked carefully, not sure if she was liking the look on Marco's face. It was full of worry and concern.

"No. Turns out I got the wrong place. Come on, I'll show you where we need to go. It isn't too far from here."

Star nodded, angling the cap to better deflect the rain.

Another 20 minute later and the pair stood outside the ruins of a decaying manor. It once had been pure white, bright and vibrant, possibly the jewel of the neighborhood but years of neglect gave it more of a haunted feel, as some terrible event still echoed within the 3 story manor.

The pair quickly passed through the rusted, near broken gates, making their way to the safety of dry shelter as the rain began to pick up.

Marco turned the knob, half hoping it wouldn't open and he would be forced to take Star to some other location but as the door swung open, creaking nosily, the remnants of a life that long since passed appearing before them.

"Welcome home" Marco muttered uncomfortably under his breath.

"What was that Marco?"

"Nothing, come on in. I'm sure there's a fireplace that isn't completely ruined."

"Are your associates inside already?"

"They must be running late. They'll show up sooner or later."

The manor was covered floor to ceiling with dust, parts of the home were completely destroyed, water from the outside spilling in leaving random pools here and there, anything of worth had been taken from looters, the rest left to rot away from the passage of time.

Star looked at the home, trying to figure out who exactly lived here before realizing it would never be answered for her.

"Come on Star" Marco's voice called to her, his body disappearing up the staircase.

Star found Marco in the office on the 3rd floor, tending to a quickly made fire, tossing random pieces of wood, papers, anything and everything that could burn went into the hungry maw of the warm flames.

"This was someone's home" Star told him cautiously "you can't..."

"Home's abandoned Star. No one ever came back. No one is _ever_ coming back"

Star did not like using someone's home for their own needs. A family once loved, laughed and lived in these halls. To just walk in and use it their own purposes seemed disrespectful.

Star made her way through the office, warming her body from the icy cold rain, nothing catching her eye until she noticed a painting. A fine layer of dust covered its surface but it had long since violently torn at, ripped and nearly shredded in anger, the only occupant of the frame was a child that looked oddly familiar with his light brown eyes, light brown hair but with a smile that hardly graced his face nowadays.

"Marco..." Star whispered, reaching out to touch the painting to ensure what she was seeing was true.

Star jumped back, Marco grabbing one of the loose folds of the painting before violently ripping his image off the portrait, tossing it to the fire without a hint of remorse or hesitation.

"Marco...was that..."

"Aye luv that was me" He told her, his voice controlled and tight as if he was straining under some great weight "Little Marco Diaz. Son of Rafael and Isabella Diaz. Cocky little shit of the upper class"

Star made her way closer to the man, unsure how to respond to the sudden self hating tone she never heard escape his lips before.

"What...happened?"

"Simple" Marco told her, an ancient and still open wound showing its face upon his "My father was an inventor. Crazy bloke. Always locked up in his lab, trying to make the next big invention. Never made time for me much though I loved him so. The few times we would go to the park as a family, walk around just...living. Thought he was the biggest man in the world. Thought he was the greatest man. Until my mother died."

Star reached to place her hand on Marco's shoulder but he turned away.

"Mum died so quickly it took us both by surprise. But as I reached for the comforting embrace of my father, my father reached for the comforting embrace of a noose."

Star could feel a chill run down her spine, unable to believe such a tragedy happened to Marco.

"Turns out he couldn't live without mum. The idea of facing the world alone with his beloved drove him mad with guilt, lost the will to live. Nothing could convince him that life was worth living. Not his unfinished inventions, not his dream to be a household name, not even his 10 year old son. What was the saying?"

Marco chuckled piercingly, a laugh that had no joy within "That's right, never love something so much you could never bear to part with it."

"And I found myself tossed onto the street without a second thought." he turned to Star, eyes bitter and angry "Turns out the life I knew was a lie. While I sat at home, eating, playing without a care in the world, without single worry in my idiotic little head, the people outside starved, died, disappeared without a trace and no one wept for them. I quickly learned humans only looked out for themselves. Anyone of use was given decent treatment. Anyone whose usefulness ran out or never came to be was dropped and left to fend on their own. I did nothing to help those less fortunate than myself growing up so the world returned the favor when I found myself in the same boat."

"People" Marco stared simply "Will always let you down. Will always use you up until you can give nothing more. And love? It's a joke. My dad was such a coward he couldn't handle a life without his wife, not even to take care of me."

"You're wrong Marco."

Marco turned to Star, anxiously playing with his father's pocket watch.

"Love isn't like that! Love is about doing everything you can to protect the person you care for!" Star took step a closer, eyes hopeful "Love is doing everything you can so your love can be happy! Love is about giving up your own selfish desires...like you did for me..."

Marco felt his body tense when Star wrapped her arms around his neck lovingly, holding him closer as she stared at him with those wide, doe like eyes that just seemed to stop his brain from functioning.

"You didn't get the wrong address. You didn't like what they had planned for me did you?"

"Star...I..."

"It took me a while but I figured out you were forced to do this, that someone made you kidnap me. To what end I don't know but when you saw what they had planned for me, you hated it enough to not go through with it, regardless of what happened to you."

"I..."

"and you're not angry at your father" she went on, her gaze seemingly piercing into his very soul "You knew your father, you knew he wouldn't kill himself. You aren't angry he died, you were angry because you didn't know the real reason because you knew he would never leave you like that. You got so enraged, dealing with survivor's guilt that you took it out on yourself. Otherwise you wouldn't have kept your father's watch."

"How did you..."

"Watches are passed down from Father to son."

Marco knew she was speaking the truth, that all of what she said was accurate. He retreated inward, hating the outside world, always looking for the worst examples of humanity so he could prove himself right. So he had an excuse not to get married, possibly losing someone he loved

Star moved in closer, her intent clear even to a thick headed person like Marco.

Marco could feel his heart beating, his own body moving him closer as he closed his eyes, unsure if it was really wise to kiss a princess.

A loud bang echoed from the bottom of the stairs causing the pair to jump away from each other.

"I umm wow." Star began, playing with the scarf nervously but Marco motioned for her to wait

"Stay here, I'll be back." He told her, trying to will his face to turn back to his regular color.

Marco slowly made his way down the stairs, eyes peering through the darkened manor in case anyone decided to ambush him.

When he reached the ground floor, he felt his blood boil at the sight before him

"Toffee" He angrily muttered, the man standing in the doorway as if nothing was wrong.

"You are much more troublesome than I was led to believe Mr. Diaz."

"You were the one trying to kill Star" Marco clenched his hand, enraged and furious at the sight of the horrible man.

"And the last horse finishes the race. Actually no" he taunted, eyes full of mischievous intent "Star would be the last horse...but she isn't going to finish at all."

Marco took a deep breath, body aching to unleash pain upon this pompous man

"You know the last time I was here, it looked a lot nicer."

"What...you were here?" Marco could not believe what he was hearing.

"It doesn't matter. Hand over the girl or you will live long enough to regret it."

"I won't let you hurt Star!" he shouted

Marco charged towards Toffee, fist raised as one thought filled his head. Make Toffee pay for trying to kill Star.

Toffee grinned evilly as he moved his coat to a side, pulling out a sawed off double shotgun from within and fired.

Marco flew backwards, his head hitting the floor causing the world around him to spin back and forth whirl of blurry colors, his body dully aching with pain

"I love rock salt. It doesn't kill but really, really hurts"

"Ugh...my head" Marco moaned painfully as he was lifted to his feet, his arms painfully pulled behind his back before a pair of handcuffs were slapped on his wrists.

"We got you now kidnapper"

Marco's vision cleared to show the main hall had somehow been filled with police officers, each staring at him with a triumphant glance.

"What excellent timing officers" Toffee's voice called, a hint of humor hidden underneath the calmness of his tone. "I was afraid this lunatic was about to do something rash."

"Toffee..." Marco muttered angrily.

"Marco? Marco, what's going on?" Star's voice called from the staircase.

Marco opened his mouth to warn Star but he was quickly silenced by an officer's fist.

Marco let out a weak groan as Star rushed her way over to him, held back by officers who quickly guided her to Toffee.

"Prime Minster Toffee, you're here. what's going on?"

Marco's eyes widen, Toffee was Prime Minster of Mewni?

"Oh princess Butterfly, I am so glad you are safe. Once your family found out that you had gone missing, they sent me over right away. I've been looking everywhere for you. I trust this man did not harm you?"

"No" Star quickly said, eager to defend Marco from this unfair treatment "no in fact he saved me! You see there were these..."

"We know all about them Princess. It turns out Ludo has been funneling money towards your assassination attempt. Including this man."

Marco glared at Toffee, opening his mouth once more only to be silenced by a boot to his chest.

"Ludo?" Star whispered quietly, the mad revolutionist that attempted to seize control of her country began filling her head "he's behind this."

"Yes, including hiring this man. One Marco Diaz."

"How do you know his..."

"It was written down along with the other members of the conspiracy."

Star turned to Marco, a deep sense of hurt and betrayal in her eyes "Marco...is...is this true? Were you working for Ludo?!"

Marco tried to say something but the officer behind Star secretly held a gun to her head, eying Toffee as if waiting for the command, so Marco remained quiet

Star turned away, her feelings clashing with one another. Toffee knew Marco's name. How else could've Toffee known that if the evidence wasn't real. But this was Marco, he tried to save her. Protected her...she...she...

"Don't worry princess, we will take care of him. He will be executed at once."

Marco's eyes widen fearfully, unable to believe what Toffee was about to get away with

"No, send him to jail" Star murmured, no emotion in her voice "Let the courts judge him and I want it noted that he...he had a change of heart and attempted to assist me back to the hotel."

Toffee paused for a moment before nodding in agreement "as you wish princess."

Star stood over Marco, still unsure what was true and what was false.

Marco knew he had to warn Star of Toffee but he also knew that these police must've been under Toffee's pay roll. Any attempt to finger their boss would possibly mean a broken neck.

"S-Star" Marco choked out, trying to keep his emotions in check "b-be careful. Be safe. Don't trust anyone." His eyes shifted to someone behind her but before she could see how, Toffee began guiding her outside the manor.

Star was surprised that Marco wasted what could be his last words to the princess on a warning. Not to deny his part in the plot but to warn her that maybe he wasn't the only one involved. Maybe she was still danger.

"Don't worry princess" Toffee whispered into her ear, guiding her to a black, horseless carriage where Apple beckoned sweetly and comfortingly towards her, a chill running down a spine as Star approached closer "I will make sure Marco gets what he deserves."

Marco stared up at the police that remained behind, each one staring at him distastefully as if he was some gross, horrible stain on the floor.

He knew he wasn't going to make it to jail. They were going to kill him and dump the body. Eliminating the one person that could stop them.

"Not so tough now huh Diaz?" the nearest one taunted. Marco recognized him as the officer that chased him down all those nights ago. Toffee must've had the entire police force on his payroll

Marco gave him a cheeky smile, unwilling to show them even the slightest bit of fear

"I'm tougher than you blokes. Your boss had to catch me himself when the lot of you couldn't even hazard a guess where I was. Not much for use eh pigs?"

Marco let out a small chuckled as the officer rose a rifle high.

The last thing Marco saw before darkness overtook him was the rapidly approaching back of the rifle towards his face, slamming into him before he knew nothing more.

* * *

A gentle reminder. If you have not voted for the next AU, please feel free to do so in a review. I will be counting votes until Wednesday. if you said i dont know i did not count you as a vote so you can still vote and yes i do plan to do all three so no worries if yours doesn't win the current results are.

Call of Star: 8 votes

I said I don't dance, not can't: 3

Which one of us is addicted: 7


	40. Call of Star (Canon AU)

Hello Fanfiction, many happy days to you all. Author here. thank you for every single favorite, follow and review. Seriously i never thought I'd get to 400 reviews. 113 followers and 107 favorites. Seriously you readers make me so happy.

A special thanks to h mae- those are excellent theories and of course Marco is going to save Star, it's part three though what is the price he'll pay remains to be seen. and Star will be defending herself a lot more coming up. I did warn you all i was going to drown you all in starco feels to make up for the lack of them first part. now i want cake haha.

SVTFOEfanatic- yes no matter what universe, Toffee is up to no good. I had to end it otherwise you could be readin 15,000 words. plus i like to my cliffhangers. i really appreciate you taking the time to review and read my stories. it means a lot though if you can't manage a review, it is all good my dear reader. as long as you enjoy the story :D "I am going to be honest with you. I haven't the slightest idea where I'm going or where we'll end up. but what matters we have fun on the way there, enjoy the journey, not the destination. Though if you spot some gold, please for the love god, pick it up"

tyrkekem- yes there will be a part 3

thee shipper of ships- thank you so much for your kind words. i am insanely happy you enjoy my work so much. it means the world to me. and Soul Eater Au is on the way, when i dunno but it is happening. I thought about doing the gender bend thing but it didn't feel right especially since Ferguson and Alfonso would be the same and nothing hilarious would happen to them.

watermalone- I say Sadute. it sounds fancy and shows why Marco was being an ass in the first part is revealed. i really wanted to hit home how special Star was to Marco since he treats her much, much better than anyone else. that's why the first part was devoted to Marco so the starco would be that much sweeter when it happened. keep it together, you still have part 3 to read. and dont melt Canada! i want to visit there one day!

Finjr- I say have another starco chapter. and thank you

Qruis- not quite yet, badass still has some business to take care. He's here to take names, kick ass and chew bubble gum. and he's all out of bubble gum.

Rayfe- I love my Hicstrid. I'm sure Star's tips didn't scare hiccup off. His own fear would do that though his black kitten Toothless would probably be on his shoulder, pawing at him telling him to man up and ask astrid out. I agree and it helps Astrid was designed to be the prettiest girl on the island. I eagerly look forward to it. I actually own Edge of the Empire D and D corebook from Fantasy flight and made a NPC for Marco though i can't do Star because I don't own the force Corebook. oh well. Don't worry I won't kill them...now mentally scar them for life...haha

grimm- i am glad you enjoyed it and please don't die. I like your reviews.

thewookie- normally that would be true. I won't explain it in the story but the reason Marco didn't get any of his money was someone's gf used to worked at the bank Mr. Diaz had his money stored. With a little mistake labeling Marco deceased and the fact the police men that came to kick him out may not have been real, Marco left a home that became a nightmare for him. and since back in the day proof of i.d was hard to actually prove and lots of work places didn't keep track who worked for them, the manor fell into disrepair as Marco could not handle the memories of what happened there and Marco never knew he had money (he was also 10 at the time)

guywithglass; thank you so much but if i did that i would have many stories flying around. I already have starco academy with Marco Diaz vs the world, Marco and Star's Jukebox and guardians of the starco coming up. i think i should limit myself a bit.

Otto- thank you so much. I'm afraid the 2nd au didn't win but no worries, i will do it.

Anon- thank you for your kind words

Sughman- more? you want more!? here you go.

IDC1314- thank you sara. im trying to add more of my favorite pairings in so they might not get their own stories but they will have a role or cameo in the future. and counted

xboxrica- sorry i didnt want to overload you with the sheer badass MArco is about to bring down upon toffee. Here have a zombie chapter instead

and of course my guest reviewer i didn't realize that. 40 chapters. wow...did not see this coming.

first up, Starco corner. H mae has drawn a very cute, adorable drawing of Queen Butterfly and Star from her Moon's lullaby story. Idrawcartoons1314 on instagram drew a very accurate picture of us fans right now with a witchy Star. Getting ready for Halloween huh Sara? Also i too enjoy the adventures of Carter and Sadie Kane. Love them and when they crossed over with Percy and Annabeth? i shouted really, really loud. On the writers side of the corner we have a great telling of what happens if Star stayed as a butterfly from exotos135 called Butterfly forever, an awesome chapter of Princess and the safe kid from PFTones. after the storm from Animegx43 and something new from watermalone. check them out for some more gooey Starco goodness.

So we have our winner! Call of the Star being chosen in a very close race. Now before we go on, I am restarting the voting polls. why because I'm indecisive this week. Seriously can not make my mind up about anything. If you would like, please cast your vote for either I said I don't dance, not can't or Which one of us is addicted. I don't know if I'm going to do the winner of this vote before or after part 3 of the steampunk AU but i will get around to doing both, regardless which wins.

So here we go, the Call of Star. mewberty may have passed but it's effects aren't over yet. Star and Marco discover that once a year, Star releases pheromone that cause every teenage male within range to become madly in love with Star, becoming mindless Star zombies! and it's a school day! The pair has to work to keep Star out of the clutches of the male population long enough for the pheromones to wear off. but will Marco fall victim to the call of Star?

Thank you so much for helping me decide and voting for this. Umm let's see ah yes author notes. This story takes place one week after Storm the castle and it does play a big part of this. I tried to emulate the show once more haha who knows maybe this will be our unofficial season 2 first episode. The only other note i can think of is Torta is a type of bread or sandwich. i'm not sure. I mean my mom uses the word interchangeably but I assume it's a bread. is it a bread?

anyway, thank you so much for everything you readers are the best. You voted and here it is call of Star, I hope you enjoy it. I reset the voting polls so let me know which au you wan to see next I don't dance or Addicted. if you want of course. Thank you once again and I own nothing! Enjoy!

* * *

"Books, pencil, back up pencil, pen, back up pen, first aid kit, candy for Star, back up hoodie, fanny pack, comb annnnnd" Marco peered closer into his locker, slowly making his way through the vast amount of objects within to make sure he had the last thing on his list. "Ah, homework!"

Marco rose his homework high into the sky, triumphant as he crossed off the last box on the checklist taped to his locker door.

"Yep, nothing like being prepared for anything life throws my..."

"MARCO!"

Marco barely had time to register his name as his best friend came barreling around the corner, eyes brimming to the rim with happiness as she tackled him with wide open arms, Marco turning bright red at Star's bone crushing hugs

Lately Star has been more affectionate than usual: She took things in an even more excited glee, seemingly having higher levels of energy and now treating Marco with more out of nowhere bursts of fondness.

Marco wondered if this was due to his kidnapping as Star hovered by him more often, practically creating her own orbit around him as they made their way through the day.

She also hung a lot closer to him, the two once or twice accidentally brushing hands while they walked next to each other. Marco would turn to see Star making no mention of it or even aware it happened, her pink hearts pinker than usual but nothing out of the ordinary. Marco decided not to bring it up either.

Marco knew that the shift behind Star's behavior was twofold: First was his kidnapping. Whoever the new monster had been clearly was a lot more ambitious and cunning than Ludo. Ludo usually just appeared, declared his intention (To steal the wand. Why he felt the need to say that every time was beyond Marco) and attacked the pair. Case open and shut.

But Toffee clearly didn't operate on the fair rules idea. Marco remembered when he stormed off to his room, Star's words biting at him viciously. he attempted play some music to relax. As he slipped on the headphones, he felt something sink into his neck, the world dissolving into a whirl of colors.

When he awoke, he was pissed. In addition to this new monster attempting to use him to get to Star, he wasn't wearing his red hoodie. It seemed like a minor detail but he always felt out of place without his hoodie which relaxed and calmed him.

He admitted his attitude at being held hostage was strange. He just felt unusual rush of aggression as he sat restrained in the chair.

Maybe it was because he was still hurting from the words. Maybe it was because he was no mood to deal with a cocky, overconfident lizard. Or maybe he was trying to be brave.

He knew Star was coming for him regardless of their little spat. They were best friends and even best friends disagreed even if sometimes it went too far for something small.

The other reason was Star's wand.

While Star's wand had been returned, half of its majestic star was still missing and Queen Butterfly warned that the magical item may.. _..act out._

In typical Star fashion, she scoffed at the idea, proclaiming she could handle it.

Marco could feel his heart race as Star's current hug reminded him of the one the experience a week ago.

It was different than the usual Star/Marco...Starco hug? Anyway, it was different than the usual hug since Star was the frightened one this time. The lost and scared look on her face was too much for Marco to handle as he opened his arms wide, despite all that had happened, and embraced his best friend. He could feel the fear in that embrace, the idea that the wand was forever lost. A tradition that span the entire history of Mewni...gone...because of reckless, irresponsible Star.

He managed to stroke her hair gently for a moment before the _tim_ _ely_ arrival the horse...unicorn...thing...

Marco was still confused about that. Was it a horse or did all unicorns horns came off? Did Pony Head's? Was it like clothing to them or what because Marco was pretty sure that horse was wearing clothes...also speaking In what sounded like Italian. Where did a horse learn Italian?

Marco decided to let it go for his own sanity.

Anyway, something shifted in their relationship though Marco was still in the process of finding out what.

"Marco!" Star shouted, giving him a little squeeze.

"S-Star? What are you..." Marco managed to choke out before a strong breeze swept pass the pair.

Star's eyes widen as the wind blew Marco wildly, his concerned look on his face hitting Star with double the force. She could feel her cheeks warming at the sight of Marco's hair dancing in the wind and light brown eyes staring directly into hers

Ever since he was kidnapped, a primal and deep fear became seated in Star's heart. She realized how important her best friend was to her and couldn't help but spend as much time as she could with him.

Though that wasn't the only change in Star.

Ever since they shared that Star/Marco...Starco hug? Yeah that wasn't helping with her blush. Ever since she hugged him, seeking his comfort after losing the wand, she felt something change within her. Well other than the intense protective feeling that cropped up

A new series of feelings enveloped Star regarding her best friend. Now she was practically bouncing off the walls to see him, every moment she could she would give him the biggest hug (She even took time to hug him good bye before racing off to see Oskar) And recently she's been purposely brushing her hand against his, enjoying the softness and warmth that came from it. At first she swore Marco knew and would say something but he's failed to mention it even once so Star decided to keep at it.

"Star!"

"Yes Marco?" she looked at her friend trapped in her grip, trying to ignore how close she was holding him. Just a few inches more and...

"S-Star my homework!"

Star stared, confused at the young man as the fluttery sounds of paper being thrown this way and that way filled her ears, several white, lined sheets flew up to the sky.

"Oh...OH!" Star quickly let go, reaching for her wand before pointing it directly towards the escaping homework "Super Awesome Eagle Retrieve!"

A green beam launched skyward, failing to morph into a gallant bird and just struck against the papers.

Marco's happy face melted into his standard seriously? Face as the beam exploded, a small, pink and blue mushroom cloud forming high above them as shredded papers rained gently back to the ground.

Star stared forward, trying to ignore Marco's intense gaze, her hearts turning even pinker than usual as she coughed awkwardly into her hand.

"Great..." Marco muttered "What else could go wrong?"

There was whoosh of air from Star as a thin light purplish mist poured out of her, quickly spreading throughout the hallway.

Marco stared at Star once again kept looking forward, shifting her eyes to stare at Marco out of the corner of her eyes, nervously smiling as the cute little squid octopus thing on her sea green dress matched her expression.

Marco took a deep breath, the mist entering his lungs as he released air out of his mouth.

"Yep, it's a Star thing" Marco muttered, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"How can you tell?"

"It smells like you"

"Ooooh and what do I smell like? Eww, I hope nothing bad."

"You smell like confidence, insanity and impatience rolled into one. Also Chocolate, roses and Vanilla."

Marco let out a defeated but day as usual sigh as he began making his way to Star's locker "Come on. Let's figure this out."

"Marco?" Star smiled at his retreating figure before lifting her arms up and shouting "MARCO!" before she chased after the boy.

The mist hovered there for a moment before moving away into a classroom.

"You know I miss the days where I can say 'what could go wrong?' without immediately given proof at what more could go wrong." Marco complained as Star began opening her locker.

"But it's totally worth to keep me around right Marco?"

Marco gave the magical princess a small smile, one that caused Star flush even more as she pulled out her magic spell book.

"Glossaryck?" Star asked, the blue skinned being rising from the pages of the magical tome, dressed up in white tennis outfit, smacking a tiny little ball outward towards a group of students who were startled by the tiny projectile and ran off screaming "The ants evolved again!"

"Was the ant invasion this week or last week?" Marco murmured as Glossaryck shouted at the top of his long "You cannot defeat me Indexica! Huh." he peered upwards towards the door, clearly annoyed at the sudden intrusion "What is it? I was in the middle of my tennis match! You can't keep just popping in on me!"

"But you live in a book...your job is to help Star."

"I do have a life you know" Glossaryck huffed angrily "Oh man she's going to be pissed."

"Who is Indexica? Your girlfriend?" the teens snickered, barely hiding their laughter as Glossaryck rolled his eyes

"No, my wife"

The awkward silence train kept rolling on as Star and Marco shared a look before turning back to the mystical being.

"Yes...I'm married. Can we get on with it?"

"So like this weird misty thing came out of me and it was just like hovering there before disappearing again...so...like what's going on?"

"Did your mother not give you the talk?"

":This isn't one of those awkward talks that parents give to mortify their children right?" Marco asked cautiously

"No. that's next week. I kid, I kid" Glossaryck added quickly noting the blank stares from the children.

"Well it sounds like you're going through your Mewberty"

"But I already did!"

Glossaryck shook his head "Look I know a lot has happened which is why we all forgot to tell you but your Mewberty doesn't end after you transform. Once a year your body has to release pheromones that filter all those new changes in your body" Glossaryck ignored the joint "eww" from the children "You see the more Star hides her feelings from her crush or true love, pheromones build up since Mewberty is tied directly to her emotions. Those pheromones build up until once a year when they are all released harmlessly into the air."

"Wait, Star's emotions..."

"In case you haven't noticed, what with that super blast she did to bust you out of jail, Star's magical state is tied directly to her emotions."

The two flushed at the memory of Star's attack, the wavy mists of hearts and glowing of her hearts as she charged her wand into more a powerful attack, the determination to save Marco written all over her actions.

"Wait, you said pheromones" Marco added quickly "What do the pheromones do exactly?"

"Psst" Star waved off Marco's question "Obviously the phero...ment...what are pheromones?"

"Well they are just all of Star's suppressed affection and love. It's harmless to Mewnans and just a way to vent her emotions to prevent unhealthy mental habits."

"Glossaryck...we're on Earth."

"Oh...well in that case I have no idea what is going to happen. Have fun!" Glossaryck said quickly before diving into his book, the pages turning by themselves before snapping shut.

Marco and Star shared a look of concern

"Maybe nothing will happen..."

"Star..." a creepy moan echoed from all around them "Starrrrrr."

Marco let out a frustrated groan "Why did you say that? That's like horror movie cliche number 5!"

"Marco, this isn't the time"

"Why..." Marco turned back to quad before his mouth slipped into an O shape "oh..."

A massive crowd formed in front of them. Every single teenage boy in the school shuffled mindlessly towards them, their eyes now heart shaped as a random assortment of purple hearts dotted every inch of their skin. Together they moaned out "Starrrr."

"Star, I got chocolate for you" Blake called out, holding a box high above his head.

Justin held up the tiny figure of Francis, waving him around like a football while shouting "Star, Francis agreed to do your homework for you! He was totally okay with me threatening him!"

Star looked confused then briefly tempted by the offers before Marco coughed loudly "What, I don't usually get this level of attention!"

"Yes you do. This is about an average day for you."

"Well..."

"Star, look"

Star glanced once more, face falling as she spotted Ferguson with his shirt off, the markings of a face moving back and forth as he mouthed the words "Hello beautiful, wanna go out?"

Star shuddered as Marco rubbed his eyes once more

"Look, just ask them to stop. I'm sure they'll listen"

Star nodded in agreement, taking a step forward before using her most authoritative voice she could muster "In the name of me I order you to stop!"

As one the crowd inched to a stop, swaying uneasily on their, staring blankly towards the pair.

"Hey! It worked!" Star began doing a little victory dance when Blake shouted "Wait, Star go on a date with me!"

"Uh..." Star barely managed to get out as the crowd began shouting "No, go out with me!" "No she wants to go out with me" "No, she wants to go out with me, I was a pixie king." "I've got a face on my stomach!" "I didn't listen to her on the field trip"

"Star go out with me!" The sea of boys boomed.

"Guys" Alfonso's rose above the others "Whoever gets Star can take her out on a date!'

The boys boomed in agreement before beginning their slow shuffle once again.

Marco turn to Star who twisted her head to meet his gaze "What Marco?"

"...look I know you like Oskar but this seems a little excessive"

"Right...Oskar..." she murmured softly

"What was that?"

"I said this isn't my fault!"

"They're reacting based on your unspoken feelings..." Marco muttered, a hint of jealousy in his tone.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Star took a deep breath, her memory churning trying to find the proper spell "Glittering Sleep Storm!"

The wand glowed bright for a moment before a beam of pure energy flew backwards, a cow shape raced towards Marco, slamming him against lockers before taking off in a loud, agitated "Moo!"

"Marco!" Star cried, rushing to his aid.

"ooo...not gonna lie...that...that hurt..." he wheezed, trying to catch his breath as he clutched his stomach painfully.

"Wooow, I can shoot in multiple directions without aiming?" Star said in awe, eyes sparkling at the ideas filling her head with this new information.

"Star, a little help?" Marco softly whimpered

"Oh, sorry Marco." Star offered her hand, taking Marco's hand in hers as she helped him to his feet.

The Star zombies let out a gasp, eyes full of...well if you could see them and they weren't all heart shaped, disbelief.

"Did she just pick Marco?"

"Dude that is not cool"

"I brought her chocolates..."

"I threatened Francis for her..."

"Guys, guys" Ferguson's voice called out to the others "This is a big deal, we should be happy for them"

Star and Marco flushed, still holding hands tightly as the crowd agreed that this was good for the pair.

Ferguson smiled happily towards the two, eyes still creepily heart shaped as he shrugged nonchalantly "Oh well. GET THEM!"

the boys let out a bloodthirsty cry as they rushed forward, apparently forgetting they were the slow, shuffling zombies as they sprinted towards the two.

"Staaaaar?" Marco shouted in a panic, letting out a surprised gasp as Star guided the pair down the hallway.

"Seriously how much do you like Oskar?!" Marco screamed, glancing backwards to see the sea of angry boys chasing after them, all of them keeping up with them surprising ease, even Ferguson who was outpacing all others.

Star said nothing, her heart hammering away from the physical amount of effort she was doing and not at all from Marco's touch

"Quick, in here!" Star threw open a class room door, tossing Marco in before aiming her wand at her suitors "Jelly bean rain blast!"

The wand crackled to life as marshmallow like webs began pinning several of the boys to the wall.

"about time you start working!" Star cried towards the magical object before attempting to repeat the spell.

The wand charged with energy again as palm sized starfish flew towards the Star zombies, wrapping themselves around their faces while giving Star a friendly wave.

Star waved back before shutting the door behind her.

Marco quickly began barricading the door with chairs, desks, and car engine that was in the art room for some reason.

Marco leaned against the barrier he created, panting loudly as he tried to fight off the fatigue of the day. It wasn't even 9 in the morning.

"Marco, Marco what are we going to do?" Star muttered. She wasn't scared about the Star zombies but she rather not be in their clutches. They seemed a little on the aggressive side.

"Staaaaaar..." Marco moaned weakly, a chill running down her spine as he sluggishly turned to her, the glare of the sun covering his eyes for a moment.

"Marco? Marco? Not you too!" Star cried in a panic, raising her wand defensively towards Marco.

"Star?" he said muttered in the same low voice "Star, what are you doing? Calm down. Here" Marco reached into his jacket carefully and pulled out a Honey Star, Star's favorite Earth treat that she could just eat all day.

"W-why do you have that?" Star held onto her wand tightly "Why are you carrying that around? Y-you're infected too aren't you?"

"Star? I'm not infected" Marco stated matter of fact, taking a step forward carefully, the sun still burning into his eyes, his face silhouetted in light.

Star could feel the sweat running down her forehead. Marco was the first one exposed to her...whatsit. He had to be infected. He had to be a Star zombie by now.

Which frightened Star in more ways than one.

She wasn't scared Marco would do anything. She was scared she would like it.

She admitted she felt very flattered by the boy's offers. She knew she was popular here on Earth, well loved and liked, something she never was at home. It felt nice to be honest, to have so many people care about you.

But right now they were being affected by her own magic, by her unrequited feelings for Oskar...and Marco.

Marco was her best friend. They spent almost every second of the day with each other having fun, goofing off, acting silly and just being teenagers.

So when Marco was kidnapped, it made her realize how much of her world he really was.

She couldn't imagine being here on Earth without him by her side. She couldn't imagine facing monsters and any trouble she stumbled her way into without him there, watching out for her. Sitting down watching movies together, eating those heavenly nachos he made for her. Sitting on the roof, naming all the stars in the sky and just sitting next to him, calm and content much to his surprise.

She couldn't imagine herself without Marco.

She still had strong feelings for Oskar but her feelings for her best friend felt more...natural, more in tune with herself.

And it confused the hell out of her.

She didn't know what she wanted, she didn't know who she wanted and she didn't know what to do.

Keep going after the bad boy Oskar? Or maybe it was time to have Marco fulfill the position of crush.

She couldn't handle Marco as a Star zombie because she knew it would be a lie, it'd be fake. Anything and everything out of his mouth would be false, spurned on by magic rather than his true feelings. All his actions a product of pent up affection from Star.

She knew a few boys had a crush on her in the school but not Justin, not Blake, Not Ferguson or Alfonso. That was the magic compelling them to chase after her, to love her.

She took a deep breath as Marco began walking forward, the Honey Star outstretched towards her.

"Marco, just stop!" She shouted, clutching her wand tightly "Don't make me blast you!"

Marco chuckled softly, a wonderful melody to Star's ears "Star, you already blasted me remember? Just put the down wand and we can..."

"I mean it Marco! Not another step!" Star's fear gnawing at her. This was just that stupid mist. This wasn't Marco. But he's acting like himself. NO! This couldn't be Marco. She couldn't fall for this. It would hurt so much after this was all over. Confuse her even more.

Star began chanting to herself It was not Marco, it was not Marco it was...

Marco took another step, surprising Star.

She let out a panicked gasp, the wand responding accordingly as a narwhal crashed into Marco, sending him sprawling to the floor

"Oww...twice in a day..." Marco muttered, body aching painfully as he stared up to the ceiling.

"Marco!" Star rushed over, stopping and feeling guilty when Marco's light brown eyes peered at her questioningly "Oh, Marco I'm so..."

"It's okay..." he said weakly "but please stop blasting me? I'm tired enough..."

Star shifted guilty, falling to her knees as she gently placed Marco's head on her lap.

"I'm sorry Marco."

"It's okay...I get it. I was the first one exposed to your mist" he smiled at her and Star felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing it.

"It's just the weakness in your voice, how tired you looked..."

"Star, my homework was ripped to shreds, I was blasted by a magical cow and now a bunch of jealous, star crazed zombies are chasing us and it's only been an hour. Of course I'm tired."

Star flushed as she gave him a sheepish smile

"Sorry"

Star jumped as the boys smashed against the window and door, the barricade holding up against their weak assault.

"Seriously" Marco muttered, sitting up across from Star "You think with that many boys , they would be able to move the door or something."

Star opened her mouth when the most beautiful noise began wafting through the air, Marco's face scrunched up in amazement as he covered his ears, his body unable to handle the beautiful of Oskar's keytar filling the air with his skill.

"I love you Star" Oskar's dull, voice droned as he began playing random, out of tune and clashing notes "Why you be my girlfriend Star? Come on out here Star. Let's go on a date Star."

Star's pupils became heart shaped as she held her hands together, letting out a sigh of pure bliss.

"Ossssskar" She breathlessly mumbled as she jumped to her feet, wand glowing, ready to blast the door out of their way, giggling happily while shouting at the top of her lungs "I'm COMING OSKAR!"

the other boys let out a groan of defeat, parting away from the door before it was blasted off its hinges, a swarm of rabbits running out of the classroom.

Star stood in the doorway, the sea of boys parted to show Oskar standing in the middle of them, playing his keytar onehanded before motioning for her to get closer, no sign of the purple hearts that dotted the other.

Star mindlessly giggled as the star zombies muttered under their breath "Man I knew she was going to pick him" "Everyone knows she loves Oskar." "Can he even see? His hair is always covering his eyes. You can't even see them now!"

Star took a step forward before someone coughed loudly behind her.

She turned to see Marco staring at her with concern and an unknown emotion plastered all over his face.

He motioned to his eyes, the light brown irises distracting her as she stared into them, trying to ignore the light that basked Marco in a heroic glow.

"Marco..." she whispered, stunned at his appearance before realizing what he was trying to tell her.

She turned to Oskar, eyes covered by his long, amazing hair.

"Windy breezey airy easy" she muttered, a gust of wind slapping all the Star zombies in the face before brushing Oskar's hair out of his face.

Star let out a disappointed sigh as his pinkish, purple heart shaped eyes stared in her direction, his fangs grinning cockily at the sight of her.

"Sorry Oskar, next time." She muttered sadly as she created door, a wave of Star zombies crashing against it violently but the magical construct held them off far better than Marco's makeshift barrier ever could.

She plopped herself next to Marco, putting her head on his shoulder as his hand reached over, stroking her hair gently.

"One day Star, he'll notice I promise."

"Right Marco..." she muttered, closing her eyes

Star heard the unwrapping of a candy bar, the sweet smell of honey and chocolate tickling her nose as she opened her eyes, Marco holding the Honey Star in front of her teasingly

"Why do you have this?"

"You left early to hear Oskar play and skipped breakfast remember? I brought it in case you got hungry."

Star could feel the tears in her eyes, his kindness warming her heart far better than Oskar ever could.

She smiled brightly, hugging him snugly as Marco's body stiffened under the surprise hug before wrapping his arms around her.

Star grinned, popping the treat into her mouth before breaking off a piece to hand to Marco.

"Wait Star this is..."

"For us. We're going to be here a while" She motioned to outside.

"I guess we better get ready for the long haul."

"You're here Marco. That's all I need to be ready."

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Skeeves canceled school given the weird magic that affected only the teenage male population.

It wasn't until 3 in the afternoon when the effects of Star's..umm...thing wore off.

Not that Star and Marco cared. Luckily Marco had brought several treats with him in case Star wasn't in the mood for a Honey Star.

The pair spent the whole day just laughing, telling jokes, peering out the window and making fun of and taunting the Star zombies. They even did a bit of role playing were Marco was jerkish yet kind street punk and Star was a sheltered but lively, curious princess that Marco was forced to kidnap.

And when the boys eyes returned to normal, the hearts fading from their skin, Star didn't even care that Oskar wandered off, unsure what was going on as the rest came up to Star and apologized for their behavior.

"And now we wait another year" Marco said as Star said goodbye to the last boy.

The duo made their way home, retreating to Marco's room, not quite ready to leave each others presence just yet.

"Man that was a long day" Marco said, falling backwards onto his bed as Star sat next to him.

"Hey Marco, why didn't my Mewberty pheromones affect you?" Star asked quizzically, leaning in curiously, her bright blue eyes as wide as can be as she waited for her best friend to answer, trying her hardest not to coo at how cute his look of surprise was when she got closer.

Marco scratched his chin, looking up thoughtfully before shrugging in defeat "I don't know. Maybe because I'm around you so much that I'm immune to it?"

Star let out a playful laugh, elbowing his side while winking at him "Not that you're complaining huh Marco? So much for being the smart guy."

"Hey! This is some otherworldly Star thing. I may be an expert on all things Star but there's a lot I don't know about you!"

Star smiled mischievously, taking a mental image of how cute Marco looked as anger danced on his face. She totally loved her best friend "There's a lot Marco. But I bet _I know more about Earth than yo_ _u do about Mewwwwwniiiii"_ she taunted in a sing song voice.

Before Marco could retort, Mrs. Diaz voice called to them "Kids! It's dinner time. I made Tortas!"

"OH!" Marco chuckling softly at the stars that appeared within Star's eyes, her expression more adorable than usual, excitement filling her face as she let out a loud, joyful cheer, throwing her hands in the air as she cried "Tortas! Oooh giant sandwiches yay!"

And as Star raced out of the room, blonde hair trailing after her like a ray of sunshine, Marco let out the smallest of embarrassed smiles, allowing the blush to finally appear on his face.

He hated lying to Star but he knew why her pheromones didn't affect him. Why they hadn't turned him a love sick Star zombie. He discovered this last week when he felt Star's heart beating under his touch, matching his own heart's rhythm perfectly as they sought each others comfort.

He took a deep breath and muttered softly

"It didn't affect me because I'm already in love with you Star."


	41. Don't talk to your food (Starcoween)

Hello fanfiction, author here. hope you are doing very good. HAPPY OCTOBER! my favorite month of the year. thank you for every single review, follow and favorite. they mean the world to me! you readers are the best

A special thanks to H mae. not air! *gets vacuum* sorry it's the only way i can stop you from floating up into the sky! even magical book beings need some love. haha i'm hoping the next season has the wand missing firing it be fun to see Star on the frustrated end of things randomly happening to her. i am extremely happy you enjoyed it.

SVTFOEfanatic- hmm *flips table* THANK YOU! *Smashes hole in wall* IT MEANS ALOT (Sets fire to s'mores) that you liked it! *puts pillows down and faints with you* I'm glad i add enjoy details to really help you imagine the scene. I wanted this to feel like an episode. I applaud you dear reader because i absolutely suck at coding. can not do it to save my life. good luck with that. "I'm a pirate. I take what i want and i do what i want. I do illegal things but that doesn't make me a bad person you know?"

ultragamerkitty- i am happy it felt like a real episode. we have a long way to go before star comes back to us but as your starco captain, i shall guide as along the way...i hope.

coupleproductions: you are spoiling me and if i get to 100 it shall be epic amazing and long because why not!

Finnjr: I am happy you enjoyed it i hope to keep doing good work :)

xboxrica: yay! don't worry part 3 of steampunk is on the way. probably next week because the grand finale of if i miss you is about to happen. so just wait a little bit more. also this isn't either of the AU's but some small thing i wanted to do in between. hope you enjoy.

sugheman- you can exploded, we're insured for that.

IDC1314: sorry sara i wrote it like an episode so like an episode, there's a overarching story! here have some more stories and keep up the great work on your drawings!

grim13: haha what role playing? psst no idea what you're talking about :) maybe one day Marco will tell her...or maybe she'll go missing causing him to freak out and then tell her.

the wookie- one the best things about FF is that i could take a slightly more mature feel to the episode since disney isn't going to *Two security guards with mouse ears grab me and put a bag over my head, hiatus sign is put up*

lost; I hope i will. here have another chapter.

devous angel: He knows he loves Star. that's the first step.

watermalone- well as we discussed I *Entire page is blacked out* and that's why. please save the ice caps! won't somebody please think of the ice caps! and subtly is my specialty! THey were talking about the steampunk au :D

rafye- hmm that is such a great idea, it's going in the vault! don't worry you my dear reader get full credit! you may slap me with a fish if i accidentally be pretty meta. I'm a writer writing a romantic story about our favorite couple where one of them is writing of a story about the two of them in romantic settings... ooo you know the FFG system? AWESOME! i can't wait for that *Sits down, cooks s'mores*

flowersforfanfictionL thank you so much and i enjoy your stories as well. sorry i haven't left a review, i will get to that asap.

sugheman: We have no star, i must post fast lest we all perish from the lack of STARCO! AS STARCO CAPTAIN I CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO PASS! THIS I SWEAR!

otherwiseknownasjules: thank you so much. i still can't believe i wrote 40 of them.

anonymous: You shall not get another for role reversal! YOU SHALL get several! i loved that request so much that I am doing cheer up Marco, Mewberty, Blood Moon ball and maybe, depending on fan response, Storm the castle.

anotherwhovian11: don't worry i did too and i lived with a brother who loved to prank me.

and last but certainly not least my guest reviewers

Guest: umm...do i need to replace some feels for you? it's 50% off. starco forever! more kidnapping, got it!

first up on starco corner, we have a series of amazing drawings though not starco related are still pretty awesome from H mae including tom, werewolf, danny phantom and A really awesome Jack Skellington that is probably going to be my wallpaper. check her out her tumblr hains-mae. Over on instagram we have Sara, Idrawcartoons1314 with some awesome drawings of seinor year star and marco, a sad star and marco dating their crushes, witchy Star, marco purposing and a really awesome doodle of my starco academy (it looks amazing Sara!) also on instagram, fandomharbor did a pretty cool sketch of Star, fiona from adventure and a really great sketch of a boot. I am not joking it looks really good, excellent work Fandomhabor! also on tumblr we have spatziline who you got to go check out. all that art is just excellent and great. its spatziline on tumblr. here on FF we got some awesome stories that i really need to review. We have faking it from fanfictionfordayz, just love that chapter and the disney reference, we have the star and the sun from flowersforfanfics that is very well done and cute. the next chapter of something new from watermalone, another diaz family road trip from unluckywrites, princess and the safe kid from PFTones and not starco but fun to read everything wrong with Star vs the forces of evil season 1 from Iknmjh. check out all these wonderful people

So what is starcoween? Honestly just something i came up because i am silly, i love halloween and it gives me an excuse to write hallowen themed stories. well kinda. I i will try to write 4 starcoween stories. this one is cute, light hearted but at least one of them is going to be a five nights at freddy's style horror one so...yeah.

So this au follows Marco, a unpopular vampire from a monster high school which teaches students how to survive the human world. during a hunting class, he runs into star, a runaway human hiding from the world. Marco is left with a choice. kill the girl despite his peaceful nature and gain instant respect or help her escape the grasp of the other monsters nearby?

Going to say this right now. Marco is a traditional vampire. not twilight. i will rage at anyone who even mentions twilight vampires. saying this right now.

I am not sure about this one but i will let you amazing readers let me know. I hope you enjoy the first story of starcoween, the thing i totally did not make up and let me know what you think of it. Im not sure what's next on the list probably the two other aus on the poll because as i mentioned somewhere up there, if i miss you is entering the finale chapter so steampunk is pushed back a bit because i need all my details for if i miss you. anyway, i own nothing, happy October and ENJOY!

* * *

Marco's stomach churned unhappily as his eyes fell upon her, unable to handle what he done to the poor girl in front of him.

He always hated this part of the school's curriculum because it was shoved down his throat despite his obvious discomfort of said activity.

The Nightly Hunting classes were a state mandate requirement for all schools though Marco could hardly fathom why. Marco was the shining example that with a little self control and patience, monsters did not need to eat humans for substance. Not that anyone cared what Marco "Human" Diaz thought.

He also didn't know why anyone actually bother with the class. Teachers didn't take it seriously since they often let the teenage monsters loose in abandoned forest, camps or even the occasional city, purposely fooling the students into believing they were training their senses and skills so they may hunt humans on their own but in reality, they were just tasked of keeping the bloodthirsty teens away while the school shipped in its daily source of food as to prevent anyone from taking secretly nibbles from the supplies.

It was common knowledge that teen monsters were the most deadly though it had nothing to do with the begrudgingly growing powers or prime condition. It was due to the fact that teenagers were the most out of control, savage and dangerous type of monster. Many people thought human teens were bad with their attitude, ability to delude themselves into believing they had the freedom to do whatever they wish and near limitless energy compared to the aging adults. Now imagine if that teenager had mystical, supernatural powers, lived in the teenage phase for several more decades at the very minimum and thought they were superior to everyone, even legendary and powerful monsters such as Dracula and the wolf man. Yeah it got annoying quick.

Marco was still young, barely in the middle of his adolescence at 200 years. He was already ostracized for being a hand me down vampire (Someone who was turned into a vampire rather being born as one) but in addition to his general calm nature, his dislike of drinking too much blood and his friendly behavior towards humans gave him the label Marco the human.

Many of his classmates gave into their bloodlust, some craving it badly when they've gone too long without murdering something. The bolder ones did actually routinely head out into nearby towns and villages, murdering any hapless human that had the misfortune of crossing their path as to satisfy their brutal nature.

The school greatly disapproved of such activities, not because of the poor humans being killed needlessly but due to the fact such an activity could alert the prey to the school's location and many of the teachers knew first hand what it felt like to be in the hands of a human mob.

Which funneled straight back into Marco's current dilemma, a true head scratching conundrum that could benefit or harm his next few decades at the school.

As the others pointlessly howled at the moon, bared their fangs at each other, smashing their heads together and moaned as one in tribute to some sort of stupid need to show off or something, Marco hung back letting his fellow classmates scatter into the corners of deserted grounds

He began wandering, as far away from the group as he could. He pushed open a cabin that once belonged to a camp only to find it was not empty as he originally thought.

A flash of a sunny light startled him, awakening a prime fear and triggering a painful memory of a time he ventured outside when the sun shone brightly without his hat, poncho, umbrella or sunblock.

His light brown eyes turned blood red as his fangs extended downwards in a defensive postilion. He instinctively lashed out, wrapping his clawed hands around some sort of circular tube before effortlessly crushing it in his hands, the scurrying of his attacker filling him with confidence.

His heightened senses readjusted while the full moon poured in through the window, allowing him to find what had attacked him in the darkened cabin.

Marco pulled back, fangs sliding upwards, his eyes returning to normal as he took in a sight he had never seen before.

It was a human girl, about 14 years of age. She huddled against the corner of the room fearfully, her sky blue eyes staring at him in equal parts loathing and terror. She had long , sunshiny yellow hair so bright that Marco could feel his body tensing, phantom pains tingling his skin as they remembered the painful experience.

She wore a sea green dress with a cartoony witch riding her broom in the center of it (typical out of date human knowledge. Everyone knew that vacuum cleaners were far more powerful and cost-efficient than brooms). She had purple and orange stockings and thick, black boots with a cute star-shaped purse hung over her shoulder.

She shivered, Marco noted, not only from fear but also from the chilling, icy cold air. Marco assumed. He didn't get cold since he was undead.

As she peered at him in fright, Marco was left with a decision.

He could kill her. Not only would that ensure he would be well fed for the night, he would have something over most of his classmates, something they desired so badly they would be forced to respect him because of it. And no one could dispute his claim because Miss Skullnick the troll had to report it to the school. This could make the remainder of his school life a smooth ride.

Or he could let her go, help her escape before the others returned. Their opinion of him would remind the same but he wouldn't have to harm an innocent girl.

A very pretty innocent girl.

Marco clutched at his head, his thoughts becoming dizzying and strange.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful girl he ever laid his eyes upon and he was once the joke boyfriend of Jackie the siren whose beauty tilted to the hauntingly inhuman side of the scale.

For a moment, Marco thought he could feel his heart beat nervously at the sight of this girl but that was impossible. His heart still regular pounded but it was more out of habit than necessity. His heart was always remained calm.

But he swore he could hear the loud pounding his heart in his ears, hammering away wildly like a drum.

He couldn't hurt this girl. But maybe he could talk to her?

"Hi" he started, cringing at how casual he was trying to be after nearly scaring this girl to death "I'm Marco..."

The girl looked confused, still frightened but utterly confused at the vampire's change in attitude

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to destroy your umm..."

"Flashlight"

"Right, flashlight. I-it startled me"

Why was he talking to this girl? Why did he want to talk to this girl? Why was he even craving attention from this girl? Why was he nervous about speaking with her? She was a defenseless girl! She couldn't harm him, why would he be nervous?! It did not make any sense.

he...he didn't like her did he? He literally just met her like 4 seconds ago and he was already liking a human? The others were going to have a field day with this.

"I-if you're going to drink my blood...j...just do it already!" the girl shouted at him, glaring despite the terror that still lay within her pupils "Stop using yours powers to fluster me and get on with it!"

"P-powers? I'm not using my powers...I don't even think I can"

"Huh? T-too young?"

Marco scoffed at the idea "Psst. Too weak. I don't drink that much."

"W-what do you want with me? Going to bite my neck and turn me into a freak like you?"

Marco frowned, the word freak stinging and hurting him far more than it should have "Why would I bite your neck? How does that turn you into a vampire?"

"I thought..."

"Only thing that do is kill you. No I 'd have to switch blood with you"

"Switch...blood?" the girl asked curiously.

Marco opened his mouth when a rejoicing howl echoed through the empty campground.

"Are you sure? You sure it's a human?" a familiar sounding voice cut through the tense, awkward silence.

"Oh crap it's Oskar" Marco muttered, eying the girl carefully "I-I'll head them off and and you can go back home and pretend this never...

The girl shook her head "I...I can't go home I...I ran away...I must be hundreds miles away from home..."

Marco bit his lip carefully, the excited cheers and howls of murder haunting the air.

"just kill me quick! I..i don't want to be some feast for you and your horrible friends."

"Trust me we're not friends" Marco muttered to himself, ruffling his hair downward as he tried to think of a plan.

Why was he even trying to save her? Why was she so important to him? She was just a little, lost girl in the wrong place at the wrong time, the same as Marco all those years ago when he decided to stay out far later than he should've. This was just how life worked. Completely fair. Life didn't care who you were. Whatever happened to you happened to you because you happened to be chosen for it. End of story. That's all he wrote.

Except, as he stared into those hypnotic crystal blue eyes, the loud vibrant color of her hair reminding him of a happy feeling he scarcely remembered, just...his heart growing fond of her by mere sight, he knew he couldn't let her die. He had to save her. Even if it meant taking more ridicule or scorn or even being beat up. He needed to save this girl

how though? He was rapidly running out of time and he never expected he'd be helping a human avoid a roving class of monsters before.

Marco's eyes lit up as he realized he did have a way out for this young girl, the answering tucked away in the do not open part of his hoodie.

He took a step forward, heart tugging guilty at him when the girl flinched in horror and covered herself with her arms as if attempting to shield herself.

"Please...make it quick..." the girl begged pathetically

Her body tensed at the approaching footsteps, tears running down her heart covered cheeks as she thought this was the end of life as she knew it.

And was confused when she felt something slipped onto her head.

Star peered up, the vampire looking like a regular boy up close with light brown hair cloaked in moonlight, his light brown eyes tinted with a sliver hue. She knew she should keep her guard up. She saw the monster that lay beneath the mask of humanity. She saw what he could do without any effort at all. She knew how much danger she was in.

but for some odd reason, she felt safe with this..umm...boy? He seemed honest and a little awkward for a vampire. She even believed him when he claimed he hadn't performed any sorcery or supernatural mumbo jumbo on her though she couldn't think of her face would flush all on its own.

"What are you..." she asked, reaching for whatever he placed on her head before he quickly grabbed her hands and pulled them down, his skin feeling not cold but not either. It was like the perfect balance of warmth as if his body no longer how to respond to temperature.

"Leave it on!" he hissed, quickly taking off his hoodie and wrapping it around her frame, her body instantaneous embraced in a tepid, cozy cocoon.

She let out a sigh of relief as the frosty night was chased away by the article of clothing.

"Play along" he whispered to her quickly, taking a step forward as if trying to draw attention away from her and onto him.

Star let out "eep" before closing her mouth quickly, cutting off the sound as 3 more monsters came into view.

There was a towering mass of hair guarding the doorway, its snort sniffing the air as if it was tracking something. Its wolfish face clearly agitated and angry, hunger in its eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses.

The next one was covered head to toe in stitches, a mix match of body parts. Most of them looked similar enough to one another to be considered from the same person but there were a few limbs that clearly must've came from another body. His orange hair would have been the most unusual feature of the boy if it were not for the two bolts sticking into his skull.

The last boy seemed no older than Marco but unlike him, he radiated power. Star could feel the cold, thickness darkness that swirled around him, his fangs proudly on display and even though he wore a simple t-shirt, shorts and neckerchief and hard this bad boy charm to him, she could tell he would not hesitate to break her in half and drink her blood using her remains as a cup.

"Seriously Alfonso? How did you mess that up! It's just loser and some hot demon girl."

"Shut up Oskar!" Marco yelled but flinched when Oskar took a step forward

"Demon girl?" Star muttered under her breath, glancing upwards to see that Marco had placed a headband with devil horns on her head, her long hair making it seem like the horns were bursting forth from her skull.

The wolf whined apologetically, sounding more like a puppy than a menacing wolf."

"Umm guys...was she on the bus with us? Because I don't remember her."

The boys faces turned into thoughtful expressions, trying to recall if they had seen this new girl before.

"Of course she was on the bus with us" Marco cut in, using his best annoyed yet superior voice he could muster "You guys were sooooo busy trying to get ready to hunt humans that you completely missed her."

"Oh I guess that makes sense"

"Rawr"

"There is no way I would miss someone as hot a her. Alfonso check again."

Star felt her heart stop as the werewolf known as Alfonso sniffed the air once more, taking in a deep breath.

Star was certain that she was about to found out, her scent and fear about to give her away and she was about to be consumed in a whirl of teeth, fangs, and flesh.

But Alfonso whined once more, racing out of the cabin in shame as the other two sighed in a dramatic fashion.

"I knew it was too good to be true."

"Shut it Fergenstein. Later loser, hottie"

Star felt herself flush at Oskar's charming wink in her direction as the two left the cabin without much fuss.

"I...I can't believe that worked" Star muttered, completely shocked at how lucky she was to be alive.

"I can, they're idiots. Most of the class have their heads so far up their ass, I'm surprise they don't run into doorways. Alfonso is easily tricked since he doesn't like being a werewolf and Ferguson is having too much fun to even care"

Star giggled cutely, causing Marco a moment of embarrassment.

"T-thank you Marco...I...I..."

"It's okay..."

Star began playing with the folds of the sleeves of the vampire's hoodie, unsure what to do next.

"So...why couldn't the werewolf smell my scent?"

"Oh.." Marco scratched his "my scent overpowered yours."

"I-is it why you put it on me?"

"Oh no. I totally forgot Alfonso was here. No I put that over you because monsters don't get cold or hot. We're always warm. And you were clearly freezing to death. Wouldn't work for a disguise if you were shivering."

"Ah...okay...and the horns?"

Marco shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his neck, clearly showing he didn't want to talk about it.

Star's felt very ashamed for asking, opening her mouth when Marco softly answered the question.

"My...ex gave it to me...it...it was her way of breaking up with me. It told me who she was leaving me for...some demon named Tom...You can keep it. I-it looks good on you and I really don't want it."

The two teens coughed awkwardly, each wanting to say more but unsure how to exactly say it.

"Did you want your hoodie back?" Star asked curiously, hoping the vampire would say no. it was just so warm and Star had forgotten how amazing it felt in all these long months away from home.

"No, you better keep it until we leave. Which should be about now actually."

"Why are you here?"

"Some stupid hunting class. The idiots think it teaches them to track humans when it really is to keep us busy while the school sneak food for the week" Marco rolled his eyes

"So they were crazy because they were hunting."

Marco gave Star a cute smile, something Star couldn't help but return.

"No they're always crazy. But this is the first time we ran into a human"

There was a loud, deep growling noise that seemed to inch in from every corner of the cabin, chilling Star to the bone.

"That would be roll call. Just stay in here and you wait for us to leave"

"Star"

Marco stared at her, unsure what she was saying.

"Star" her cheeks were tinted pink as she shyly glanced towards the floor, staring up at Marco only for a moment before looking away once more "That's my name. Star Butterfly."

"It was pleasure to meet you Star...take care of yourself"

Star reached for Marco as he turned away her, walking out of the cabin and subsequently her life.

Star didn't know why she didn't want him to go, why she was craving his attention. Maybe it was all these lonely nights, hiding in deserted places to avoid people. Maybe it was the fact he tried to protect. Maybe because he was so damn cute...

Star shook her head, ready to sneak out the window when she heard angry growls of some sort of monstrous creature

"Where is the other student?" a rather gruff but still kind of friendly voice shouted from a few feet away.

"Umm...well..." Star snuck closer, Marco's worried and panicked voice lulling her closer "You see..."

"Mr. Diaz, if I lose one student on this trip, it'll be my head on a platter. But I'll make sure you burn nicely with a relaxing day in the sun before that"

"NO!" Marco voice cried in complete panic, his composer completely lost as Oskar snickered loudly at his misfortune "ANYTHING BUT THAT!"

"Where is the other student Mr. Diaz?"

Star opened the cabin door a peek, the image of a grayish troll with flaming red hair towering of Marco who fearfully cowered in her shadow, clearly paralyzed with anxiety but still refusing to give up Star.

"Fine Mr. Diaz, I guess we're going to have a nice BBQ, vampire on a stake..."

"Here I am!" Star called out cheerfully, kicking open the door and waving excitedly towards the group "Sorry I was just looking at this really cool cabin"

Miss Skullnick looked at her carefully, showing no sign she was buying the lie. Star tried her hardest not to freak out as the other monsters started quizzically at her: There was a mummy, another pair of werewolves, a normal looking girl in a beanie was clearly a witch given how she was magically lifting some keys from Marco's pocket.

Miss Skullnick shrugged before whistling loudly "Everyone on the bus!"

Star opened her mouth to ask what bus when it appeared in a flash lightning.

It was a dark, deep purple with real life spider webs covering every inch of it, cute little spiders with two cute, wide eyes crawling all around as the skeleton with a bus driver hat opened the door and clattered for them to hurry up.

Star got into line quickly, practically holding onto Marco as they made their way inside the bus

"What are you doing?" Marco whispered, smiling nervously when Skullnick turned in his direction.

"I- I couldn't let you get hurt. Well die. Do vampires die in the sun?"

"Well" Marco thought for a moment with the cutest thinking face Star had ever seen "I guess eventually but it would've really, really hurt if we stay out for even a moment. Still Star, do you realize what your doing?"

Star took the window seat in the far back, away from the rowdy monster teens that began cracking jokes as Marco piled in after her, the whole atmosphere changing from horror movie to typical school bus ride.

"Umm going to a monster school disguised as a monster until we can figure out a way to get me out safely?"

"Well...yeah actually...Star this is really dangerous"

Star smiled brightly his way, causing his heart to drop all the way down to his feet "You saved me so it was only fair I returned the favor. Besides, you'll keep me safe, right Marco?"

"I-I'll try" Marco replied, unsure how to feel about the beautiful girl who risked her human neck for him

"What do you mean you'll try? You're a vampire. Don't you like have super human strength and flight and mind control and the ability to turn into animals and mist and weather changing stuff like that."

Star felt embarrassed when she said that outloud, having heard how ridiculous that all sounded out of her mouth.

But Marco nodded as slithering shadows began to fog the outside world

"Well...technically..."

"What do you mean technically?"

"A vampire's power is directly connected to how much blood we drink. More blood, more power"

"Why is that? Is it because the human genes have some sort of hidden strain of D.N.A that we don't know about? Or are vampires physiology able to draw nutrients straight from the red blood cells and the air within? Or maybe..."

Marco put his hand over her mouth, trying to ignore how id she looked or how soft her lips were "I don't know and I don't care. All I know is I need blood to live."

Star pulled away from Marco's hand, glaring at him while responding "So I take it that means you don't really drink blood"

Marco shook his head "Just enough to make it to the next meal"

"Why? I mean don't you love all that supernatural stuff you get to do?"

Marco shrugged, not showing any excitement for his vampire powers "Blood just reminds me too much of when I was human...:

"Oh..." Star murmured softly "Y-you were human?"

"Once upon a lifetime, yes"

"I..."

"I was walking home, late one night and...well let's say I couldn't go home. Still can't"

"I'm sorry..."

Marco shrugged "I got used to it. Well welcome to Vlad Tepes high school"

Star's eyes widen at the parting shadows giving way to the sight of the impossibly huge castle, composed of polish black marble and decorated with hanging skulls. A large sign with blood red ink against an inky backdrop that said the words "Go Impalers, crush the Frankenstein!"

"This is just like high school" Star muttered in awe.

"It is almost the same as a human high school. Though we got dorms here so..."

Marco couldn't finish his sentence when the bus crawled to a stop, Star pushing passed him in excitement as she began eagerly looking at with wonder and amazement.

Marco caught up to her quickly, glancing around to see if anyone noticed the new girl's strange behavior.

"Weren't you scared of monsters?" Marco asked, unsure how to stop Star from twirling in a circle in pure joy.

"I am still but this is amazing! I can't believe this exists" Star leaned in, just inches from Marco's face causing his heart to start tap dancing against his chest "Besides, maybe I was wrong. Maybe they're just like you Marco"

"...well I guess..."

"Besides" She said with a brightest smile, one that gave Marco chills and a syrupy feeling in his chest "You'll protect me right Marco?"

He nodded shyly, still stunned by Star's smile as she shouted "What's that!?" before running through the blood rusted gates of the school, none of the other students even giving her a second glance.

Marco took a deep breath before letting it out in a long, drawn out sigh before muttering to himself.

"I'm in trouble..."


	42. Who wore it better? (Starcoween)

hello fanfiction! author here, hope you are all good. many many many thank yous for every single favorite, follow and review. they mean the world to me and you readers do too!

a special thanks to H mae- i have decided there will be more for this but probably not a part of starcoween since that doesnt give me a lot of time but there will be more chapters because i keep making oneshots that could easily be stories on accident.

SVTFOEfanatic- haha im glad that made your day. i had to put that disclaimer because i didnt want someone to ask me for a twilight Au. i love you readers and ill write mostly anything for you but im using my author's right to veto that story its just bad. and very scary in alot ways. im glad you liked chapter and the disregard of stereotypes. hopefully you enjoy the future chapters too! "There are many people that have my name but there is only one me. I like being me and nobody can be me but me."

Finnjr- im glad you enjoyed it!

ultergamerkitty- yes! better than twlight! maybe i should write a book, get it published. haha

lost- yes you are awesome.

Jven3- thank you a million times for your kind words. they mean the world to me and i am so glad you enjoy these stories. dont worry about the reviews. i understand completely and sometimes we just forget. like me. seriously got to review some awesome works ill be mentioning later. and you keep being amazing. i wouldn't be much a writer with all you amazing readers. well good news, due to popular demand, i have decided to keep it going. not sure how many chapters but itll be on this and not its own story because ive got too many of those planned. thank you once again!

Rayfe- haha yes there's always a star and Marco as you discovered from my other story. okay doki so you want star writing fanfictions about her and Marco because she's scared to admit her feelings for him. does this sound correct for your starco order? and thank you for rereading! and in regards to your other review for if i miss you, since i cant answer it there, im happy you enjoyed it and helped you find one of your favorite stories. it was a great honor to work all those wonderful writers for the ending and it meant alot to me. congrats on catching all the hints and to answer your question, the voice at the ending of the story was Nox's popular opposite, the one that guided Roland and Astrid, ensuring the light always has champions (Star and Marco) whenever Nox should rise once more.

grim- oh oh i know that one! i know that one! Umm Rosario vampire or something like that right? i wont lie, i was thinking more vampire's assistant than that anime. i was actually going to mention Mr. Crepsley as a teacher at the school but it slipped my mind

Mariposafalls11 (formerly anotherwhovian11): first all, no idea you could change your screen name. pretty awesome. second im very happy you enjoyed it. thirdly of course i would respond! if you took the time to read my stories and leave me a review, the very least i could do is answer you wonderful readers back. and we can have lots of fandoms we enjoy. I love doctor who, huge fan (with a doctor Au planned down the line) but i am also a huge star vs, gravity falls, star wars, marvel, dc, teen titans, sailor moon, card captor, soul eater, various more animes and cartoons, video game fan too. we all have different fandoms we enjoy! so let's go out there and enjoy them my fellow whovian! 10th doctor! sorry but i love me some david tennant though matt smith does a great job and has the lovely amy pond (Whom i totally dont have a crush on. I dont! Stop looking at me like that)

IDC1314: (clears throats) here is mooooooooore but be warn it is scary like a movieeeeeeee. you are very welcome sara thank you for your review let's keep starcoween going.

thewookie- you say evee, i think of the pokemon with the most unstable genetic D.n.A ever. I am still waiting for that pokemon to become a flying, dragon and ghost type. haha me too me too and remember if the auto stake doesn't do for you, then you can't aim.

flowersforfanfictions-thank you so much for your review and Starcoween must be a thing now! quickly, let's run it by Star! and of course, you do amazing work and i hope you keep it up! i look forward to it :)

watermalone- it shall be done because you fans demand it and i write for your readers! im glad they fit so well together and let me go get the jar to reform you in the freezer buddy.

sughman- now i have a tough choice! thanks sughman, as your punishment here have a story. it's very spooky.

xboxrica- well here's another story to keep you from going mad

thee shipper of ships- yes i do plan on keeping this going. still working on chapter lengths and plot so it miiiiight be awhile.

taromaru- that sounds fun and very interesting. i like it! i will consider doing a monster arm oneshot.

cartoongurl- i gave Marco the 5 string variant but admittedly im not sure if that is better than a six string since i am a sax player not guitar. but we all make mistakes.

and last but certainly not least, my guest reviewers

guest- yep, due to popular demand the story will go on! and my other guest review. i just rampaged for 20 minutes so...i hope you're happy. twilight *grumble grumble* no not doing a twilight au. never ever ever. Marco would kick those vampires asses. he was bitten by a powerful vampire! and he's got star! and thanks for your review :D

here we go on Starco corner. h mae doesnt have starco up but she is doing drawtober and has some fantastic art up including gravity falls, a zombie and a haunted house. she's over at hains-mae at tumblr. h mae's sister over at cherlosity on tumblr has cool reposts and a oddly attractive demon up for drawtober. so yeah thats a thing. sara over at idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has a host of new, awesome drawings such as the various hugs from star vs, vampire marco and withcy star, fancy dressed star, jackie and janna among much more. fandom harbor on instagram doesn't have any starco but a really cute over the garden wall sketch. on the FF side of starco corner, we have a lot of amazing awesome stories. From princess and the safe kid from PFtones, of magical wands and safety helmets from irritus185 that i wish i read sooner, nothing comes easy from axis, i'm from another dimension from thebreakman which is a very interesting premise, an excellent awesome chapter from fanfictionfordayz you're my wish come true! the sweet conclusion of something new from watermalone, the ending of butterfly forever from exotos135 which is a little more adult than usual but still pretty good.

I myself would just like to announce that i have finally finished if i miss you. it was long hard work but thanks from support of you readers, i did it and i am so proud of the story and thankful for all of you.

Now warning, this starcoween is a bit on the thriller, horror side since that is the other half of halloween. so Marco has become more like Star, an attitude change that Star approves of but when Star realizes how much she misses the old Marco, Star must determined what changed marco before it completely destroys their friendship

there is also a special author's note at the end of the story

so a quick list up date. the next two AU's will be a new one called I almost got him (i'll explain that later) and I said i dont dance, not can't. after those two will be Five nights at freedys for starcoween then steampunk or steampunk and then starcoween depending on the time i have. so i hope you enjoy this chapter. i meant to have it out sooner but stuff kept coming up. remember this is :( horror so a heads up. thank you so much for all your support! keep being amazing readers i own nothing!

* * *

The young magical princess's eyes fluttered open slowly, the sunlight letting her know it was now morning and she best get a move on if she was going to get to school on time.

She let out a disappointed sigh, feeling it was a waste of a perfectly good day to go to the educational prison system but she knew her mother would be livid if she discovered Star had been purposely missing school, regardless how little impacted it would have on her reign as queen.

It didn't help that her best friend absolutely refused to even consider ditching school, the idea of missing one of his moments with Jackie far too horrifying to even allow.

Star rubbed her eyes tiredly, stretching and letting out a little sigh of comfort when she noticed the time.

She frowned worriedly, unsure if the time she was reading was indeed correct. It couldn't be because if it was currently 8:30 in the morning, that meant she was missing first period.

"Oh no, I slept in!" Star panicked, leaping out of bed in a frenzy panic.

"No, you didn't Star" Marco's calm voice called from the doorway.

Star turned to see her best friend, still dressed for sleep, standing against the door frame, arms crossed with a smug, sly grin on his face.

"Oh...is it Saturday?" Star questioned innocently, recalling how during her first week on Earth, she had raced into Marco's room and dragged the boy halfway down the stairs before he was able to manage to explain that there was no school on weekends (followed by an explaination of what was a weekend)

Marco shook his head "No"

"Umm...did we get today off?" Star asked carefully, trying to piece together to what was going on today. Especially with Marco. He never just bragged into her room, his posture was hardly so relaxed around Star and Star was certain she never saw him smile like that to her before.

"Noooope. I turned off your alarm" Marco admitted, a confidant smile dancing on his face.

Star's eyes bulged out of her head at Marco's confession, certain he was just getting back at her for one of her many, many pranks she often played on him. There is no way Marco would willingly not go to school, no way he would sneak into her room without permission, no way he would even think of missing a day that could be used to talk to Jackie.

"Marco, why would you do that?" Star questioned, looking at her best friend like he had gone mad.

Marco shrugged nonchalantly as he calmly made his way over to the magical princess

"I figured we could do something fun today."

"Fun? Marco what about you're grades? Or talking to Jackie? Won't you ruin your perfect attendance record?"

Marco scoffed, waving off Star's questions with a flick of his wrist "That sounds booooring. Come on Star, we got a whole universe to see! Why waste it on something that'll be there Monday?"

"Marco..." Star began but was stopped mid sentence when Marco strode up to her, a charming and relaxed glint in his eyes as he leaned in closer, a playful smile on his lips and an aura of self assured confidence radiating off him and throwing her off in very confusing ways.

"Come on Star" he whispered softly, far more tender than Star ever knew he could be "You don't want to hang out with me?"

"M-Marco" Star stammered, completely flustered by his gentle actions "I-it's not like that at all! It's just this is not like you. I-I'm not complaining, I'm just surprised is all."

"Well I decided that you were right Star!" He said with no hint of malice or ill intent.

"Yay!" Star cheered before realizing she had no idea what he was talking about "Wait, what was I right about?"

"I was too uptight" Marco admitted, shyly scratching his cheek "That I took everything too seriously. I should just have fun, not worry! Like you Star"

Star felt touched. After Marco was captured by that lawyer lizard thing, Star was overwhelmed by guilt, not only because she directly endangered her best friend's life but she was so obsessed over a sandwich that she questioned their incredible friendship, even in that brief moment.

Marco may have been wound up a little too tightly and sometimes liked to kill Star's fun with safety first and that can't be legal talks and of course, his inability to understand that it was perfectly fine to ride a hellborn if you feed it enough water but he always meant will and even when he didn't agree, he would be nearby ready to help Star whenever he could.

Star was immensely relieved that Marco wasn't holding a grudge against her. The idea of Marco no longer talking or even hanging out with her brought a very sickening feeling to the bowls of her stomach.

"So what do you say Star? Go adventuring with me?"

Star nodded happily, the goofy grin on his face and twinkling of his eyes far too cute for her deny such a request.

"Awesome, let's get changed and go dimension hopping!"

 _In the icy Arctic plains dimension._

"Whoa Marco! I didn't know you could snow board!" Star shouted after her friend, trailing after her best friend as best she could, the snow powder his speed kicked up blinding her once in a while while his pace increased every passing moment.

"I don't!" Marco replied, letting out an excited cheer as the sloops became steeper and their makeshift boards harder to control.

Star giggled while Marco zigzagging back and forth, wildly flailing whenever his balance became threatened by the sudden shift in weight he was putting on the board.

Star wasn't sure how to feel about Marco's new attitude but the fact his face was now calm, relaxed, permanently etched into a smile rather than a worrisome gaze or nervous frown that often graced the Latino's face. This had to be good for him. All that stress he was carrying around was for old people, not young awesome people like them!

"Hey Marco" Star called to her best friend, unsure she was even being heard over his elated cries of joy and adrenaline "Marco!"

"Geez, I heard you the first time Star, what is it?"

Star frowned, not used to being treated so rudely by her best friend. Normally he was infinitely more patient and as much as Star wanted to point this out, she decided she didn't want to be _that_ person and ruin their fun.

"Marco, we should slow down! I think there's a really, really steep slope coming up, like cliff steep!'

"Oooh!" Marco eyes lit up the way Star's did whenever she discovered something new on Earth "That sounds like a fun!"

Star barely could get the "Wha...?" out when Marco put all his weight forward, the shift in weight boosting his momentum down the icy incline, sending him rocketing forward with surprising speed.

"Hey Marco, wait up! MARCO!" Star shouted after him, aiming her wand backwards and letting loose a rainbow trail, the frosty wind slapping her and numbing her face as her eyes narrowed to try to spot Marco.

"Marco! MARCO SLOW DOWN!" Star called out to him, barely managing to match his speed as the two raced ever closer to a definitely too steep hill.

"No way! This is going to be fun!" Marco shouted, a wild and kinda manic look his eyes as he focused on the path ahead.

"Marco I don't..."

"Star, don't be a killjoy"

Star could feel surprise force her brain to screech to a halt, unable to believe killjoy and Star Butterfly were used in the same sentence without the word is not in between.

"I am not a killjoy Marco!" Star angrily refuted, stomping her foot on her body and began clawing at the air desperately when the board decided it didn't like the abuse it was taking from Star and began wobbling uncontrollably.

She braced to leap from her board, aiming for the nearest pile of snow once the board gave way but no such thing happened.

Instead a warm hand wrapped itself around Star's, the sleek cold metal of something sliding against her skin while the hand helped Star steadied herself.

Star turned to see Marco smiling in her direction, hands intertwined.

She smiled softly in his direction before the glint of the sun reflecting off a ruby caught her attention.

"Marco, where did you get that ring?"

Star was certain she had never seen it before. It was a polished sliver and it was easy to discern it was of high quality craftsmanship. It had these elegant and rather beautiful flora designs engraved upon it with a blood red ruby sitting comfortably in the center.

"Oh this thing?" Marco's tone made it sound like it was nothing special but even Star could feel some importance in the tiny trinket "I got forever ago, before you arrived. I thought I lost it actually but I managed to find it when I cleaned out my room the other day."

"Oh" Star was unsure what to say. It seemed a reasonable story and Marco would never lie to her but something felt off about his tale. Before Star could figure what it could be, the suddenly lack of solid ground jolted her out of her train of thoughts, derailing one thought to quickly replace it with another.

The duo fell off the slope, lazily sailing mid-air as the hill morphed into a cliff within seconds of their flight, the drop too comically and unrealistically steep to actually be real. But the rushing of the wind and flock of fish owls that soar the air told the teens that this was reality and this was probably going to hurt.

Before Star could comment on how crazy and wild this was, Marco leapt off the board, diving forward, his hand pulling Star forward alongside him.

Marco let out an excited cheer, Star joining him despite the fact the snow covered ground quickly approached them, the icy and chilling rush of the passing wind causing Star to shiver uncomfortably while Marco appeared unaffected.

Star let out a little "eep" as her body became encased in a cold, powdery prison, sinking several feet downward into the massive snow pile.

Star tried to pull herself from her suspended state but whenever she grabbed the ledge of the hole she created, snow would crumble under her grasp and shower her, chilling her even further as the snow beneath would cause her to sink every time she put too much weight on it.

She tried to call out for Marco but her frigid body seemed incapable of even basic grunts and groans. Besides, she was a magical princess, if she was having this much trouble, imagine how her human best friend was...

"I got you Star!" Marco's voice called from above, his warm hand gripping her arctic one and lifting her out of her icy tome easily.

"You okay Star? Had me worried for a bit" Marco asked, eyes full of concern and worry, slipping back into more familiar territory.

Star numbly nodded, trying to warm herself up before a thought chilled her far worse than the winter wonderland could ever hoped to accomplish "Wait, where's my wand?!"

Star glanced downward to the Star shaped hole, the purple wand nowhere in sight,

"It's over here Star!" Marco called a little ways away by the base of the cliff.

Star let out a sigh of relief, turning to see her best friend showing approaching her with the magical item in hand.

And that relief shifted uncomfortably to worry when something changed in Marco's eyes, a power hungry gaze burning brightly towards the wand.

"Marco?"

"Here you go Star!"

Star nearly dropped the wand when it suddenly fell into her hands, Marco's face warm and kind once more.

"Umm...thanks Marco."

"Come on Star, let's find another hill!"

"You want to do that dangerous, terrifying jump all of again without a second thought or care for our safety?"

"yeah!"

Star wrapped her arms around him, enjoying how stiff and nervous he felt under her embrace

"I love this new Marco!"

And her love of Marco's change in personality grew over the weekend. He became as reckless as Star, never denying even the most ridiculous request whether it was stealing treasure from pirate bunnies to participating in annual running of the steam bulls. He was open to any and all foods, even willing to try a pepper so hot, it would've melted a large hole into his stomach. Star was pretty sure she could fix up her best friend but juuuuuuust in case, Star decided to stop Marco's eagerness there.

As night fell and Star laid her bed, warm and cozy, she couldn't wait to go to school and see how everyone loved the new, improved Marco.

 _Monday morning_

"Star, Star?" Marco shouted, trying to get her attention but his cries fell on deaf ears, Star's excitement to get to school overwhelmed her ability to listen.

"We're here!" Star cheered, letting go of Marco's hand, sending him sprawling forward towards the school entrance "Come on Marco I can't wait to..."

Star turned only to find empty air where Marco stood, catching sight of his back as he made his way down the school halls.

"Oh, I guess he's really wanting to show off his new personality to Jackie" Star concluded "Ooooh and maybe he'll get a date!"

Star began skipping merrily, humming at the top of her lungs before she found herself smacking into the still closed door.

"What the..." Star pressed her hand against the clear glass, trying to figure how to restart the magic that was used to make it open.

"Door? Door open! Hey!" Star pounded violently against it "I know you're being lazy dark wizard! I need to get within this educational prison! If you don't open it up, I will narwhal blast my way through!"

Star pulled her wand out, aiming carefully at point blank range, the wand whining as it began to charge its magic to fulfill Star's will.

"Star? What are you doing?" a voice called from behind

Star turned around to see the confused faces of Ferguson and Alfonso.

"I'm trying to get this magical door to open for me! But" Star threw it a dirty glare "It seems to not understand how to work anymore."

"Star, there's doors don't open on their own" Ferguson told her

Star laughed loudly, snorting a bit at Ferguson's words "Yeah, sure Ferguson. I know I'm new to Earth but I've been here loooong enough to know how doors work! These doors" Star motioned behind her "Always open themselves for me. Because it's magic recognizing magic!"

"Actually Marco always opened the door for you."

"Huh?" Star shot them a confused look "Wait, what do you..."

"Marco always opened the door for you" Ferguson repeated "You were so busy talking about Oskar, or puppies or how you were going to eat the universe's most delicious sandwich that Marco was afraid you hit yourself on the door. So he always held it open for you."

"Oh..." Star muttered softly, unsure how to take this new information "I see...so...I.."

"You pull the handle"

"This thing?"

"That's the frame."

"This?"

"That's pushing the handle."

"So like this."

"Here" Alfonso cut in, gripping the door handle and pulling it open "Like that.

"Thanks" Star smiled, hugging the two before continuing on her happy way.

 _1st period_

"Yeeeees?" Marco questioned, unsure why Star was staring at him intently

"Y-you didn't wait for me? You always wait for me!"

Marco shrugged, pulling out a singe sheet of paper instead of his color coded folder that was created specifically for Miss Skullnick's class.

"You don't need me to hold your hand Star" Marco muttered matter of fact, folding the paper into air plane shape "In fact you don't want me to, remember the sandwich?"

Guilt tugged at Star's heart strings, remembering the source of one of their most tense fights.

"I was cramping you with all my safety talk and everything, I get it. And I'm sorry for that. So I won't get in your way anymore!"

Star opened and closed her mouth, Marco's smile sending her mix messages about how to react to this.

"Besides, if you ever need me, you know where to find me Star!"

"B-but" Star murmured, the idea of Marco doing things without her filling her with a sense of loneliness she never felt before.

The bell rang before Star could question Marco any further and she could feel a heavy weight bearing down on her, threatening to crush her as she made her way to her seat.

"He's right, I don't need him to baby me" Star whispered to herself

 _Lunch Time_

Star looked downward, the empty space in front of her where her food would normally be and the empty space to the side of her where Marco usually sat.

Marco, who apparently was the reason why she always had food in front of her and not the little dwarf she thought that delivered it to her.

Marco, who was currently surrounded by a crowd of people, flirting effortlessly with not only Jackie but also Janna, Sabrina and even an upperclassman named Sam. And despite the fact he was so shamelessly flirting with all girls at once, they were just loving his new confident attitude so much they didn't care.

He didn't glance Star's way once, too focused on delivering cooler than ice one liners and winking at the girls, nearly sending them into a catatonic state.

Star huffed in jealously though that quickly turned into a frown. At first, new reckless Marco was blast! Something Star thought she liked more than regular Marco. But now, the thrill of the adventuring had worn off and Star realized she might've taken Marco for granted. She was so caught up in her own little world, she never realized how much Marco did for her. That it was his kind, caring nature that made Marco well Marco. He might've been overly cautious and safe but that's because he was only looking out for her, willing to fight his best friend on something too dangerous only to keep her safe, even if that meant angering her.

Star let out a disappointed sigh. She really messed up and she really needed to tell Marco to go back to how he was. She didn't realize how much she missed it and it's only been a few days. Surely...

"Hey, watch it Diaz!" a guff, meaning rang through the cafeteria

Star's eyes widened when she spotted Marco and Lars facing one another down.

The bloody intent was to be expected coming from Lars but Star felt herself frightened at the murderous look in Marco's eyes, a deranged, almost psychotic glare that scared her more than his clown attempt at cheering her up.

"Apologize Diaz or else..." Lars threatened, cracking his knuckles before towering over Marco's diminutive frame.

"Or else." Marco said with a cocky grin.

"Or else I'm going to..."

"No idiot" Marco spat out, rising his fist backwards "I'm telling you I pick or else"

Lars was confused, not at all enjoying Marco not following the script he was used to "no one ever picks or else because..."

Marco's fist collided with Lars face, the sound of bone cracking underneath the assault

Lars whimpered in pain, clutching his jaw pathetically as Marco took a step forward "Or else means I'll kick your ass. Now leave before I show you what I can really do"

Lars burst into tears, running away in terror as the room stayed in a shocked silence. Marco the safe kid just beat up Lars.

And they cheered! Lars finally learning a lesson about picking on others and Marco Diaz of all people was the one that taught it to him.

The crowd began cheering his name, calling out to him as Marco made his way into the hall.

Star chased after him, completely shocked by his unMarco behavior. Her best friend would never do that to anyone, even Lars! This new Marco had to go.

"Marco!" Star cried after him, skidding to a halt when he turned around, a hint of annoyance in his gaze.

"What? Gonna tell me off for beating up Lars, mom?"

Star flinched at how cutting his tone was "Marco, don't you think that was a little much?"

Marco shrugged, not caring at the amount of pain he caused to Lars "he deserved it. He torments everyone so I just taught him lesson about picking his fights carefully. Besides, it was the right thing to do. You would've narwhal blast him if you picked on you or me"

Star frowned. She wouldn't do that...would she? Granted her first reaction to danger was usually to blast it in the face but Lars wasn't a threat. Annoying but no threat.

"Look, I got a new attitude and people love it. Even you Star" Marco smiled smugly "It's about time I got the respect I deserve"

"Marco..." Star muttered softly as he began walking away "Hey, Marco where are you going? We still have two more classes!"

Marco scoffed "You have two more classes, me? I got to go home and nap. Later Star!"

He waved to her, far too condescending to be considered friendly, the ruby on his ring glinting in the sunlight as Marco pushed open the doors.

Star glared, unsure what was going on

"What is wrong with him?" she murmured angrily "Seriously, where did this come from? What in the world is possessing him..."

The ring flashed through her mind, the only new thing that entered Marco's life about the time he began changing his personality.

"The ring!" Star cried "The ring is possessing Marco! I got to destroy that ring and get back my Marco!"

Star flushed at her words, looking around to see if anyone heard her outburst.

The empty hallways answered her question for her.

"get back Marco..." she said softly, whistling and walking away towards her next class.

 _Later that night._

Star stared at the ceiling, a million emotions surging through her body as she tried to will herself to get up and perform her mission.

But she was scared. This new Marco was so much more reckless, unrestrained. She didn't knew if she could handle whatever mean things he would say about her. It was clear from earlier he was holding back his real taunts and she was afraid not that they would be lies but truths. That she didn't appreciate him and his friendship, that she was too reckless and dangerous.

She took a deep breath, throwing off the covers as she slipped out of bed, letting the cold floor force her body awake.

Star quietly but urgently made her way to Marco's room, silently turning the knob as not to alert sleeping boy within.

She stood at the doorway, wand clutched tightly as she made her way over to Marco's bed, careful not to wake him in case her worst fears were confirmed

Star cursed quietly at Marco's covered body, holding her breath as she carefully peeled away the covers, the ruby red ring somehow glowing in the darkness.

Star glared openly at the ring, wrapping her hand around Marco's warm ones, trying not to blush at the contact of her sleeping friend as she slipped the ring off.

Star let out a little "Yes!" before examining the ring carefully, finding nothing special about this trinket.

"Ludo probably gave it to him" Star theorized, rubbing her chin thoughtfully as she turned the ring this way and that in effort to discover how it was affecting Marco "All for his stupid castle, it isn't my fault it blew up."

Star couldn't find anything on the ring so that just left one option.

She took a deep breath, sliding the cold metal of the ring onto her finger, prepared to try her hardest to fight off whatever evil magic lay within. If she knew what kind of magic it was, she could find the spell to counter and free Marco from being enthralled in its magical grasp.

Star waited, and waited, and waited but the ring seemed to just sit on her finger, just being a ring and not at all evil.

"What's with this thing?" Star said, shaking the ring violently before peering closer at it with one eye closed.

"That thing" a smooth, airy, deep and oddly familiar voice called from behind her "Is not the reason behind Marco's change in attitude. It was a red herring"

Star turned around to see Marco standing just behind her, body hunched over but prepared to attack.

"M-Marco?" Star asked fearfully

Marco's deep chuckle did not belong to the young boy "I'm afraid not princess but you have to admit I had you fool didn't I?"

"Where's Marco!?" Star shouted, rising her wand to defend herself.

The boy's smile was unsettling, creepy and insane as he muttered in his normal voice "It's me Star!"

Star could feel her stomach churn at the perfect impersonate of her friend.

"I won't ask again! Where is Marco?"

The boy chuckled in his airy, deep tone once more "Right here' He touched his chest with his hand "Except Marco's not wearing me, I'm wearing Marco"

"I..."

"You don't recognize me princess? After all this time?" Marco's teeth looked jagged and sharp in the darkness, his light brown eyes faded and dull "I told you both you could never get rid of me."

the boy took a step forward, an evil and crazed look his eyes "You can treat the symptoms but you can never get rid of the virus"

"V..ir..us?" Star mouthed, unsure what he meant until a long buried memory resurfaced, a foe she once thought gone returned.

"Monster Arm!" She shouted, fear gripping her body tightly.

"I told you I'd be back" he muttered, the voice now having a face "I told you I would return"

"B-but how?"

"The sandwich of course"

Star looked confused "Wait...what sandwich?"

Monster Arm peered knowingly in her direction, a teasing smirk on his lips that had none of Marco's playfulness "The sandwich you tried to get him to eat"

'But how does..."

"It's a magical sandwich princess" Monster Arm stated like it was the most obvious thing "It's meant to feed magical beings. Like you...like me..."

Monster Marco inched closer forcing Star to back away, unsure if she could strike down this beast if Marco was still trapped within.

"He felt soooo guilty about the sandwich that he borrowed your scissors when you were napping and popped in to a certain universe for a bite"

"No..." Star whispered, guilt returning full force

"and when he took that bite, I awoke deep within in the recesses of his mind. At first, all I could do was whisper thoughts into his head, watching him squirm and flinch at terrible thoughts he believed to be his own and I realized, the more I was awake, the stronger I became. I began experiment, taking Marco for night time walks, his unconscious mind unable to form any sort of defense against my control. And each passing second my control grew and grew until...he didn't wake up in his body."

"Marco!" Star cried, begging he was still alright, still alive

"He's still alive princess, helpless and trapped within his own mind" Monster arm taunted "He's been trying so hard to warn you but you were too busy enjoying...what did you call me? Oh yes" his grin was unsettling as Marco's voice taunted her "The new and improved Marco!"

Star could feel the shame beginning to eat her, unable to believe she hadn't noticed how much Marco needed her.

"I will free Marco!" Star shouted "I will!"

Monster arm laughed "Just let us be Star. We have a great thing going. Everyone wins! You get a new best friend who won't stand in your way. A new best friend who will do alllll the fun things you want to do with none of the nagging. I get to be free, a new body, a new chance at...well I haven't quite decided. And Marco?" Monster Arm's chuckle made Star feel like knives were being stabbed directly into her heart "He gets to be a good little boy. What do you say Star?"

Star couldn't speak, the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm and drown her. How could she be so stupid? How could she let Marco suffer like that? How did she...

"S-Star"

Star's eyes widen in shock, color returning to his light brown eyes, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his face going from smug to pleading

"S-Star..H...help me..." Marco whispered before his eyes faded once more, Monster Arm returning once more.

"Hmm, has more fight in him than I thought. No matter. So, Star do we have a deal?"

Star glared in his direction "Returnio Armius Normalrino!"

the spell hit Monster Arm directly in the chest, causing him to glow brightly and Star to cheer before the spell bounced off and smashed into her lamppost, turning it into a hand holding a bulb.

"That won't work twice princess" Monster Arm teased "I am not a hand anymore. I AM MARCO! And I have my answer"

Star looked on fearfully as Monster Arm began making strides towards her, a killing intent clear in Marco's eyes.

"Narwhal blast!" Star screamed but Monster Arm simply slapped the aquatic mammal away, hardly wasting any of its time.

"Crystal dagger heart attack!" Star shouted in panic, but Monster Arm was not slowed in the least

"Glowworm Blast!"

"Cupcake blast!"

"Laser point beam!"

No matter what Star threw at Monster Arm, he shrugged off the attacks as if they did not exist.

And when she was cornered, trapped in the small space of Marco's bedroom, Monster Arm in Marco's body towering over her form, she couldn't help but shed a tear when her foe mutter quietly "End of the line princess."

She raised up her wand to defend herself only for Monster Arm to pluck it away from her, tossing it into the darkened room as his hand began to close in on her face.

"No" Star cried "NO NO NO!"

Star woke up, sweating down her forehead, panting wildly as the soft pitter patter of the rain gave sound to the empty room.

"It was just a nightmare" Star told herself, calming her racing heart as she slipped out of bed, letting the cold floor force her body awake.

Star quietly but urgently made her way to Marco's room, silently turning the knob as not to alert sleeping boy within.

She stood at the doorway, wand clutched tightly as she made her way over to Marco's bed, careful not to wake him in case her worst fears were confirmed

Star cursed quietly at Marco's covered body, holding her breath as she carefully peeled away the covers.

And letting out a sigh of relief, no trace of the ruby ring on his ring, not even a tan line showing it once ever touched his hand.

"It was just a nightmare" she let out a sigh of relief , turning away from her best friend, utterly at ease "just a really, really bad..."

Star's words stopped in her throat when her eyes fell upon the triple decker sandwich laying Marco's desk, sparks and flares of magic shimmering off what remained of the half eaten sandwich

Star felt her blood turn cold as she heard Marco's voice whisper just behind her, groggy but suspicious "Don't worry Star. The nightmare is over. It's all over now."

* * *

A special thanks to Taromaru who inspired this. i would've thanked you at the beginning but i wanted to keep it a surprise so im sorry for that. and thank you so much for that idea. i know this isn't what you expected but i felt it fit perfectly for the horror aspect of starcoween. when i open requests, i can write another one shot for you about monster arm if you wish. thank you once again for inspiring me to do this!


	43. Nighty Night Sleepy Star (Canon AU)

Hello fanfiction, author here, hope you all doing great. thank you for every single review, favorite, and follow. they mean the world to me and make me so happy!

a very special thanks to h mae- i did warn you it was scary though i didnt realize how scary until i reread it. haha my bad sorry.

finn- thank you so much. have a cute story.

ultergamerkitty- i dont think i can handle this being canon. Poor Star. and like all true horror movies, i will never reveal what happened.

thegreatjman- i couldn't have typed it better. thank you for your review by the way.

IDC1314- im glad you liked its intensity sara and starcoween isn't over yet but i will level with you i am not going to reveal what happened. so please no exploding, here have a cute mini story! :D

grim- The scott pilgrim AU will be its own story im working on it now especially since if i miss you has officially ended (Shameless plug here) as for the kids i didnt think about working with them again but admittedly, it is pretty tempting. who knows maybe i will in the future.

wookie- perhaps but emotionally and mentally scarring star is a different story especially monster arm knows Marco's secrets *coughs he loves her cough cough*

watermalone- sadly this ending shall never be revealed. like a true horror movie. and i really owe it to Taromaru who inspired me for a monster arm oneshot.

QRUISTOLOGIN- wow...that is...a pretty awesome trick! you gotta check me to do that.

and last but certainly not least, my guest reviewer

guest- im glad you enjoyed it. well you use your email if you signed up already. if you haven't you give them an email and choose a user name

quickly on starco corner, Sara over on idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has some awesome new pics up including an songfic i had planned. seriously where are you getting your ways into my vault! anyway check her awesome work and adorable star costume. Spatziline at tumblr has cool pictures up, including a jealous marco mad at Janstar *Which admittedly is cuter than i though* and marco dressed up in different outfits. here on Ff we have some more amazing writers and more reviews i really should get to doing. seriously i am so sorry i will do them tomorrow as it is late for me today. We have of magical wands and safety helmets by irritus185, a season of star vs by Kieran wespell, I'm from another dimension bythebreakman, a lovely and totally halloween short from flowersforfanfics's story the star and the sun*Seriously check that one out. such starco!* the princess and the safe kid from PFtones3482 and i just missed it when i updated but a very cute Diaz family road trip by unluckywrites.

okay so this was completely a last minute thing. I was writing starco academy, got to a part, got stuck, wrote my way out of it and realized i loved the song i used there so much that i wanted to give its own short. and here it is.

This takes place in the canon AU, one day directly after Storm the castle. Star's emotions are out of control and she's trying her hardest to get some well deserved rest but unable to, she seeks out Marco who has a very unique way of helping the princess sleep.

The song used here is called goodnight my friend from the tv show galavant. I love that show. its a musical telling of a hero who loses his love to an evil king and how he strives to get her back...after 2 years of mopping. sounds cliche enough right? but everything about this show twists the fairy tales on its head and even the songs are well written and just so much fun. give the show a watch if you haven't. and if you look for the song on you tube, try to find the soundtrack version because any scenes with the song will contain spoilers.

 _this is marco singing, just covering my bases._

so please enjoy this little short story i whipped up at the last second. i will be finishing Starco academy tomorrow and hopefully I almost got 'im. thank you so much for all your love and support, you readers are amazing. enjoy this little small oneshot, i own nothing!

* * *

"One Mewnian Warpig, two Mewnian Warpigs, Three Mewnain Warpigs..." Star mumbled tiredly, staring at her ceiling, unable to stop the racing, wild unrestrained thoughts forcing her to stay awake.

It had been one long, long day since Marco had been kidnapped, the wand destroyed then reformed and Ludo and his minions scattered to the winds alongside the bird monster's castle.

Star should be content, Star should be happy, Star should be fast asleep, slumbering in her well deserved victory sleep.

But she couldn't, a torrent of emotions preventing her from sleeping, eating at her very being as if she was prey to their ravenous hunger.

The first emotion that kept her up was guilt. How she treated her best friend all for a stupid sandwich. She remembered how in her righteous fury the words tumbled out of her mouth, a thought that was never meant be to spoken outloud.

She remembered Marco's hurt expression, the lost, wounded confusion within those cute light brown shaded eyes before his face matched her anger.

It had been the most delicious sandwich in all the dimensions but that didn't excuse her ill tempered words.

Perhaps she was the reason Marco had been kidnapped, injured by the emotional strife Star had caused him, lowering his guard and making him an easier target for that strange lizard monster that seemed to supplement Ludo as the monsters leader.

The next emotion was fear.

She remembered how she was gripped in its icy, nauseating grasp when the little fly man told her that Marco had been taken, held hostage for the wand.

Star couldn't believe such a thing had happened on her watch. Her best friend been taken away from her and Star could feel a Marco shape hole in her heart. Outwards, her appearance was furious and determined but deep inside where none could see, she was scared, frightened that something would happen to Marco, something would happen to him and she could never apologize to him, or even be with him anymore.

She felt her heart crawl to a stop when the container holding her best friend began to descend to the floor, threatening to crush him underneath a weight he had no hopes of stopping.

Star knew she was dooming the universe, giving up all her ancestors fought and died for, rejecting the duty she possessed not only to Mewni and Earth but all dimensions for a boy she had barely known a few months.

But she gave up the wand without hesitation, unwilling to trade Marco for anything else. Nothing was worth losing her best friend.

A new emotion to the roster was vulnerability, something she was not fond of.

With half of the wand's star missing and the fact it had obviously undergone some sort of change, Star was unsure what changes and challenges the new form of her magical object would bring.

In addition to that complication, her mother had not yet returned the wand so Star Butterfly was forced to make do without for the night.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem. She was Star Butterfly, as the laser puppy reminded her during Marco's mustache fiasco. She lived 14 years without the wand, fighting her way in and out of trouble daily. She did not need the wand.

But she did want it, her failure at protecting Marco teasing and prodding from the darkest corners of her mind, reminding her of how close she almost lost him.

She didn't want the wand to protect herself. She wanted it to protect Marco.

The final emotion plaguing the young princess was an old friend, normally well received and often used given the girl's friendly nature. It was longing for affection. Love she would go as far to say. But it's appearance now left Star...confused.

At her weakest moment, the wand lost, Ludo's castle destroyed and an unknown and bleak future seemed to be on the horizon, Star turned to Marco and sought his embrace, not for fun, not for joy, not even to reaffirm their bond as best friends.

For the first time ever, she sought comfort, she sought reassurance. She did not seek out Marco her best friend, she sought out Marco the boy.

And when he sought her embrace at the same moment, something changed. Something shifted.

Now every time she thought of Marco, her heart fluttered weakly. Every time she saw him, her happiness grew to dizzying heights, barely able to contain her joy as she eagerly made her way to him. Every joke seemed funnier, every gesture seemed sweeter, every moment more perfect regardless horrible the situation.

Everything just felt...right.

And Star was unsure why.

Star turned to the alarm clock Marco gave her so many months ago, its purpose as a clock well used while it's function as an alarm had still not been touch.

It was one in the morning and Star Butterfly had officially been up for an entire day, her youth and cheerful demeanor helping her plow through the day

but now her body screamed at her to rest, to sleep. Her mind begged her to just lay her head down and close her eyes but she couldn't, her thoughts simply too much to bear and too hard to ignore.

Star rose up from her bed, tiredly rubbing her eyes.

She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering at the sudden and great decrease in temperature.

She cursed the weather wizard on duty since the previous night hadn't nearly been this cold and she doubt one day could shift the weather so rapidly on Earth.

Star tipped toed her way through the silent darkness, trying to keep her teeth chattering to a minimum. She had no idea what she was planning exactly or even if it was a good idea to be sneaking into Marco's room but she needed to make sure he was alright and the morning just seemed too far away.

Star opened the room as quickly as she could, Marco's room actually colder than hers had been.

Star panicked for a moment, unable to spot Marco's form among the thick, moving shadows and she instinctively reached for her weapon, fear freezing her body when her found empty air.

And relief replacing fear when Marco shifted comfortably beneath his blankets, sleeping peacefully after an intense day.

Star let out a happy sigh, anxieties quelled, thoughts grinding to a stop;. Mission accomplished, time to head to sleep.

Until something caught her eye, something she never saw before.

"Ooooh" Star cooed quietly, Marco's closet having been left wide open for the first time she lived in the Diaz household.

"Haha whoa he really does have 12 sweaters" Star muttered to herself, 12 identical pairs of clothing hanging neatly an organized by the hue of red each one was.

Star smiled at the sight of her best friend's signature clothing.

Star bit her lip, her curiosity growing far too great to let this opportunity slip by her.

Star reached for one of the sweaters, letting out a sigh of joy at how warm the fabric felt under her icy, cold fingers.

"Marco has so many" she reasoned "Surely he wouldn't mind if I borrowed one...just for tonight."

Star nodded to herself, quietly pulling one of the hoodies off the hangers.

She slipped it over her blue sleep dress, her body quickly becoming encased in a warm cocoon that made her let out a sigh of bliss

"S-Star?" Marco's groggy voice called from the shadows, startling Star and causing her cheeks to redden at the idea of suddenly facing her best friend "Star, is that you?"

"Marco!" Star shouted, covering her mouth after the fact, fearful she woke up his parents but becoming happy when Mrs. Diaz's snoring replied to her outburst.

Marco sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he took in the sight of his best friend wrapped up in his hood and surprised how much he was enjoying it.

"Star, are you okay?"

Star stayed silent, unsure if she was should bother Marco any further. He had been through so much because of her, it seemed so unfair of her to add one more problem atop of the growing list especially one she should be able to handle by herself.

"You can't sleep huh?"

Star stared at his silhouetted figure against the bed frame, the image of his soft, caring smile filling her mind and making her giddy as a school girl.

"Come here" Marco told her, pulling the blankets off to make a space for Star.

Star made no motion to take him up on his offer, guilt subtly tugging at her.

"Please Star?" Marco pleaded softly "I could use the company."

Star couldn't resist his gentle voice and found herself laying next to her best friend on his be within moments

"Star, what's wrong?" Marco asked carefully, not liking how Star refused to look at him

Star opened her mouth only to close it once more, unsure if she could admit her shame to him, the day replaying in her mind like some sort of nightmarish film reel.

"Marco..." She began, biting on a strain of her hair nervously as she tried to spit out the rest of the words "I just wanted to say sorry for..."

"My hoodie? Don't be. It's pretty cold and i-it looks good you"

Star flushed at his response, shaking her head to show him that wasn't the problem.

"Is it about the sandwich? Star it was just a small fight."

"But it got you kidnapped" Star countered, turning to his shaded figure fearfully "I...I...almost lost you...all over a..."

Star's words faded into non-existence, Marco's arm wrapped her tightly, her heart beating in joy at his touch as he brushed the hair out of her mouth.

"Star, it's okay. You're my best friend. I know you didn't mean it and I knew you'd save me. I'm just sorry you had to give up the wand to do so...if I had been stronger..."

"No" Star flatly stated "No don't you dare finish that sentence Marco. We didn't see this coming and I would give up anything for you. Even the wand."

"Star..." Marco muttered breathlessly, causing a shiver run down Star's spine.

"I-I better go..." Star murmured anxiously, his presence sending her into a happy stupor "I've bothered you too much and we need to try to get to sleep."

"Stay here Star"

Star peered curiously at him, the moon basking him in a lovely glow as he leaned closer, his breath tickling her lips.

"I think I can help you go to sleep"

"Marco I don't want to be a bother."

Marco shook his head, taking her hands in his

"You're not. I think we should sleep together tonight. We've been through a lot and...and I feel more comfortable knowing you are getting your sleep"

Star still didn't think this was a good idea. She's caused him so much trouble, so much havoc, how could he be okay with her being in the same room as him?

"Please?" he begged once more, destroying any chance of Star had of sleeping in her own bed.

Star let out a defeated sigh "Okay Marco. So how do you plan to put me to sleep?"

He gave a toothy grin that Star had to admit was too cute at such close range.

"A lullaby!"

Star giggled, not meaning to make fun of Marco's well meaning intentions but unable to hold back her laughter

"Marco, I haven't I needed a lullaby for years. And I doubt one could put me to sleep now! I'm 14"

"Then get comfy and let me try."

Star nodded in agreement, the idea of being so close to Marco far too tempting for her to deny his request.

Star laid down on the bed, bringing the blankets up to her chin, turning her head to face Marco, her ocean blue eyes looking at him expectantly

"I'm waiting Marco."

Marco took a deep breath, trying to calm his nervous heart. He didn't think this would work but Star did so much for him, gave up so much the least he could do is try to help her get some much needed sleep. It was one of the few times he could truly help her.

" _Lay by my side and we'll sail away, off to the shores of another day"_

Star's eyes widen at the sound of his singing, amazed she had known Marco so long and never knew this amazing talent lay within the forcibly titled safe kid. His melodic voice was just perfect to Star. His voice was deep but not too deep, breathy and floaty but still solid. And with just the subtlest yet the right amount of vibrato in his tone.

" _all set to go once I hear you say, Good night my friend, until the morning"_

Star yawned sleepily, her body began to relax under the syrupy melody of Marco's soft lullaby. Her swirling, emotionally charged thoughts slowed, fading away, bringing a peaceful calm to the young princess.

" _Up we will float as we close our eyes, Stars all around us like Butterflies"_

Star let out the cutest giggle at the sound of her name escaping from Marco's lips, the sneaking suspicion that he had changed the lyrics just for her dancing around in her head. She tried her hardest to keep her focus on her best friend but her eyelids began drooping in exhaustion

" _Just me and you drifting through the skies, good night my friend"_

Star inched closer to Marco, burying her face into his chest, letting a breath of relief at the warmth she was surrounded by, eyes fully closed but sleep not quite catching the princess yet.

" _Not thought, Not a care"_

Star wrapped her arms around Marco's torso, holding on tightly, the smile on her face reflecting how happy she was in this moment. With her Marco.

" _resting safe and sound, with each other there"_

Marco wrapped his arm over her frame, holding on loosely in case she felt constricted by his behavior. Normally he didn't like his personal space invaded but Star had long since been the exception.

" _and so we'll rock on a night time ride, cozy and warm on the rolling tide"_

Marco felt Star shiver, frightened as the nightmares began to plague her once more. Marco's arm swung round her waist, pulling her closer to him, her whimper becoming soft, content breathing once more.

" _till we arrive on the morning side, at journey's end"_

"Until the morning" Star murmured in her sleep, nuzzling her cheek against Marco's chest, counting the seconds before she awoke to see her best friend. Eagerly awaiting the very moment her sight fell upon Marco.

" _Good night, sleep tight, We're gonna be alright"_

As long as I have my Marco, Star thought to herself, finally reaching the point where slumber covered her very being, enjoying a comfort she had not even realized she had been longing for.

" _Good night...my...friend"_

Marco turned to see Star sleeping, no trace of worry, fear or concern on her face. Just a small smile, her nose twitching cutely as she breathed in, her lips parting as she breathed out, the tops of her hearts now covered with little nightcaps.

He smiled at her, his heart racing at the closeness of her presence.

Something changed between, something shifted. Permanently it seemed but Marco couldn't be sure what.

"It's probably in my head" Marco whispered as Star cozily dug herself further onto his chest.

Marco sighed, grateful she wasn't awake to see what he was about to do.

He leaned sidewards, softly kissing Star's forehead while bringing his arm closer, securing her in a protective embrace against his chest as he stared toward the ceiling, sleep finally beckoning him to rest.

"Good night Star"

Moments later, as Marco's soft snores filled the still air, Star opened an eye, just a little bit to ensure the coast was clear.

When she felt Marco's chest rise and fall, she knew he was asleep once more.

Star lifted her head, nearly letting out a surprise gasp when Marco's arm tightened its hold on her as if he was afraid someone was trying to take her from him.

She silently giggled, moving her much slower so she did not alert the sleeping Marco to her intent.

"Good night Marco." she whispered as she gently pressed her lips against his cheek, cheeks flaring while she settled back onto his chest and found sweet dreams waiting for her as she lay with her best friend, their hearts beating as one.


	44. Where's Waldo I mean Oskar? (Starcoween)

Hellooooo fanfiction! author here, alive and still kicking. First of all many many thank yous for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me as do all you wonderful people

a special thanks to H mae- haha we've gone back to melting i see, luckily i am totally prepared for this! (gets the vacuum) to the freezer! i am very happy you enjoyed it so yep everything was planned by the weather man on duty Mr.E haha

SVTFOEfanatic- we shall never know. yep Mr. and Mrs. Diaz is love so powerful, it affects all who live in the house. hmm the singer that sings the song sounds a bit like Jeff but im not 100 percent sure. and no worries, i am grateful you took the time to leave me a review in your busy scheduled. it means a lot to me. "Just because it ends doesn't mean it ends, the world ends with you and whenever you decide to stop.

Watermalone- i am very lucky that H mae has taught me how to deal with melting people though the puddle with hands is kinda tripping me out. Marco singing is always the best but so is Star singing, thank you so much for everything!

Fanfictionfordayz- first of all thank you so much for all your reviews. you didn't have to review each one but i greatly appreciate it! let's see. yes part 3 is on the way and toffee's grand evil plan shall be revealed. haha let's be real, star was going to blast marco, it's canon and we all know it and i cannot wait to read what you came up with! haha she was scared but now that she knows not all monster are bad and has a cute guy protecting her, she decided to fully embraced the experience. it doesnt happen every day and marco is a cool vampire bitten by dracula himself! thank you so much wait till the next horror movie one comes out. I shall save you from hiatus if you help save me from it! STARCO AUTHORS UNITE SAVE EACH OTHER!

Finn: Thank you so much. dem feels, dem feels.

ultergamerkitty- and i love writing them. here have another.

Harutora- thank you for those kind words and STARCO FOREVER!

moonlight- i am happy you enjoyed it so.

wookie- omg please tell me this is starco related, our insurance only covers starco related injuries!

rafye- no worries, that's warned everyone. i didnt want to accidental scare anyone with the story. extra fluff, sickening sickness on the side and root beer. gotcha! and i did say order. haha yeah i figured Mewni, given its state, probably has warpigs in case there wasn't enough horses. im glad you enjoyed both stories! have another.

tanner- im glad you enjoyed it and it was my pleasure to help any way i could. and i didnt think you are that word. you are just enjoying a good story and there's nothing wrong with that. Im really not sure to be honest since i just signed up with an email. ill see if i can find more information out for you.

IDC1314: thank you so much sara! i am happy you enjoyed it and i look forward to your drawings as i always do (that sailor Star was super cute and reminded me about the au request i have to do)

grim- it is too sweet which means i must make it sweeter! and shameless plugs are shameless! still feels weird mentioning another story but thank you for that.

lost- its the rare thing as cool as it would be to keep it going, i wouldn't have much to work with since this was a spur of the moment thing and honestly the main attraction was the song. hmm maybe ill use it for star and Marco's kids lullaby.

sughaman- well wait till you see the next one coming up after this. enemy or friend, he wasn't the real Marco. is that really worth the price of keeping him? star doesn't think so.

devastor1775- aww would you say it was devastatingly heartwarming? Ah? ah? haha im sorry i couldn't resist.

totallyobessedwithsvtfoe- yes Benny decided he didn't want to deal with witches anymore and decided to work as a high school bus driver. he still isn't sure if it was worth it.

misfortune- i am so happy i made your day makes me happy see! :) oooh awesome! I hope to read it really soon! i shall be waiting eagerly for your story (Sits down and makes a campfire) and thank you for your kind words.

thebeard- hmm sounds interesting. i am currently not taking request but i do plan to soon so ill keep your username in mind and when i open up requests again, you'll have a spot waiting for you!

sugheman- and i can't stop writing!

and last but certainly not least my guest reviewers

guest- thank you so much and im glad i could keep you entertained on the ride to school.

guest2- im glad you loved it so.

guest 3- i actually made small changes to their personality, it was supposed to be subtle like Marco being less confident and not as open as star was, perfectly lying so star didn't feel bad about getting mad at his antics. their parents remained the same. so star's parents are star's parents and marco's are marco's

guest 4: wow, awesome timing. happy birthday! considered it my birthday gift to you!

here up on starco corner, we have some amazing and lots of awesome stuff. H mae has an awesomely funny comic about dealing with life and she colored a drawing she did for me that i love so much as a gift (i shall explain in a moment) thanks mae! she's over at hains-mae on tumblr. Sara idrawcartoons1314 has some cute art up over on instagram, including a sailor moon Star which reminds me to write that AU i should've done by now. haha spatziline over on tumblr has some cute and epic gravity falls, star vs and steven universe art up. here on FF we have a wonderful list of stories to go through so im sorry i miss someone. first up Watermalone wrote two wonderful stories. the oneshot he helped me out with for my story is up and i can't wait for it and a more personal one called Happy Birthday Mr E which really warmed my heart and made me feel incredibly happy and honored to be part of not only an amazing community but also friends with an amazing guy. thank you so much Watermalone, words cannot express how much the gesture meant to me. fanfictionfordayz has finished up the amazing story faking it and gave us a sad, totally tear jerker chapter for you're my wish come true. unexpected jealousy from candyponpon was a nice clever twist on the universe, of magical wands and safety helmets irritus185, star and the forces of evil vs the darkness by bigmike33321, magical disruptur from Fabioferrario, starfall from golfalpha mike, diaz family road trip from unluckywrites, princess and the safe kid from PFTones, nothing comes easy from axis and of course the star and the sun from flowersforfanfics. all great amazing stories that really helped me over this last week.

Now i am sorry for my unexpected and unannounced absence. i was feeling unwell last monday and easily distracted so i was like oh okay whatever and when Wednesday rolled around my body was like "hey buddy so there was something i forgot to tell you" *Sore throat and running nose appear* "you're sick buddy! BYE!" so ive been sick for the last week. im much better now but still a bit on the tired side. I pushed back the five nights story because horror is not my forte but expected that and another story this week. so this week im gonna try to focus on starcoween because the month is ending so i apologize if you were waiting for the other poll aus or the ending of steampunk. they are coming. this i swear!

i wanted to post this up the 26th because it is a very special day to me. i don't normally admit this but i wanted to share this with you amazing readers. the 26th of October is actually my birthday and i wanted to celebrate by giving you amazing readers a story because seriously it makes me incredibly that so many wonderful people enjoy my work so. that's also why im very touched by h mae and watermalone who were kind and amazing enough to give me some just epic gifts on my birthday. thank you so much you two, you are both just great, awesome amazing people and i am so glad to have met you both. all you readers actually im so honored to be a part of this community. okay okay im done rambling now.

so posted on the 27th (ugh, missed it by that much like a minute) here is the next starcoween. honestly Halloween is more as a backdrop here so sorry about that. Star and Marco go to the school's halloween dance to try woo their respective crushes but when Marco's costume turns out to be a little on the well copied side, will star manage to find and kiss Oskar or will someone else be lucky enough to get the princess's kiss?

thank you so much for everything, and sorry about the wait. here we go, i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

"Marco, Marco! Can you believe it's finally here?" Star cried out, eyes full of wonder and tone filled with excitement.

Marco just rolled his eyes, a small grin letting Star know the true meaning behind the action.

"Just relax Star"

"Relax?! Marco, we're about to have a party! At the school! With permission! This is a huge deal!"

Marco wanted to point out that the Halloween dance the school threw every year was more for raising money for the school than anything else but the way Star's eyes lit up at the idea of having fun at school that didn't involve a monster attack...well even Marco couldn't and wouldn't want to ruin that for her.

At first Marco was against the idea of spending the day before Halloween at school. This stemmed from the fact he wasn't really a dance type of guy, having never gone to a single school hosted event in his entire life. He always hoped to take Jackie to one but...well he just now got over the nod phase of his plan.

Then Star managed to convince him, letting slip (or more appropriately nudging his side, going "Huh, huh, huh") that Jackie Lynn Thomas had bought a ticket, for one, and was planning on going with her friends and not on a date with someone.

Marco would like to say he held out, that he thought long and hard about the idea, weighing the pros and cons about making a move on Jackie at such an event, truly debating whether it was worth the price of admission.

He would like to but then he'd be lying.

And so, here they were. A pair of best friends, dropped off by his parents who took an embarrassingly large amount of photos, heading to the gym to have fun and woo their respective crushes.

Marco was pretty lax about his choice of costume, mostly do to the fact he really didn't have time to be very creative and come up with a clever concept to go as this year.

Still Marco would like to say his last minute outfit was better than most of the other high schoolers.

He decided to go as Tuxedo Mask, the secondary hero and main love interest of the character Sailor Moon, whose name was also the title of the show.

Normally Marco disliked dressing up due to how uncomfortable suits were. As a growing young male adolescent, anything fancy felt constrictive, unwieldy and just a total hassle to wear but given how limited his options were and the fact that his end game was to impress and hopefully talk to Jackie (Dancing just too much for the young man to handle at the moment) he knew he couldn't lazily put on a mask and go in his usual street clothing.

So Marco went to the one person who could help in his situation: His father.

As much as Star was his trusted and well loved best friend, he felt very...embarrassed going to her for costume advice. Maybe he didn't want to hear her teasing about how safe kid was finally taking a chance with his 10 year old crush. Maybe he was frightened that Star's magic would permanently glue the suit onto his skin, forever forcing him to look like a glorified waiter. Or, maybe...maybe it was the fact the very idea of Star helping him pick out a suit for Jackie (Even if he was saying it was for Halloween) just didn't sit well with him for some reason. Almost like he was betraying the magical princess in some way.

In any case, Rafael Diaz was more than happy to help his son out with his Halloween costume woes.

Once upon a lifetime, Rafael had been one of the most successful actors in Mexican media but when the love of his life decided to move to America, he promptly left the business behind, following and eventually marrying her, settling in the new land and deciding to a career change despite his love of acting. And while he never regretted any of his choices, even the struggle of learning a new language as he switched to the medical field, old habits died hard. He never lost his dramatic flair or his happy go lucky attitude that helped him rise through the ranks of stardom, and luckily for Marco, he kept the various costumes he used to perform in (having secretly stolen them from the prop department on more than one occasion.)

Rafael gave his son everything he needed and as Marco looked in the mirror, checking his appearance in the reflective surface, his father giving him a wide smile and thumbs up, Marco knew there was no way Jackie would fail to notice him.

Marco wore sleek, flawlessly pressed black or maybe midnight blue suit jacket and slacks. Draped around his shoulders was a silk, pitch black cape with a rich, blood red color lining inside of the fabric. He wore a white dress shirt with matching vest and bow tie that seemed to change from a solid color to a shimmery almost sliver glow depending on the lighting. Well polished and immaculately kept black loafers that no source of illumination could reflect off of. He wore a white domino style mask often found in superhero films and comics. Marco could never see how such a simple design could conceal anyone's identity but now that he was actually wearing one, Marco could barely recognize himself underneath the simple accessory. And to top it off, Marco's father jokingly punned, was a matching black top with a dark blue ribbon wrapped around the base.

This was the single best costume Marco had ever worn and there was no way he could fail.

Until he saw what most of the male population decided to wear to the dance

When they first arrived, Marco felt extremely nervous upon seeing the sea of countless suits, varying shades of black, quality and even different levels of wear and tear haunting his vision as they poured into the gym but as Star pointed out, no one had exact same costume as him. While there were capes, no one had the red lined interior (Except Oskar). The few top hats that were present did not possess Marco's dark blue ribbon (Oskar's top hat ribbon was black while Ferguson and Alfonso went with bright pink for some reason.) and the only two that wore white domino masks were Marco and Oskar.

In fact the only person that could be properly confused for Marco was indeed Oskar but even from a far distance under the light he just looked like a cheaper quality Tuxedo Mask than Marco and the difference between the two was clear.

Marco did not know why everyone decided this was the year of the Dapper but he was entirely thankful that it had not ruined his chances to sweep Jackie off her feet. He had the best suit based costume out of all the guys though he felt a rush of embarrassment when several girls eyes began following him when Star and him walked by, jokingly asking under their breaths if that was Marco with the princess.

"Look at you Marco! Looks like every girl here wants to know who was under the mask" Star teased, elbowing him in the side in a familiar way.

Marco scoffed. Everyone must know it was him. He was hanging next to Star! He was almost always by her side. It didn't take much to figure out who Tuxedo Mask was.

"You think anyone likes my costume?" Star asked quizzically, apparently oblivious to the curious wide eyed glances many of the teenage boys were throwing her way

Marco peered over to his best friend, his cheeks turning slightly red at her choice of attire.

Star wanted to go as something cute. Something adorable. Something that just screamed Star. And so she decided to go as a fairy. But she didn't want to go as a random fairy, she wanted to go as the most well known fairy on planet Earth which of course was Tinkerbell.

Star wore a short, bright strapless green dress whose edges were jagged like a closed flower petal with matching bike shorts under the dress and ballerina shoes on her feet, little puffy white cotton balls on top of the footwear. Star managed to grow her Mewberty wings to their full length (though she still could not fly with them) and used her wand to change them from their normal lavender hue to a clear, see through silverish color with light blue swirls and waves randomly spread out all over. Due to her status as a magical princess, the magic that lay within the wings shimmered like diamonds under the dimmest light sources. Due to the fact she had so much hair, and she refused to cut it, Star put most of it up in a bun with the remaining amount formed into two long curly strains hanging off either side of her face.

Star looked absolutely stunning and it was making Marco feel very uncomfortable.

Why? Because Marco Diaz was just realizing a terrifying and very world shattering epiphany

Star was always his best friend who was a girl. But he never really saw her as such until shewalked out of the house wearing... _that_

The dress wasn't the usual Star style of clothing. True the dress went a little longer than most of her outfits, going just above her knee but it lacked the distinctive bell shape bottom that most of her dresses seemed to have. It fit her snugly and Marco had to admit she looked even cuter in the attire than he would like to admit. He would even go as far as to say she looked gorgeous (but not out loud).

But there was another problem with the costume, something Marco realized the moment he properly laid his eyes on her (they both agreed not to tell each other what they were going as until the day of the dance.)

Star did not cover her skin. Her arms, legs and shoulders were completely exposed. no stockings, no gloves. And for some reason, this was really fascinating Marco.

Marco couldn't keep stealing glances at the sight of her pale, fair skin that looked incredibly soft and resisted the urge to run his fingers down her arm. This was absolutely ridiculous. Marco knew what her skin looked like, he had seen her arms plenty of times without any sort of covering and he could piece together that her legs skin tone would match the rest of her body.

She just looked so...so much like a normal teenager. Not a magical princess from another dimension, not his best friend, not even the foreign exchange student living at his house. She looked like a very pretty, attractive girl and Marco was just realizing that Star Butterfly was in fact a very pretty, attractive girl that he was constantly in close proximity of.

And it was making his heart beat like crazy.

"Come on Marco!" Star shouted, unaware how tense Marco's body when she reached for his hand and dragged him within the gym.

Star's eyes widened at the darkened room, the shadows and dim light making everyone look like silhouettes dancing against the few color lights that randomly basked the crowd in their glow. It looked awesome, it looked amazing and...

"I can't see Oskar anywhere!" Star yelled, eye scanning but failing to find her favorite bad boy.

"Maybe" Marco's cracked, forcing to cough and clear his throat in an attempt to prevent Star from noticing "Maybe he's off hanging out on the side or by the food and drink table."

Star nodded in agreement "Yeah a bad boy like him wouldn't just dance with anyone!"

Marco scratched the back of his neck nervously, unsure why he was about to ask Star to stay with him. He...he really didn't want to be without her in this dance for some reason.

But before he opened his mouth to vocalize his request, Star turned to him, giving him a bright smile while wrapping her arms around his frame.

"Bye Marco!"

and like that, she was gone.

Marco frowned slightly, confused and utterly lost at his actions.

"Marco, is that you?" the relaxed, calm voice of Jackie called from behind him.

Marco's cheeks flushed as he whirled around, cape covering Jackie's body.

Marco flushed uncontrollably, attempting to help Jackie out of the grasp of his fluttering cape.

"Jackie, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't...and you startled...and I-I'm not used to this cape...oh man" He stammered, finally freeing the blue haired girl from his attacking attire.

And completely astonished at her appearance.

While her hair remained the same as ever, it was what she was wearing that really stopped Marco's heart. And brain and general functionality

She wore a long, sparkly blue dress that Marco would've never dreamed of seeing her in, wearing blue mary janes to complete the look.

"Marco, could you stop staring at me? It's embarrassing" Jackie murmured softly, turning red under the stunned teen's gaze.

"I-I'm sorry. I...just...umm...your costume."

Jackie scoffed, rolling her eyes "It's not a costume. It's a dress."

"Well i-it could be a costume."

"I'm only wearing it because I lost a bet to Janna"

Despite the fact he was talking to his nearly life time crush, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her.

"A bet? Why would Janna make you wear a dress?"

"Because she knows how much I hate wearing formal things. Seriously this feels so uncomfortable and I feel overly dressed. Every other girl is wearing a normal costume and here I am in this."

"Oh, so what would you be wearing if you didn't lose the bet?"

Jackie shrugged "I dunno, probably a witch costume or something like that."

"Well" Marco rubbed his cheek nervously "As cute of a witch you would've been, you do look really nice."

Jackie smiled brightly at him "Thanks Marco. You don't look so bad yourself"

"It was a last minute thing" Marco admitted "I really didn't have anything to wear and Star was ready to drag me here by force, so I decided to actually try for once."

"Well I love Sailor Moon and I always thought Tuxedo Mask was really cute" Jackie whispered, a light flirty tone accompanying the words.

Marco could feel his cheeks reddening at her words, chuckling anxiously at Jackie's playful banter.

"Thank you...so..."

"Yes?"

"I...I was wondering..."

"Yes Marco?"

"If you wanted to...umm...talk by the wall or something? We are in the middle of the dance floor and I don't want to trampled by anyone"

Jackie nodded in agreement, the pair walking side by side as they made their way out of the dancing minefield.

"Where is he?" Star huffed in annoyance, getting slowly infuriated by the lack of Oskar. He was dressed like Marco but not quite and since she just left Marco behind, he had to be around he somewhere. But where?

"Hiya Star!" Janna called out, her regular school clothing a very strange contrast against the colorful and playful outfits of the rest of the student population.

"Hiya Janna! Why are you dressed like normal? It's almost Halloween!"

Janna laughed "I know it's Halloween and that's why my costume is the best!"

Star was confused, unsure how the clothes Janna was wearing now were any different than anything she normally wore.

Janna gave Star a mischievous grin before hissing at her, fangs outstretched from her jaws "I'm Jancula! Bwahah"

"Umm Janna? Are those the skeleton fangs from the field trip?"

"Yep! My new bestie let me keep them after the adventure. I use them to lure my prey into a false sense of security before I bite into them. And speaking of prey, where is Marco?"

"Oh, I dunno" Star shrugged, still keeping an eye out for Oskar "I left him alone."

"Left alone? Marco? You? Do I have finally have my chance?"

Star turned to Janna curiously "Chance? What are you talking about?"

Janna shrugged nonchalantly "Well you're always around Marco, so I get really nervous when I try to make my move on him."

"Oh. Why? It's just me Janna and we all know you like Marco"

Janna shrugged "I dunno, I always felt like I was intruding on you two. I mean you spend practically every moment together it's like you're in your own little world"

"W...we don't spend that much time together?"

"Riiiiight sure" Janna clicked her tongue "I'm gonna look for Marco, good luck in whatever you are doing Star"

Star took a pause in her search, trying to think of a time that she went longer than a few minutes away from Marco and found she couldn't think of one. She spent almost all waking moments hanging out with Marco ever since she arrived on Earth.

"Haha Marco, are you serious?" Jackie took a deep breath, trying to get much needed air into her lungs.

"Yeah! Star totally blasted me in the face with a narwhal when I tried to take the last pancake."

"Sorry about that Marco"

"It's okay" Marco shrugged, trying to keep his racing and nervous heart under control "well I guess it doesn't happen but I'm fine and Star fixed me up pretty good."

"Marco..." Jackie took a step forward, brushing her hair behind her ear as she closed the distance between the two "Do...do you like Star?"

That was not the question he was expecting out of Jackie and he let her know with an intelligent and well dignified "Wha?"

"Well I mean you two seem extremely close." Jackie explained "and she is a very pretty girl. I mean lots of guys have a crush on Star Butterfly and you two are best friends."

"I...I don't like Star" Marco replied, tone shaking and unsure.

"You don't sound so sure Marco."

"I..." Marco stopped for a moment "I...she's just my best friend. It isn't a requirement that we like each other."

"No" Jackie concluded "But I've never see you two really apart from each other long."

"Umm well..."

"And I remember you weren't very fond of hugs growing up but you seem to make the exception for Star"

Marco felt defensive all of the sudden, feeling like his friendship with Star was coming under attack "Well I mean..."

"And you were crushed at the idea of her leaving during that weird butterfly event."

"She turned into a giant insect thing..."

"Marco, are you sure you don't like her?"

"No no no Jackie I..."

Marco jumped at the near muted sound of a ringtone, nearly drowned out by the surround external sounds.

"Oh" Jackie muttered softly, pulling out her cell phone from her purse "It's my mom. She probably is here to pick me up."

"Wait, you don't want to stay?"

Jackie shook her head "this isn't really my thing. I only came to show Janna that I followed the bet. Bye Marco, I'll see you Monday"

and as Marco reached out for her, she disappeared into the sea of students like a dream lost to reality.

Marco let out a frustrated groan, Jackie's words poking and prodding at his thoughts opening up a possibility he never once ever thought of.

Did he like Star?

Marco had to admit looking back on his memories, he did spend most of his time with Star. In fact, the idea of spending any amount of time with the princess was very appealing to him. Now that he stopped and thought about, he spent 60 or so hours alone with Star in a frozen world. Willingly and making almost no effort to get the world moving again.

He remembered how he felt like his entire world was coming to end when Star rose into the sky, how lost and alone he felt at the idea that Star would leave him. Which still remains true to this day. She was a girl from another dimension. One day she would leave him and he would be forced to return to a life without the outgoing, loveable, pretty princess that impacted his life so greatly.

And he found he did not like the idea at all.

He let out a sigh, rubbing his aching head, trying to lift the cloud of confusion away from him.

He liked Jackie. A constant that had been always true

but did he like Star too? Did his fondness for the blonde hair teen go further than a simple friendship? Was there more to their relationship than meets the eye? Or was everyone putting together two puzzle pieces that simply did not fit? Did...did Star like him as something more? Was that why she was so encouraging with him, trying to help him be more open and courageous with Jackie? Or was she just being a good friend?

Marco let out an annoyed moan when he felt the tap on his shoulder.

Star really missed Marco at the moment, having spent the last hour searching for her bad boy heart throb and finding no trace of him anywhere.

Star was always outgoing, fun, and always looked at the bright side of things. No moment was ever considered wasted to Star Butterfly!

Until now. In this moment in time, Star could officially state she was wasting her time.

In this darkened room, Star seriously overestimated her ability to distinguish her crush among the other suit wearing boys cramped in the room with them. Add in the music, the always shifting and moving figures in the crowd, and the dim lights.

She really regretted leaving Marco alone. Right now, they could be hanging around on the outskirts of the black hole that was the dance floor, laughing and joking around like they always did. Getting him to go and talk to Jackie or even one step further and asking the girl to dance. She knew he would stammer, saying it wasn't time or the atmosphere wasn't perfect and they would spend the rest of the night together.

Star sighed longingly at the idea of spending time with Marco and suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to find her best friend.

Until she ran into Starfan.

"Oh hey Starfan" Star waved cheerfully at her biggest fan "How are you doing?"

"I'm good Star, and you?"

"I'm great!" Star's voice not at all matching her falsely cheery face.

"Oh, are you looking for Oskar?"

Star's eyes popped out of her head, clutching at Starfan's shoulder and moving her back and forth rapidly "You've seen Oskar?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa I...I think Janna is talking to him across the way" Starfan pointed in some random direction, eyes spinning in her sockets.

"Thanks Starfan!" Star shouted, a renewed determination filling her body. She was going to talk to Oskar if it was the last thing she ever did.

"Sooo would you like to see if my fangs are real Marco?" Janna playfully flirted, showing her pearly whites in his direction.

Marco shifted uncomfortably at her question "Umm Janna this isn't a great time"

Janna scoffed, rolling her eyes "It's the perfect time Marco. You don't have Star hovering around you."

"Star doesn't hover around me! And why does that make it the perfect time?"

Janna let out a giggle and inched closer to the boy "Oh come on Marco, I don't bite...too hard."

"Janna, what are you doing?" Marco looked at her, unamused by her antics.

"Janna, what are you doing?" Star cried, pushing and leaping over any and everyone in her way despite the fact she was too far away from the girl to hear Star's outburst.

She was shamelessly flirting with Oskar. Star could've sworn she was searching for Marco. Maybe she didn't find him and simply decided to try her hand at Oskar. Or was that Oskar?

Star squinted carefully at the pair, unable to tell due to the poor and always shifting lighting made it difficult to properly identify him. Why did Marco had to dress the same as her crush! It was so annoying!

Well Starfan said it was Oskar, so it must be him! Starfan couldn't be wrong about that.

"Look Janna..I...I'm not in the mood for this" Marco tried to walk away but was quickly blocked by the determined girl.

"Oh come on Marco, don't be a killjoy. It's just a little bite."

"Janna" Marco warned "I'm sorry but I don't want to deal with...whatever this is"

Marco felt someone clutched at his shoulders but before he could say anything, he was turned around in a circle, staring directly into the bright blue orbs of his best friend.

"Star?" He managed to get out as her lips descended upon his, her eyes closed as they shared a kiss.

Marco felt all the air escape from his lungs, his braining churning to a stop with a single thought consuming his every thought: Star liked him, Star liked him!

And before he realized what he was doing, his body automatically reacted, wrapping his arms around her, drawing her in close as he lost himself in the kiss.

Star hadn't the slightest idea what came over her. She was reckless and bold but this was a little much even for her. But when she saw Janna trying to corner Oskar, she just reacted! A fierce, predatory instinct engulfed her and viola here she was kissing Oskar.

Admittedly something felt...off about all this but not in a bad way. Instead of the feeling a first, new awkward kiss, this one felt familiar as if she was kissing someone she knew a deep and personal level, someone she knew inside and out. Someone who understood her completely. This was her first kiss ever but she felt like she had been doing it for years, so natural and in tune with herself and the other person.

And somewhere, in the back of her mind, she picked up little things like how well kept the suit was, the dark blue ribbon instead of black, things of sort.

Too bad Star's brain wasn't taking any calls from the unconscious part.

And when she pulled away, a goofy grin on her face as she opened her eyes, completely dazed as she whispered underneath her breath "Hee...Oskar..."

The body stiffened in front of her as Oskar appeared out of the corner of her eye, mask removed and just casually walking through the crowd, Star realized it wasn't Oskar she had been kissing, it had been...

"Marco" She whispered fearfully, unsure how to take in the revelation and their amazing kiss.

Marco's face was unreadable especially behind the white domino mask.

"M-Marco, I thought you were Oskar, I didn't mean to..."

That had been the wrong thing to say.

Marco's face tensed up, the sorrow in his voice evident even to Star "oh...right...umm no worries Star. It was a mix up. I...umm I need fresh air"

And before Star could even process what was going on, he vanished, disappearing out of her sight.

"Wow" Janna playfully glared towards Star "If that's what it took to win over Marco, I should've done that myself."

"I..."

"He really enjoyed it"

That hurt Star even more "He did?"

Janna nodded smugly "Looked like it. Better keep a close eye on him Star, or I'll snatch him away from you"

Despite the fact she was about deny any feelings for Marco, a jealous surge of anger coursed through her body but before she could react to Janna's taunt, the other girl disappeared on her as well, leaving Star alone in a sea of unfamiliar emotions.

Star raced after where she saw Marco disappear but he didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

Why didn't she pay closer attention? Why did she just leap into the situation like that? Ugh out of all the reckless, irresponsible, half baked ideas she ever thought of, this had to be the most idiotic, poorly plan, amazing one ever.

Star skidded to a stop, unsure where that line of thought came from.

Idiotic, yes. Poorly plan, obviously. But amazing? Why had it been amazing? What made it amazing?

Star thought about it and the more she thought, the more she came to realize a truth she never once thought of.

She kissed Marco. It felt amazing, perfect, just right. But why? Why had it been so?

Star tried to think about why Marco, her best friend, made her first kiss one of the most magical moments in her life, even the idea of it being Marco she kissed not upsetting her or disappointing her in the slightest but actually filling her with a joyful, blissful happiness that was seldom found within the young girl. But the title best friend was blocking her as if something was wrong with it, trying to force her out of her happy feeling.

So Star took a step back and changed Marco the best friend to Marco the boy.

And that's when the truth became apparent.

Without the title of best friend, Star could see Marco clearly as the boy he truly was underneath the title. Marco was a very cute guy and dressed in that suit with that mask, he just looked incredibly handsome. He was brave, always leaping into danger with her without a moment of hesitation. He spent every single moment with her and they once spent 60 plus hours alone together when time had stopped, just...just enjoying each other's company, in no hurry to restart the world, especially Marco who had been more than happy to let Jackie remained frozen in place just to hang out with Star. He was funny, he knew how to cook, he accepted Star as she was and even went with her to wish Pony Head a happy birthday whom, she remembered, he openly admitted he was not a fan of.

Marco was just amazing and the idea of him...and her just made Star incredibly happy.

She didn't know how deep her feelings went for her best friend but she knew that were far more powerful than anything she felt before.

And she completely ruined it.

Guilt gnawed at her hungrily as Star desperately tried to find any trace of Marco. She racked her brain, trying to think something, any idea where he could've gone but she was drawing a blank.

"Ugh, I wish there was a find Marco spell" She vented in a fit of rage, her hearts become lightbulbs upon hearing her thought aloud "Wait, why don't I just make one?"

she drew her wand from the little star shaped purse hanging at her side and muttered as clear and as loud as she could

"True Love Tracker!'

Marco took a deep breath, trying his hardest not to let the confusing rush of his emotions overwhelm him.

He ruffled his well kept hair into a light brown mess, the top hat lay next to him, discarded and forgotten while Marco contemplated his next move, alone in the school parking lot.

He just wanted to go home and lock himself in his room but it would be unfair to Star if he just left her here without giving her a ride back to their house, thus he waited.

Marco flinched at those words their house, trying to mentally remember that their house meant a house that Star and Marco shared, not lived together.

Marco gave himself a facepalm, his new found feelings confusing the heck out of him.

He liked Star. He couldn't deny that. But...how much did he like Star? Did...did he love her? Was this an intense crush he'd get over? Had he always been too blind to see this?

Marco had to admit for his first kiss ever, it felt amazing, it felt perfect, it felt... _right._ In that moment the foggy, confusing world of teenagehood was just beautifully clear.

And then Star mentioned how the kiss had been a mistake, how she had confused him for Oskar and the world became a whirlwind of blinding emotions once more.

He shouldn't have been so hurt, he shouldn't have taken it so poorly, so personal. He just found out about his maybe sorta feelings for Star, it shouldn't have injured him so.

But it did

It felt like his heart was slowly falling apart at Star's rejection, the idea that he was good enough to be her friend but not something more just making him ache terribly.

Did he still like Jackie? Such a thing was constant no longer and Marco felt like he was being pulled alongside a raging current.

He just realized he might like Star but did he still like Jackie? He always really, really liked Jackie but the last 20, 30 or so minutes he realized he had feelings for Star just were more powerful, went deeper and seemed to become a foundation for his very being.

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, unsure how to feel, this new, insanely compelling attraction to Star just growing each second, despite her rejection.

He was so confused. He wish he knew what to do, he wish he understood what was going on. He wish he could just figure out his emotions so he could deal with them.

But most of all, he really wished Star liked him.

Marco let out a sigh, trying to stay afloat in the storm that was his emotional state

"M-Marco!" Star's voice called to him from behind.

Marco shot up from his sitting position, trying to act calm as if the magical princess had not snuck up on him, catching him unaware.

He turned to see his best friend, huffing and puffing like she ran a marathon, the fairy outfit just making her look like unearthly beauty. Which she was.

"O-oh hi Star. What's up?" Marco strained to keep his voice normal.

Star frowned, knowing full well Marco was trying to hide his pain from her

but she could feel it as keenly as she felt the chilling wind against her exposed skin.

He was hurting. Bad. He was lost, confused, unsure how to proceed with her rejection, trying his hardest to keep himself from falling apart at the seams.

When did they become like this? How did they became so in tune with one another that the two souls felt like one? That Marco became so much a part of her that...that she hadn't realized how hard she fell for him.

"Marco..." Star whispered

"Are you ready to go home Star?"

Star shook her head

"Oh." Marco's face melted into a frown "So...I guess you want to go find Oskar? I'm fine Star, go ahead. I'll just be..."

"Stop it Marco" Star told him "I know you're hurting."

Marco scoffed at the idea "Me? I am a misunderstood bad boy! I don't get..."

"Marco, please." She cut him off, her face serious and restrained, a look Marco did not like on her "We need to talk to about the...umm...kiss."

The teens flushed at the mere mention of the word, the phantom tingling sensations tickling their lips.

"I...it's okay Star. it...it was a mistake. I get it. It happens. I mean well that probably not among the most common mistakes but..."

"Marco" Star muttered softly, closing the gap between the two

Marco could feel his heart stopping, frightened at what was going to happen next. Was she going to scold him about being a terrible kisser? Narwhal blasting for stealing a kiss?

Marco's heart went from zero to 100 as Star reached up and gently tugged his mask off his face, her soft yet cold fingers, sliding against his cheeks.

Marco opened his mouth but flushed when Star placed a finger on them, stopping him from saying a word as she peered into his light brown eyes.

"I...I need to make sure of something." Star whispered, embarrassed to tell him that she really just missed looking into his eyes.

Marco nodded carefully, still unsure what exactly was going on.

Star wrapped her arms around his neck, the wind blowing the cape around her, enveloping her in a warm cocoon that helped ease her nerves.

She knew what she thought she felt for her best friend. Now it was time to truly understand her feelings.

She drew him in, pulling him closer as her soft lips met his.

The first kiss was something amazing but this time it was indescribable. Maybe it was because they both understood their feelings better or maybe it was due to the fact they finally embraced a truth that long since eluded them.

Or maybe they just finally stop overthinking and enjoyed the moment.

And when they pulled away, matching stunned, dazed faces mirroring each other, they couldn't help but share a smile.

"That was..." Marco murmured breathlessly

"Magical?" Star supplied jokingly

Marco nodded numbly while Star giggled.

"Does this mean...?"

Star looked shyly at her best friend "If you want it to"

"Of course! But I mean there's so many things...you're my first girlfriend and I...don't know what I'm doing and one day you have to go back to..."

Star placed her finger on his lips once more before silencing the boy's brain with another kiss.

"We'll figure it out as it comes. Right now, just enjoy the moment."

Marco nodded, unable to believe how the night came out.

"Right, enjoy the moment with my Star"

Star smiled brightly "Enjoying the moment with my Marco."

and they sat there, Marco's arm wrapped around Star, his cloak keeping the two warm as they just hung out, laughed, joked as usual.

In reality their relationship hadn't changed one bit, they just did as they normally did but now they understood why they enjoyed it so much.


	45. Five nights at Starry's (Starcoween)

Hello fanfiction! author here happy halloween and such. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow!

a special thanks h mae who actually inspired me to write this and let me test out my horror skills on her. thanks mae!

finn- thank you so much here have some horror.

SVTFOEfanatic- as a fellow video gamer, i know actually what you mean and im a deeply honored you would take time out of your gaming schedule to read my story instead. seriously means alot to me. thank you so much. i've been writing so long its second nature to me and i realized early on that details are key but a healthy balance of it. too much and the story becomes bogged down, too late and you can't paint the picture. visual media has it easy given since they can just show what they want. my best advice is detail and vocab, they can easily help you paint your story. "I am me. Me is I. I love me even if I might not be worth much because I am me and there will never be another me"

rayfe- im glad you enjoyed it. im trying to play around more with side characters despite the fact they aren't fleshed out yet. but i took what i knew and ran with it. Janna likes marco, janna is flirty and janna is a troublemaker. i really hope they get fleshed out for season 2

unluckywrites- thank you so much! dont worry i forget to review and im like omg i need to do that and life is like nope, deal with me first. im glad you enjoy my stories so and im glad i was a part of the reason you began writing. i love your work both autumn and diaz family vacation and i get a blast from reading them. i am deeply honored to be a part of this amazing community. best luck to you and keep up the amazing work.

Fabio- haha i dont usually announce it is my birthday. thank you for that. i figured it was the least i can do since you amazing readers make it so much fun to write. i like to think it isn't that Marco is the second choice but more like Star isn't aware that he is a choice at all. I mean she's pretty much a rush ahead, tunnel vision type girl so you know. haha i love critiques as long as they are constrictive. i didnt do the dance because i did lots of dances in other chapters and since the pair's original plan was to split up, there really couldnt be a good way to ease into the dance scene. in terms of story length, i try to keep it reasonable so i dont make it too long for your readers *unless its an action pack finale of something* so i had to speed it up *especially since as a halloween story, i had to go into details about their costumes totally not hoping someone fan arts tinkerbell star and Tuxedo mask marco kissing nope not at all* agreed though i admit i am guilt of using the word love. like i will in this story haha sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. given what im about to put them through i think they earned it haha. have an awesome halloween! and thank you for the review.

IDC1314- thank you so much sara! i should've done that for your birthday. my bad. im really glad you enjoyed it and i hope you have fun on your field trip and that you feel better and good luck with school. i remember being buried alive by my homework, survived by watching gravity falls.

thewookie- you should've said something HAPPY BIIRTHDAY! have a horror story haha sorry

grim-thank you i feel almost better and i had a good birthday. haha Starfan is Daron so...you know...shipping right from the creator.

misfortune- that song is very familiar. i wonder why. anyway thank you for your review, means a lot to me

deadshoot- wow all in one day? trippy. and i didn't realize i wrote much haha. thank you for your review and your kind words. and im glad you enjoyed if i miss you. that was an insanely fun ride.

and last but certainly not least.

guest- do not feel pathetic everyone has a star and marco waiting for them your story is not ended, it is just beginning and even i still search for my star. best foot forward because tomorrow is a new day and a new chance at anything you wish to achieve. you can do it for i believe in you! :)

Starco corner im not sure about art, having been pretty distracted lately. on ff we have a season of star vs from kieran wespell. still need to leave a review for her, an amazing chapter from fanfictionfordayz's you're my wish come true., a sweet series of oneshots from unluckywrites called autumn, magical disruptur from fabio ferrario, i'm from another dimension from thebreakman and another chapter of nothing comes easy from Axis.

so long story short, this is a five night's at freddy's type story, dealing with the lore as theorized by Matpat on game theory. Star and Marco go to Freddy's Fazbear Pizzeria to help Star conquer her fear but maybe, given waits within, that may have not been a good idea.

I love the five night's lore and with some help with H mae (thanks mae) i decided to write a story on it for Starcoween. this is scary, this horror so...heads up. its Halloween for me here but i dont know if ill have enough time to put up my last starcoween since its not finished and im running out of time before i leave. (which is also why i may seem like im in a rush) ill try my best but there is one more starcoween that will be put up in the next few days along with all the other stuff i got pushed back on and starco academy.

well i hope you enjoy this, have a great Halloween people, im off to go dress up in my costume. thank you all so much, enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

Despite contrary belief and Star's constant teasing, Marco Diaz was not a safe kid, Marco Diaz was not overly cautious and Marco Diaz was not a killjoy.

Marco simply preferred to take life slower, enjoyed the sights more than his "omg I have to do this right now or I may never have a chance to again!" best friend. He knew and more importantly remembered that they were still young and life still had much in store for the two.

And while he was always up for the fun, blood pumping adventure, fighting off anyone and anything that threatened his best friend, viewing new and exotic worlds and getting into wild and insane hijinks, visiting a children turned horror attraction that had been abandon for apparently decades was not on Marco's list of we need to totally come here and experience list. It was more like on his never, ever come here at any cost.

But Star was adamant about visiting Freddy Fazbear's Interdimensional Pizza which was actually called Fazbear's Fright but it used to be Freddy Fazbear's Interdimensional Pizza until 5 children went missing and then the animatronics began to smell and oozing blood and mucus from their suits and something about being shut down, then reopened as a horror theme show or something.

Marco wasn't really sure of the backstory of this place either. When Star first explained it, Marco understood it pretty well even if there were still a few lingering questions. But as Star kept adding more and more details to the story, Marco had to admit it started to make more...and less sense. While most of the old questions were answer, newer questions came up, especially when Marco really thought about some holes in said story. The stories Stars told him about did not take place in the order she was telling them either. Like one story was about a few years ago, the next taking place several decades before the first, the 3rd jumping into the future of the first one and the fourth story (Which apparently was missing of part of it until the news decides to release to the public) taking place before the first but after the second but not actually where the first story took place. it...was confusing.

Marco was not comforted by the fact Star's magic did not work in this place since this place was built on some sort of ancient prison or graveyard or something, they could only open a portal outside the building due to the still working dimensional keeper crystal that prevented people from sneaking in for free and that it was initially too dark to see anything.

Until there was a quiet, but clear roaring of a machine awakening from its previously undisputed slumber and causing the lights to glow dimly.

And Marco had to admit, wandering the halls of Freddy Fazbear Pizza? Fazbear Fright? Marco wasn't really sure because it seemed someone had smashed two different concepts together to make this Frankenstein's monster of a place. Anyway, it felt strange.

The entrance where the scissors dropped them off and the main area ahead of them seemed like one of those happy go lucky places. The kind where a friendly smile and warm, maybe even magical atmosphere awaited you.

As Marco looked around, hand hovering close to Star's as the soft rain pitter pattered against the ceiling, he couldn't help but feel that, aside from the loose water puddles and dripping water slipping into the cracks of this neglected place, that he was walking through a moment frozen in time.

The countless tables in front of the large stage had various paper plates, hats and plastic cups randomly sewn around. For every single one of the items properly set up, there was another nearby that had been knocked to the floor, crumpled underfoot or rotten away by time. Streamers fell from the sky like bolts of lightning, their colors faded and their fabric weak and brittle. Several Happy Birthday banners stretched overhead and Marco couldn't help but wonder if they were simply left up after the final birthday within these halls or were the banners prepared for an event that would never be?

Marco tried not to freak out about the layers upon layers of dust that lined the building, their shoes leaving imprints every step they took. There was so much dust it made everything look like it was being viewed some sort of old timey camera filter, like they were walking through an aged photo made real and it made for a terrible health hazard. But he kept his mouth shut because he refused to let Star tease him for such a thing.

Off to the sides, the mood of the building shifted considerably.

The hallways on either side that led away from the main stage room were lit with ghostly green glints of illumination, the passage of time not treating them as well as the main area. Water strains imposed on even more obvious faded and worn away paint peeled off the walls, curling into itself like a wave. There were random puddles of water on the floor, the dripping of the free falling water splashing into each puddle echoing impossibly loud in the narrow spaces.

"Star why are we..." Marco started but remained quiet at Star's intense and fierce gaze towards the stage.

Marco saw a figure, an eerie grin amidst the darkened stage, just beyond the drawn out curtains. It was a rabbit but this wasn't one of Star's cute rabbits. This was a rabbit Marco wanted to stay as far away from as possible.

It was an animatronic of a bunny technically speaking. It formerly golden color was faded to dull, lifeless yellowish green hue. Patches of the fabric had been rotten or torn away exposing loose threads, wiring and the dark gray metal endoskeleton that held the suit up to the harsh, decaying atmosphere of the restaurant and while Marco was not sure, he thought he could see some sort of human innards trapped within but the shifting shadows made it impossible to tell. One of its ears had ripped in half, violently it seemed and its white irises saw nothing though Marco disliked the distant humanlike shape of its eyes. It's jaw hung loosely though not freely as the teens could see two wires on either side attaching the top of the jaw to the bottom as if someone had attempted sow its mouth shut, its square teeth making its smile even more eerie than it had to be.

"Star..." Marco muttered weakly "W-what is that?"

Star took a deep breath, trying to figure the time she last saw the accursed machine.

"It's called Springtrap. Well now it is. I don't remember what it was called before. It's suit made to be worn by a person but still could wander by itself."

"Star?" Marco asked softly, taking a step closer to the princess

"I...I'm sorry Marco. I just needed to make sure"

"Sure of what Star?"

"When I was younger" Star admitted, an embarrassed look upon her face "I came here for a birthday party. It was a blast! Pony Head blew up some machines, my dad got into a fight with a random royal and mom was trying to keep everyone in check, it was awesome...but..."

Star took a deep breath of air, eying the broken animatronic carefully "That's when I saw Springtrap for the first time."

"Wow" Marco whistled "If I saw that, I'd definitely be scarred for life. I'm not too far off now ha...ha..."

Star shook her head, her vision tunneling to the fateful day. In her mind she could still see how everything once had been on her 8th birthday, the faded colors becoming vibrant, alive as the sounds of joy and laughter surrounded her in her minds eye.

"No, Springtrap hadn't been like that...yet anyway. No, it looked pretty, cute, I'd even say huggable."

Marco eyed the animatronic in disbelief, unsure if Star really meant what she was saying.

"And from afar" Star whispered, Springtrap with its well kept fur, brilliantly colored fabric looking like the giant stuffed animal Star thought it had been "I...it was just a giant rabbit that looked so cute."

"But...as he got closer..." Star closed her eyes, the Springtrap in her mind growing larger and larger which each step it took towards, its comforting, friendly features becoming distorted, monstrous, its joyful grin turning sadistic "I felt something off about Springtrap. Something dangerous. I...I just couldn't put my finger on it but I...I just felt unsafe around him...and when he reached for me, I...I lost it. And just cried and ran..."

"Oh Star..."

"I...I haven't thought about this for years...until last week."

Marco walked in front of her, noting the fear that sunk into her lovely blue eyes

"Last week?"

"Nightmares of Springtrap...coming for me...taking me away to the backroom...for...something."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Star chuckled "I...I didn't want you to worry...but...the nightmares grew worse and worser until...well..."

"You needed to see for yourself" Marco supplied "Make sure it was here, rotting away."

Star quietly nodded "I...the stories...the idea someone could...I...needed to make sure...its stupid...and silly I know but..."

Star stopped, Marco's warm embrace causing her body's tension to ebb away and settled into a relaxed, calm state. Star held onto Marco, grateful for his presence.

The two parted, sharing a smile together before taking a calm breath as one.

Star nervously glanced at what she could see of Springtrap above them on stage, its eerily human eyes peering at them from the darkness beyond the curtains, his body silhouetted in shadow. She hated it then and she especially hated it now when she understood the madness behind her fear.

Even powered down, it seemed to haunt her endlessly but powered down it was.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning arched across the skylight, the sound of thunder rattling the building to its foundation.

Marco and Star flinched in surprise and quickly glanced into the darkness, Springtrap's eyes still staring directly at them but it seemed it a little further than before.

"Hee..n-not gonna lie Star" Marco muttered nervously "I thought when we turned around, it would be gone."

The two shared a terrified smile with each other before quickly glancing back at the dim eyes in the darkness. They had not moved.

Star let out a sigh of relief but Marco, ever curious, leaned forward, plunging his hand into the darkness of the stage.

"Marco, what are you doing?!" Star cried as Marco's hand pressed against something.

Marco gently pressed forward and Springtrip's eyes rolled into the darkness, its body gently floated towards the ground.

Springtrip lost all its 3rd dimensions, landing with a soft thud that barely disrupted the silence of the room.

"That's a cardboard cut out." Marco muttered fearfully. Star's heart began to pound loudly in her ears, that is not what they saw on stage before! Springtrip was definitely up there!

a streak of light flashed against the sky once more and the pair's face drained of their blood.

There was a trail of footsteps from where Springtrap stood, each perfectly etched and captured in the otherwise unbroken dust that covered the stage floor.

"M-Marco?" Star murmured fearfully, her heart beginning to speed up against her will "Marco!"

Marco held onto Star's hand, brushing his thumb against the back of her soft, warm hand in an attempt to keep his best friend calm "Maybe...maybe it still had some power left? We might've accidentally triggered it with all our talking and moving."

"Y-yeah" Star agreed, desperate not to let the fear overwhelm her "But I think it's time to go."

"Agreed."

BOOM!

The pair jumped at the sudden noise, a soft music box song beginning to echo all around them, metallic chimes hitting against one another to create music, the sound of gears grinding as the soft sounds of footsteps walking on nothing began to fill the air with a mechanical whirl.

The pair quickly spotted an over turned box that must've fell off a shelf or something, a mass of small toys of various animals writhing back and forth, some of the wind up toys marching off, scattering into various directions but majority flailed on the floor helpless, the sound of plastic scraping against the hardwood floor.

"Wait..." Marco wondered for a moment "I know that song!"

Star rolled her eyes "Of course Marco, it's the Mewidor song! It's what they play when Mewnidors fight Mewnian Warpigs to the death! With their fancy hats and really, really pretty cloaks. Swirling and twirling like dancers."

"What? Really? Because on Earth it's the second half of a song called the Toreador song from a play."

"You play with songs? I thought you just danced to them"

Before Marco opened his mouth to response, he heard the shifting of metal joints and jerky motions just behind him.

The pair whirled around not to see the golden figure of Springtrap by something else entirely.

It was large shape of a bear but unlike Springtrap, this one didn't seem solid as if it was lacking any connection to this reality. It looked like it had been charred or burned recently, streaks of soot marked down its face as if it was crying ash. It's sockets were far and distance, two pale star like objects within the wells of darkness that lay within. Its jaw appeared to be broken, hanging limp and lifelessly, tumbling wildly whenever the thing moved. It held the ghostly outline of a microphone in one hand and a small top hat rested on its head. One of its circular ears had been ripped off.

The bear peered a them curiously as if not processing what exactly it was seeing. It tilted its head quizzically, jaw swaying back and forth from the sudden motion.

The two teens made no sound, unsure where this animatronic had came from but desperately hoping there were no more nasty surprises.

Star clutched at Marco's hand fearfully, the building seeming to elongate and grow taller, menacing, appearing as it did when she remembered the fateful day.

Suddenly without warning, the bear lunged forward, arms raised, overcoming the two in its now massive shadow, a flash of blinding light confusing the teens for a fatal moment.

Marco held onto Star protectively, shutting his eyes as he wrapped his frame as much as he could around his best friend, hoping the bear made it quick.

Silence. The soft dripping of the rain against the old, creaking building filled the void.

Slowly and carefully, the two opened their eyes and let out a sigh of relief when the bear was nowhere to be seen.

Star took a deep breath in when she heard something, something soft, subtle.

It was the groaning of rusty shutters closing, echoing through the ventilation shafts surrounding the pair in what sounded like a symphony of ancient metals being moved for the first time in forever.

A blinking red light caught Marco's eye in the far distance, luring him closer to the frame of a hallway.

"Marco, Marco wait up!" Star cried after him, trying to ignore how stuffy and thick the room now felt.

Marco's eyes widen in fright, the message displayed in the within the small alarm blinding him in a red glow before his eyes adjusted to read the words once more.

"Star, why does this place need a ventilation system?"

Star caught up to Marco "What do you mean?"

Marco took a deep breath in, the stale air somehow tasting even staler, almost like there was no fresh air pouring in to replace the now depleting supply within the building.

"Star, I think the air has been shut off"

"What?! That's stupid! Why would someone make a building air proof?"

Marco shrugged "Bank vaults are air tight" he supplied, trying to keep his racing calm so he did not expend too much of the now precious air.

"We're going now!"

The two turned to the entrance and the blood fell from their faces, their skin turning pale and cold at the sight before them.

Somehow Springtrap had snuck around them, silently despite its violently twitching motions, its grin too much like a predator catching its prey. It began hobbling over to them, some sort of killer intent in its eyes.

"S-Star" Marco coughed out, his throat starting to itch from the lack of fresh air.

Star remained frozen, unable to move a single muscle as Springtrap's graze focused solely on her, almost like it recognized her as that little girl from so long ago.

"Star!"

Star made no response except the twitching of her lips, fearful and lost look in her faded blue eyes, her hearts turning rapidly twisting hourglasses.

Courage surged into Marco, his protective nature taking over as he leapt in front of Star in a defensive position, ready to fight off this stupid robot.

Springtrap stopped just a few feet from him, amusement gracing its human like eyes and mouth. His twitching now was accompany by noise but Marco preferred the silence of the foe rather than the creaking and grinding of metal limbs straining to work properly from the decades of lack of use that now plagued his ears.

Springtrap began moving forward once more, its strange shuffling waddling walk unnerving Marco for some reason.

"It's just a stupid robot" Marco whispered to himself, one arm ready to strike and the other in front of Star "It's just a stupid robot."

Mirth danced on Springtrap's face. For a moment Marco thought the animatronic was alive but that was impossible, it was just a machine that woke up after being turned off for so long.

Marco pulled his arm and lashed forward, his moment of triumph quickly turning into despair.

His fist sunk into Springtrap, ripping through the outer fabric easily. Marco expected pain, knowing full well that his hand was heading straight for a metal endoskeleton. What he got was far worse.

Marco could feel his stomach churn unhappily at the touch of whatever lay inside Springtrap's stomach. It smelled of rotting flesh and Marco could feel something slimy enveloping every inch of his hand, a soft but still incredibly loud sound of something...squishy grating against his ears every time he tried to move his trapped limb around.

Springtrap's shoulder rose and fell in rapid succession, his facial features mocking him with inaudible laugh. One hand held onto Marco's tightly, dragging him forward as Springtrap rose to full height. Springtrap leaned over the helpless Marco, laughing directly in his face.

Marco felt his heart stop when he peered inside the robots mouth, unsure if he was actually seeing what lay within. The dim lights and the constantly, almost alive shadows made it difficult to make sure but Marco was almost certain he saw a mummified face staring back towards him from Springtrap's mouth.

"MARCO" Star cried, rushing into battle despite her fear. Her best friend was in trouble and she'd be damned if she was going to let anything happen to him.

She walloped Springtrap over the head with her wand, causing the machine to stumble and release Marco from its grip.

Marco let out a furious yet strangely terrified yell, lifting into the air before kicking the animatronic backward with all the force he could muster.

Star caught Marco, helping him onto the ground while the two shared content grin, happy that the other was okay.

The pair turned to the entrance and frowned what they saw.

Somehow a large security gate slid down from the ceiling, preventing the two from leaving the building and the portal blocking crystal.

"J-just try it Star!" Marco told her quickly, eying the slowly recovering robot, confused why his hand was perfectly fine and dry and not covered in slime.

Star hurriedly cut the air with her scissors, the portal forming for just a moment before snapping shut with a gust of air that kicked up dust all around the restaurant/horror attraction.

Springtrap got back to his feet, his eyes twinkling with murderous humor.

Star raised her her wand, taking a deep breath as she shouted "Narwhal blast!"

a giant red X and buzzer sound filled the room, preventing Star's wand from even charging up the attack.

"Ugh, right. Built on something spooky that prevents signals or something useful cliché" Star's tone became mocking as she dramatically emphasized her point with jazz hands.

Marco pulled on Star's shoulder, dragging her away as Springtrap lunged towards them with surprising frightening speed.

Marco hadn't realized how labored his breath had become, forgetting about the lack of air that no longer pumped through the haunted walls.

"The...security...room. There's got to be one..." Marco huffed, trails of sweat beading down his forehead.

"Marco?" Star whispered fearfully, unsure why her best friend looked so ill "Marco? What's wrong?!"

"Lack...of air...getting to me..."

Star's eyes widen, remembering that her best friend was not Mewnain and that he couldn't hold his breath longer than 10 minutes as opposed to Star who could go a full hour without air due to her magical nature.

Marco slumped to the floor, vision spinning, weakly trying to get to his feet to fight off Springtrap and not be a burden to Star.

"MARCO!" Star rushed over him, turning around and gripping his wrist tightly.

"S-Star...just go without me..." Marco murmured quietly, his breathing shallow. How could see not see they were surround by ghostly phantoms? Like the bear. Burnt, crispy animatronic that slowly began closing in on them. Marco could barely make them out through his oxygen deprived brain. One look like a chicken holding some sort of cupcake, a fox with an eyepatch and hook for a hand and really, really nasty row of sharp teeth. And some sort of short, pudgy boy with a propeller hat. And another fox though this was just a disembodied rather than a pirate.

"I'm not leaving you Marco!" Star shouted to her best, friend, picking him up and giving him a piggyback, her heart speeding up as she felt his slowing down "I love...er hanging out with you too much!"

Star took steps back, glancing around in case there were any other monsters lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. Luckily there were none

"What do I do, what do I do?" Star muttered to herself, Springtrap peering directly into her eyes. She knew for certain the thing recognized her.

"Star...security room...must...have..." Marco feebly whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her and causing her stomach to fill with her namesake "Override controls..." She felt Marco's hand leave her shoulder and his weight shift backwards. Star turned around and found herself covered in the ghostly green light of the hallway.

She didn't even hesitate, running into the hallway and turning sharply to follow the path Marco pointed out to her.

Springtrap jerkily chased after his prey, relishing in the hunt once more.

Star could feel the strain of the lack of air and carrying Marco began to weigh on her body but she refused to die here.

She spotted a small doorless booth ahead, nearly let out a cry of joy at the sight of it.

Star raced into the room, a large and confusing assortment of buttons staring back at her from the console.

She gently placed Marco against the door, just in case they had to make a quick exit.

He looked towards her, a weak small on his face, doleful eyes that just were heartbreaking to see as he told her "I love...hanging out with you too Star."

Star nearly crack at his words, trying to let guilt slow her down. If it wasn't for her irrational fear, they wouldn't even be here and he still didn't blame her!

Marco really was something special.

Star bit her lip nervously, pressing buttons at random to see if this thing even had any power left.

Most of the buttons failed to achieve anything, as if they existed only for show, not for any actual purpose or function but when Star's finger brushed against a bright yellow button, several screens in front of sprung to life showing her every inch of the building.

Star could feel her heart stop when something slither just out of view of camera, smaller than Springtrap who was currently closing in on them, only a few feet from the office space.

Star could hear the jerky, robotic joints of Springtrap get louder and louder from the hallway, her body tremors not helping her remember which buttons she had already pushed.

Star could see Springtrap's silhouette form from the corner of her eye, fear absorbing her tightly in its icy grip.

There was a loud crash whooshing of displaced air as the door fell from the frame and locked the two away from Springtrap's grasp, Marco's hand leaving a button built into the wall.

"Some..time..." Marco whispered, closing his eyes.

Star pushed another button and surround the building began chattering, giving the illusion other people were trapped in this place as well.

Star looked towards the cameras and noticed Springtrap was just outside the door but not attempting to get in. it stood there confused by the noises it heard before it shook it off and began pounding loudly against the blast door.

Star let out a moan of frustration "Why can't they label these stupid buttons!" she violently struck the console, fully expecting the air to come back on like in the movies.

It didn't

but a paper slipped away from the console, revealing the last button she had failed to push yet.

Star let out a scream of bliss, roughly pressing down on the button and crying at the sound of the rusty shutters opening once more, fresh air pumping rapidly into the building. Star glanced at the screen and saw the security gate entrance disengage and allowed access to the exit once more.

Star filched at the sound of torn metal peeling away from the doorframe, a weak gasp being let out before silence took over once more.

Star turned to see the blast door bent inward, curling upwards towards the ceiling of the booth and Marco nor Springtrap were in sight.

"MARCO!" Star shouted loudly, running out into the hall only to spot something waiting for her.

If she thought Springtrap was creepy, she never clearly seen this new threat before though the memory of something called prize corner tickled at her thoughts.

It was some sort of puppet. It had a white Pierrot like mask, white dots within its sockets, two rosy colored circles on its cheeks and two steams of purple lines running down from its eyes. It had a pipe like neck attached to black body was like a sock monkey, thin and lanky, with 3 white buttons on its...shirt? Its arms and legs were white and black stripes that led stump less feet and 3, claw like fingers on each hand.

It looked at Star and despite its creepy appearance, Star felt no threat from the creature.

The puppet turned away to her, facing something Star couldn't see and disappeared into an indentation in the wall.

Star quickly followed, the sounds of a vicious but near silent struggle filling the empty air.

Star found herself staring at a door that read backroom and inside she could see Springtrap thrashing about as if fighting off some invisible force.

Star kicked the door wide open and her eyes widen at the sight before her.

The puppet had launched itself at Springtrap, clawing and scurrying about its body, attacking the large animatronic.

Springtrap's mouth opened and screamed in a soundless howl, trying to strike or grab at the snake like puppet.

Marco was slumped on the floor, breathing but clearly no longer awake, some animal animatronic suit laying near him, its head popped off leaving only an empty, shady void on its neck.

"MARCO!" Star cried for what must've been the 20th time tonight, rushing over and cradling Marco in her arms.

Springtrap finally grabbed hold of the puppet, holding the struggling thing in its paws before tossing it against the wall, turning and facing the teens, its eyes lifelessly staring down the two.

Star held Marco close, glaring at Springtrap, no longer scared of the stupid robot. If she was going to die, she was going to die with a brave face, defying the murderous machine till the end.

Springtrap reached from the empty suit and Star realized it was another animatronic. It wasn't on planning stuffing her in it...was it?

Springtrap loomed over the two, reaching for Star who closed her eyes, clutching onto Marco tightly

"I love you Marco." She whispered, regretting that she had not said it earlier.

There was a bright light to blazed to life in the room and Star's eyes shot open once it basked the room in its glory.

The puppet had stuck itself into a wall socket, the electricity setting its fabric body ablaze. It lunged at Springtrap once more, sharing its fire with the killer bunny.

Springtrap roared as if it was feeling pain, it felt the concept of destruction approaching it. The puppet held on for dear life, the flames spreading to the rest of the room, catching the building ablaze.

Star didn't know how this was going to end: Stuffed into a suit, smacked around by two fighting animatronics or burned alive.

But her heart soared when the puppet turned to her, and nodded, making snipping motions with its fingers.

Star peered at its gesture, unsure what it meant until she noticed its razor like claws.

"THE SCISSORS!" she shouted, reaching into her bag and violently ripping open the fabric of reality.

The portal swirled to life and unlike before, started opening, the sweet embrace of home calling to her. She held onto Marco tightly and leapt for the portal, Springtrap's paw reaching for her, the sweltering heat rising her body temperature but failing to harm Star as the two teens passed through the portal.

The puppet slumped, joyful it had finally had destroyed Springtrap and this cursed place, taking a silent joy at Star's soft whisper of "Thank you."

Marco and Star tumbled into Marco's room, Marco having woken up mid-way through the trip and caught Star before she hit the ground.

Star flushed, holding onto Marco for dear life, rubbing her cheek against his.

"Star?"

Star stopped, pulling away but not breaking off their embrace "Yes Marco?

Star's brain died, utterly and happily when Marco's lips met hers, a soft loving kiss filling her with a syrupy bliss.

"I love you too" he whispered in her ear.

Star giggled before her cheeks redden "So..you heard that..."

Marco nodded quietly.

Star opened her mouth before she could the metallic groan of something call from the darkness of the house

Marco rose to his feet, peering into the darkened hallway of his home. Surely there couldn't be...they weren't followed were they?

"Staaar? How...how many animatronics did the pizza place have?" Marco asked quietly, peering into the darkness while holding her hand.

"11...I think, why?"

Marco's ears strained to pick up the noise in the distance, a music box chiming softly filling the halls of the household, the flickering of lights in the far distance distracting Marco, two circular sockets with a hint of blue within them calling to him, basking a found face and teeth of something.

A loud scream pierced the silence, high pitched but distorted voice causing anyone who heard it to jump in fear as a large brown animatronic bear leapt out of the shadows, top hat shaking as its blue eyes focused on its prey, closing in on our heroes with a deep, inhuman laugh.


	46. Almost got him (Canon AU)

Hello fanfiction! Author here, hope you all had an awesome halloween! i did. thank you for every single favorite, follow and review. they mean so much to me.

A special thanks to h mae- i am so glad you enjoyed five nights at freddy's story and i was able to catch the spirit of the lore. and as tempting as it would be to make Jackie as sailor moon, i already did that in if i miss you and i also needed a good excuse for Jackie to leave. now to find you since you're air now.

watermalone- its okay. there's handful of reviews i need to do too and i keep not having time. thank you for your kind words. not bad for not knowing how to write horror. good luck and best wishes to you as well!

deadshoot- yes quite o_O

finnjr: thank you so much

rayfe- there was one more starcoween story but something happened, ill explain in a moment. i can't wait to do thanksgiving, new years and christmas.

Kawaii- yes and, and the best part about this ship? it sails itself!

the wookie- yes, and star shall turn them into plushies. well to be fair, they usually stumble upon such trouble and not really are ready for it.

Fabio- thank you so much. im not of a horror writer but it was nice to try something new. i thought about it and the 3rd game was the best choice. one single threat but i could still have the original and a few from the 2nd game enemies have cameos. actually the animatronics were disassembled and their parts are actually scattered through out fazbear fright, that's why they can only appear as phantoms. trust me i studied the lore. STUDIED! thank you for your kinds words keep your awesome ideas and you keep being awesome too!

Harutoa- im sorry *hug* i did warn you it was gonna be scary. how scary i didnt know though. as for which one of us is addicted, its coming up soon. the next three are the finale for steampunk, addicted and I said i don't dance not can't so look for it soon.

IDC1314- its okay sorry. sorry if i scared you too bad but i did warn you. thank you for your kind words. and yay arting! GO SARA!

grim- i hope you had a great halloween too! here have a story about a marco fan club story.

flowersforfanfics- that is pretty ironic your cousin told you about FNAF before you read this story. maybe they read the story first and decided to fill you in. i had a great birthday and halloween and thank you, i love your stories too! especially barista star (ill leave a review as soon ass possible!)

misfortune- aww im sorry. i think i need to put the warning on the chapter title. have a hug (HUG) to the internet to find out the song! *Watches star* here have a not scary story

and last but not least my guest reviewer

guest- thank you. that's why i kept pushing it back. i was pretty much studying freddy lore back and forth for weeks, trying to pick the best way to do it.

h mae has some awesome comics up she did for her class, check them out over on her tumblr on hains-mae. Sara over on instagram at idrawcartoons1314 has two awesome and cute starco doodles. spatziline on tumblr has some awesome halloween starco and reenactment of a gravity falls. on FF we have princess and the safe kid from PFTones, nothing comes easy by axis, a seriously too cute chapter from flowersforfanfics, aumtumn from unluckywrites, we'll always have each other from devious angel and magical disruptur from fabioferrio. oh! and an amazing chapter from golfalphamike's starfall that's making me wish the next chapter was out already.

So originally this was going to be the last starcoween story i wrote but for some reason it has completely disappeared from my computer. im not sure if i didnt save it, it deleted itself or what. so im not sure if im gonna rewrite it. im on the fence about it.

so here we go with today's chapter. Sam is a demon foreign exchange student from the underworld. she finds out there's a club all about Marco and over a friendly game, the club members go over who has gotten the closest to actually revealing their feelings to the young teen.

This au was inspired by, of all things, an animated batman episode. there is a batman episode called almost got 'im where joker, two face, poison Ivy, Penguin, and killer croc play a few rounds of poker all while sharing the time they came closest to killing batman. i loved the idea *the whole telling stories to one up each other* that i decided to use it for this story.

story notes- sam is an OC character you might recognize from the role reversal universe. i loved the character so much i made her into her own being. the girls in the club are Sabrina (Our accident prone cheerleader) Janna and Jackie. Some starco moments are abound. this story takes place after storm the castle

 _this means someone is telling their story._

I hope you enjoy this chapter. thank you for all the love and support you shown this story. it means the world to me. enjoy! and i own nothing!

* * *

Sam looked around anxiously, unsure if she was in the right place. The flyer told her the meeting was in one of the class rooms but all she saw was darkened halls and the lack of any sort of life.

Sam took a deep breath, crumpling the paper in her grip before tossing it into a nearby bin.

This was stupid, this was pointless and if she was being honest, she highly doubt a demon from the Underworld would be welcome at the weekly Red Hoodie meeting.

She let out a defeated sigh before the chattering and laughter echoed towards her from out of sight. Confused, she blinked her trio of eyes before continuing forward, turning the corner of the hall to see one of the classroom lights pouring out of the door frame.

She calmly walked over, lifting her hand to knock on the door before letting it fall to her side. Was she really about to do this? There was no way this was a real thing and even if there was a club that was about Marco Diaz (their cover describing the Red Hoodie club as some sort of fashion talks or something like that) she doubt there was that many girls that sat within. Probably just one really crazed fangirl of the young man (something Sam could relate to)

Still, if she was going to get used to Star Butterfly's relationship with him and her amazing ability to just ruin Sam's attempts at asking Marco out, she better get used to some sort of therapy.

Sam lifted her hand once more, knocking on room 618 as quietly as she could.

The laughter and talking died at once, silence over taking most of the sound except the barely audible "click, click, click" of footsteps walking against a polished floor.

Jackie was surprised at who stood in front of the door when she opened it.

"Hi" Sam waved shyly, happy it was one of the few humans she knew "Is this...the Red Hoodie meeting room?"

Jackie's blue eyes glanced at the demon carefully, taking in her long, bright red hair tied into ponytails, two white horns rising from her skull. Her singular green, red and brown iris colored eyes staring at Jackie in a triangle formation, Sam's pale white skin working excellently with the black shirt, a flaming skull printed on it and faded dark blue jeans with black converses on her feet, a spiky band on one wrist and a sliver charm bracelet of various demonic animals on the other.

Jackie paused, gathering her thoughts as Sam tried her hardest not to scream at the puny human to hurry up and answer already. Seriously humans were too concerned with gently letting people down. Just tell Sam to go the hell away and that was that

"Sure, come on." Jackie answered after a few more painfully awkward moments.

Sam smiled brightly, roughly shoving passed the teen to notice she wasn't the only other person in the room.

"Oh it's the new girl" A girl in a beanie muttered, Janna was her name Sam believed. Sam had a hard time telling them apart given that human anatomy was so boring and simple. Seriously, everyone had the same skull, same amount of limbs and even the same amount of eyes and mouths and ears. How could anyone tell anyone else apart?

"Oh, h-hi...Sam...how's your first week?" Another girl asked. Her auburn hair tied into a ponytail, her light green eyes watching her as if Sam was going to attack her. The disgustingly horribly wonderfully eye grating yellow cheerleader outfit chosen for her attire.

"It's okay, I'm really liking Echo Creek" Sam admitted. True it was no underworld but at least up here there was actual things to do. Torturing and maiming creatures could only be fun for so long and this political field Sam heard that Earth had seemed like a monstrously fun way to torment large amount of people with little effort.

"So...what are you girls doing?"

Sam was unsure what exactly the girls were up to in this room. They were huddled around one of the counter tables that had fire built directly into it for witching brewing 101 (Silly humans mispronounced it, calling it chemy re or whatever)

"Playing 21, y-you want to play?" the cheerleader replied, offering an empty stool closest to the standing demon.

"Yeah sure...umm..."

"I'm Sabrina"

"Sabrina, right" Sam muttered under her breath, highly doubting she could remember such a forgettable background character.

Jackie took her seat across from Sam, Janna playing childishly with small, paper thin cards. She folded them this way and that, sliding a handful of them into her sleeves as she dealt out a face down card to each of the girls

Sam glared at the beanie wearing girl, nodding in approval when Janna looked her way. Janna liked to cheat. Sam could respect that. She was going to totally ruin the girl but Sam could hold Janna in high esteem for thinking she could cheat a demon.

"So..." Sam began slowly, the others peering at their card before putting them face down once more "How do we play?"

"Easy!" Janna said "I hand you a second card and I win if its a number."

"Janna" Jackie warned, giving her a disbelieving look

Janna let out a cheerful laugh "Okay, okay. We're trying to add up to 21"

"Oookay" Sam murmured softly, staring at the face up 2 Janna dealt to her.

"So basically you want to try to reach 21 without going over, closest one wins" Jackie offered, eying her A could warily.

"But Jackie's got an A"

"Some cards are letters. J, Q and K are actually 10's"

"And why aren't they just called 10's?" Sam inquired.

"Cuz people don't think ahead." Janna shrugged, a happy, knowing glint in her eye when she secretly slid a 9 from her sleeve

"But Jackie's got an A"

"The A is special" Sabrina explained, frowning at her 3 "It can be 1 or 11, Jackie can pick which."

"But...that's stupid."

"Dem the rules demon" Janna laughed, looking towards Sam, deck of cards in hand "Hit or stay?"

"Excuse me?"

"You say hit me to get another card to add up or stay if you like what you have"

"Oh...okay umm...hit me" Sam drawled out in a bored tone, surprised when Janna gave her a 3 instead of hitting her.

"I thought Janna was suppose to hit me!"

The girls looked at her funny, unsure if the new girl was joking

"Its an expression, we don't actually hit you."

"Oh..." Sam let out a disappointed sigh "That's no fun."

"riiiiight, anyway, did you go over?"

"huh? Oh right" Sam quickly over turned her card, revealing a 10. "Umm 2...5...I have 15. I think I'll pass."

"Sabrina?"

"Umm...hit me?"

Sabrina let out an angry groan at the 10 she received. She flipped over her cards revealing another 10 with her 3 "23, I went over."

"Look this is all..." Sam began

"Fun?" Janna offered

"No, boring" Sam told them "But I thought we were here to talk about Marco and stuff."

The game screeched to a halt, each one of the girls giving Sam a different stare. Jackie's was worry, Sabrina's fear and Janna looked happy.

"W-who told you..."

"Nobody, it was kinda obvious. I mean Janna hits on Marco all the time"

"Guuuuilty!" Janna answered cheerfully.

"Jackie, you've been given Marco the sweet eyes every time I see you two in the same room."

Jackie uncharacteristically flushed a bright red.

"And Sabrina, I didn't know about but still"

"So...yeah you found out our secret" Janna scoffed, taking all cards and reshuffling the deck.

"So" Sam said nonchalantly "Whose came the closest?"

The mood in the room shifted from a comfortable, laid back game to a tense, awkward silence.

"W-what do you mean closest?" Sabrina stammered out, tugging at her ponytail apprehensively

Sam put on her thinking face, trying to figure out the best, subtle way to word it for these humans.

"Who has came the closest about telling Marco how they feel about him?"

The trio stared at each other, trying to get a read on the other competitors in the room.

"Psst" Janna leaned back on her stool with a smug grin "It's obviously me"

Janna frowned, Jackie's laugh causing her blood to boil with anger.

"Hey!" Janna shouted "What is that supposed to mean?"

Jackie took deep, calming breaths, a snort and giggle escaping here and there while she tried to compose herself.

"Sorry but you've come the closest? You are aware how nervous you make Marco right?"

"That's because he's totally into me!"

"More like scared of you" Sabrina muttered under her breath.

Janna's focused on the cheerleader "and what about you? You think you've gotten the closest?"

Sabrina nodded happily but winced when Janna let out a chuckle

"What did you do? Trip over him?"

"At least Marco trusts me!" Sabrina shot back, rising to her feet, unsure if it was wise to pick a fight with Janna.

"Girls..." Jackie said slowly but accidentally drew attention to herself.

"Oh don't start Jackie. The best you've done is that nod thing you've been doing for years."

The trio flinched at the sound of an unnaturally sharp whistle that felt like someone scratching their claws against a blackboard.

Sam removed her claws from the blackboard, unconcerned at the deeply etched marks she made on them. She didn't go to this class so what did she care.

"How about we keep playing this..umm...21" Sam motioned to the deck now scattered all across the floor "And we play a little game at the same time? We tell each other about the closest we ever got to confessing to Marco about our feelings? Sound good?"

The other girls agreed, taking their seats calmly as Janna began picking and reshuffling the cards once more.

"So..." Sabrina murmured "Whose first?"

"I'll go first" Janna told the others smugly "And we shall see I am clearly the best at the Marco flirting game."

" _Okay Janna you got this. You got this. Just don't come on too strong...like always. And don't take his keys...even if you realllly want him to talk to you to get them back and for the love of god don't scare him with the fake fangs again" Janna muttered to herself, nervously fixing her beanie in the bathroom mirror._

 _Janna began pacing back and forth, her heart beating wildly at the idea of talking to Marco._

" _Okay" She told herself, stopping in the middle of the room "I got this! I GOT THIS!"_

 _Janna threw open the girls bathroom door and began making her way to where she knew Marco would be, each step she took more and more hesitation sinking into her bones._

" _I don't got this"_

" _Got what Janna? My house keys again?"_

 _Janna almost leapt out of her skin, pivoting on the heels of her foot to find herself face to face with Marco, a defensive and cautious look in his eyes_

" _Oh, hey Marco." Janna saved herself by slipping into her laid back, troublemaker voice as she called it "Whatcha got there?"_

" _My books." Marco replied in a deadpanned voice_

" _I see. So Marco, I was wondering if you could help me with some extra credit. It'd be fun" Janna asked in a sly, calm voice._

" _No."_

" _Oh come on" Janna pressed, hooking her arm around his neck, trying to stop the flush on her face from showing "I promise not to bite."_

 _Marco gingerly lifted her hand away from his shoulder as if he was carrying some sort of nuclear waste or something equally as dangerous_

" _As greeeeeat as that sounds, I'm gonna have to pass."_

" _Why? Too much of a safe kid?" Janna teased, hoping that was still Marco's button_

 _and telling by the way he glared and narrowed his eyes towards her, Janna knew she had him hook, line and sinker._

" _I am not a safe kid!" Marco shouted, taking a step closer to the girl._

 _Janna fidgeted shyly for a moment, trying to keep up the illusion that she was totally in control of her emotions._

" _Really? Is that why you don't want to hang out with me?" Janna asked, following his lead and taking a step forward, shortening the distance between the two teens "Because you're a safe kid?"_

" _I am not a safe kid!"_

" _Neither am I" Janna muttered, leaning in to a completely clueless Marco_

 _I can do this, Janna thought to herself, slowly building up the courage to tell Marco the truth_

" _You know Marco" Janna began "I..."_

" _MARCO!"_

 _The pair turned around, surprised to see a panting, wheezing Ferguson racing in their direction, a fearful and crazed look in his eyes as if something was threatening to harm him._

" _Ferg? What's wrong?"_

 _Ferguson held up a hand, telling Marco to wait while he caught his breath._

 _Janna and Marco shared a concerned look, there was no way this could be good._

" _S..Star...mascot. Thinks...monster..."_

 _Marco let out a cheery laugh "Ferguson, Star knows what an opossum is. There's no way..."_

" _No, other school's team. The dragons."_

 _Marco's eyes widened as his forehead became beaded with sweat._

" _Sorry Janna, I got to go!" Marco shouted, running off to the football field in hopes to prevent Star from doing something...illegal._

"If it wasn't for Star, I would've told him right then and there but she haaaaaad to mistake the North Ridge dragon mascot for a real monster."

Sabrina and Jackie shared a look, one Janna did not like

"What?"

"Was this dragon game like 2 months ago?"

"Yeeees?" Janna replied, unsure what the two were getting at.

"Janna, I was cheering at the game." Sabrina explained

"And I was there too" Jackie added "but Star wasn't like at all. I think Ferguson was trying to keep you away from Marco."

Janna huffed, clearly disappointed that she had been played.

"Freaking Ferguson, I'm clearly going to have to get him back for that. Still, if Ferguson hadn't interrupted, I totally would've told Marco."

"That was pretty close Janna" Sabrina smiled at the story then frowning at the cards she was dealt.

"And you Sabrina? How close did you get? I mean I didn't even know you had a crush on Marco" Sam asked curiously

"Oh...I'm...it's new. I guess. Umm I only had one real interaction with Marco. It was about 2 weeks ago"

 _Sabrina let out a sigh, her body tumbling this way and that as she fell down the stairs...again. She knew she was clumsy but even she found this ridiculous_

 _She winced when she collided with the bottom, a crack that did not sound good at all filling the empty hallway._

 _Sabrina tried to move her leg but pain shot throughout her body, forcing her to stop before it became unbearable._

" _Great" She muttered, disappointed that she broke something yet again "Now I have to wait till a teacher or janitor sees me. Everyone else is in class." She sighed depressingly_

" _Sabrina? Are you okay?"_

 _Sabrina was caught off guard the by the young man's voice and as she stared upwards to see who it belonged to. She was surprised to see Marco Diaz, her classmate from math class._

" _Oh, I...I think I broke my leg. Don't worry Marco it happens all the time" Sabrina smiled, trying to convince him to just leave so she didn't have to embarrass herself by having him spread around what a klutz she was_

 _Marco frowned at her words, kneeling down to her eye level and gently taking hold of her leg in his hands_

" _Does it hurt when I do this?" He asked, twisting it gently in a direction._

 _Sabrina shook her head, marveling at how careful Marco was with her_

" _I don't think it's broken but it might be sprained" Marco concluded, rising to his feet, offering his hand to the fallen cheerleader._

 _Sabrina took his hand but immediately cried out in pain when he attempted to lift her to her feet._

" _Sorry, sorry!" Marco quickly told her in a panic "Umm here."_

 _he turned away from, leaning over so Sabrina could pull herself onto his back._

" _Marco, you don't have to do this" Sabrina tried to tell him but Marco just waved her off_

" _Come on Sabrina, we don't have all day."_

 _Sabrina gave into the young man's demands, wrapping her arms around his neck, chanting over and over again for Marco not to drop her._

 _She let out a gasp of surprise when Marco effortlessly lifted off the floor, his grasp on her sure and steady._

" _Wow, you can lift me?" Sabrina questioned in awe, unaware she had said it aloud._

" _Oh yeah. I mean I fight monsters all the time. I've gotten preeeetty strong" Marco boosted, more to disprove his safe kid title rather than trying to impress the cheerleader on his back._

 _But nevertheless Sabrina was impressed. Most boys would've left her there, calling a teacher or school officials assuming they hadn't just gone back to what they were doing and completely forgot about her. Most boys couldn't even pick her up._

" _T-thank you Marco" Sabrina whispered slowly, her hands turning clammy and sweating as the pair made their way to the nurses office._

" _It's no problem Sabrina." He responded, not a hint of strain in his voice._

 _A sudden realization hit Sabrina_

" _OH NO! Wait Marco, you're missing class!" Sabrina cried out, guilt boiling in her stomach._

" _It's okay, with my grades, most teachers tend to be really relax about letting me borrow the hall pass for like 20 minutes at a time. You're just lucky I forgot my history book or else you might've been on the floor for a while."_

 _Sabrina glanced at one of the school's clock hanging haphazardly on the walls. She let out a grateful sigh once she realized if Marco hadn't found her when he did, she soon would've been subjected to students rushing off to 6th period, students who would've came across her helpless on the floor and found herself at the butt of "Sabrina's sooo clumsy jokes that..." again_

 _Marco filled in the nurse on a fake story about Sabrina having been injured at cheer practice, something caused the young girl's gratefulness to grow even more._

 _Marco laid her on the nurses bed per the older woman's instructions._

 _Marco tensely asked her if she needed anything before he left and while Sabrina was honored he would ask such a question, she replied with no._

 _Awkward silence filled the room and Sabrina realized that she never actually spoken to Marco before despite the fact they've been going to school together for the last few months. Marco literally helped out someone who was paramount to a complete stranger to him._

 _Sabrina could feel her face blush at the idea and even found Marco's nervous shifting back and forth cute. It was clear he wanted to leave as soon as possible but he also wanted to make sure she was okay before he did so._

 _Sabrina opened her mouth to thank him once more when the nurses office door was kicked open, a loud and panicked sound of someone trying to catch their breath filling the room._

" _MARCO!" A familiar voice cried out, hurried footsteps getting louder and louder as Star Butterfly ran into view._

" _Star?" Marco quizzically asked before being caught up in a massive bear hug from the young princess._

" _Marco, where were you? You were gone 20 minutes!" Star shouted with worry, her cheek resting against Marco's_

 _Marco flushed, trying to break free of the girl's suffocating grip "S-Star! C-Can't breaaaath..."_

" _Breath?" Star stared forward, trying to figure what exactly Marco meant by that._

" _I think he means breathe" Sabrina offered helpfully, not at all liking the varying colors Marco was turning into._

" _OH!" Star let her hug slacken but Sabrina noticed she didn't completely let go of her best friend._

" _T-thanks...what are you doing here?" Marco questioned, taking deep breaths and missing the princess's intense gaze on him._

" _Well...you were gone and..."  
_

" _Star, I'm fine. You don't need to freak out every time I go off on my own."_

 _Star's eyes bright, not hurt but filled with concern. Something happened to Marco and clearly Star was taking it personally. Almost like Marco had been kidnapped and Star felt she needed to be blame for it._

 _But that was clearly absurd_

" _So...where did you go? I thought you were getting your history book?"  
_

 _Marco shrugged calmly "I ran into Sabrina, she sprained her ankle so I helped her to nurses office."_

 _Star's gaze fell upon the cheerleader and Sabrina felt like a search light had been focused on her. Sabrina swore she saw a hint of jealousy when Star asked if Marco had given Sabrina a piggyback ride to the office and he replied he had. But the jealousy disappeared into joy, Star pulling out her wand cheerfully_

" _Star, what are you..." Marco began but Star already was casting her spell._

 _Sabrina felt a warm light envelope her body before it faded into nothingness._

" _What was..." Sabrina was surprised when she moved her leg, the pain of her fall completely gone_

" _Star! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" Sabrina cried, hugging the blonde girl as tightly as she could_

" _You are welcome Sabrina!" Star cheerfully replied, letting go of her and turning back to Marco._

 _The 6th period bell rang and before Sabrina could get a word in, Star began dragging Marco off, commenting that she wasn't going to get a detention because the safe kid was too busy playing hero._

 _Sabrina blushed at Marco's retreating figure as she thought to herself "He's really something"_

"And that's it" Sabrina finished, pouting having gone over 21 once again.

"That's the closest you've gotten?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Well it was the only time I really interacted with him. So yeah I guess?" Sabrina was unsure what Sam was expecting. She barely talked to Marco despite her various attempts to do so.

"Still, getting a piggyback ride from Marco. That's something." Jackie comforted Sabrina.

"I wonder if I broke my leg, would Marco carry me to the nurse?" Janna mused, scratching her chin conspiratorially

Jackie laughed at Janna "Only if he ties you up first to make sure you don't rob him."

Janna shrugged, a sly grin on her face "Well if he's into that."

"JANNA!" Sabrina and Jackie cried out, cheeks red at what Janna was implying

"Lighten up, it was joke"

"So" Sam interjected "Jackie, how about you? What was the closest you got?"

Jackie flushed once again, her normal laid back demeanor completely shattered by the attention she was receiving

"It was about a month ago."

" _Hey Marco" Jackie waved, hoping the smile on her face wasn't too obvious_

" _Hey Jackie" Marco muttered, his voice low and his cheeks red_

 _Jackie had no idea what caused Marco to finally say hi to her after a lifetime of nodding towards one another but she was glad. While more than content to keep nodding at him, she was grateful one of them had the courage to take it a step forward. She had been trying for the longest time to say hello to the teen but always managed to get scared at the last moment and reverted back to the nod._

" _What are you up to?" Jackie asked, trying to keep her pace slow as not to frighten Marco away._

" _Well right now? I dunno I got some snacks for Star. She went off ahead this morning but didn't eat. I don't see her anywhere" Marco answered, the tension in his voice evident_

" _Oh" Jackie was unsure how to response to that piece of information "Does she do that often?"_

 _Marco shook his head, worry clearly biting at him "This is the first time. Well I mean there was that time she went on the school bus without me, when I broke your...umm..."_

 _Marco flushed, remembering the horrible day where he accidentally crushed Jackie's skateboard underfoot after being provoked by Jeremy, just one atrocious event in a long chain of them._

" _Oh right, thanks for replacing it by the way" Jackie said, holding onto her new skateboard tightly_

" _You're welcome, it's the least I could do after I broke it."_

" _You know..." Jackie said softly, brushing her blue strain of hair behind her ear "I...I never did thank you for that."_

 _Marco's redden cheeks worsen, his fingers twitching and fidgeting, unsure if he was hearing Jackie correctly._

 _"O-oh? Y-you don't have to thank me Jackie. You should've been more mad at me than you were, I did destroy the one thing you enjoy most. I surprised you took it so well...and now I'm digging my own grave."_

 _Jackie let out a small laugh causing both their hearts to race even further._

" _I wasn't mad. I knew you would replace it" Jackie told him, taking a step forward "You're a good guy."_

" _Thanks Jackie...I umm..." Marco began fanning himself, sweating form on his forehead, Jackie's approaching figure almost sending him into cardiac arrest._

" _So Marco..." Jackie began, trying to get out what she wanted to say before her courage failed her completely "I was wondering if you wanted to..."_

 _Jackie gave a little cough, her throat deciding to dry out on her as if by magic. She tried to take a deep breathing and tried to rehydrate in time to ask Marco out on a date._

" _Jackie? If I wanted to...?"_

" _MARCO!" Star's voice cried out as the girl seemingly appeared from nowhere, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug_

" _Star, there you are" Marco murmured almost too calmly "where were you?"_

" _Oh, I was looking for these!" Star held up two small movie tickets, her eyes shining with joy and a hint of mischievousness_

" _Staaaar! You lost our free movie tickets?" Marco moaned, glowering at the princess_

" _I didn't lose them" Star stated matter a fact "I simply forgot where I put them!"_

" _Staaar"_

 _Marco's eyes bugged out in surprise when Star placed a finger on his lips_

" _and since I remembered they were in my locker, everything is good Marco. So stop worrying."_

 _Marco pulled away, cheeks dusted with even more red_

" _So are we still going to see a movie today?" Star asked quizzically, standing right next to her best friend, her hand accidentally brushing against Marco's who didn't seem to notice._

" _Yeah. Oh! Jackie, did you want to see a movie with us?"_

 _Jackie pouted, unsure if her presence would be welcomed. True she just wanted to hang out with just Marco but Star was loads of fun and would ease up the tension._

 _Jackie wanted to say yes but she was getting some rather strong vibes from Star, unsure what the princess was trying to tell her._

" _I-I don't know, I don't want to intrude" Jackie shakily responded, letting her real vocabulary slip out for a brief moment._

" _Nonsense Jackie" Star cheerfully answered "You're not intrading at all"_

" _Intruding Star"_

" _Yeah that word, whatever it means"_

" _It means getting in the way" Marco answered_

" _Well you are not Jackie. Come on! Marco will pay for your ticket and any food we get"_

" _Star!"_

" _What, I don't have any Earth money. Expect me to pay Marco?"_

 _Jackie smiled fondly at the two bickering best friends in front of her. They went so well together._

" _Come on Jackie!" Star cut across her thoughts, grabbing the girl by her arm and dragging her out of the school_

" _STAR!" Marco called out to her "We still have school to go to"_

" _Oh right" Star let go of Jackie's arm "How about you meet us in front of the school?"_

 _Jackie nodded, deciding even if she wasn't going to be alone with Marco, it was still nice to go out with friends_

" _See you after school!" Star shouted, waving excitedly towards the other girl_

" _B-bye Jackie see you later!" Marco said before turning and following Star towards their lockers._

"We went to watch Back to the Future 2" Jackie concluded "I didn't get to tell Marco how I felt but I did sit next to him. Poor Marco. Sandwiched between me and Star. I couldn't tell who liked the movie more. Star or me given how much we were yelling and screaming. And then we had to stop Star from trying to travel back in time."

"Cool story Jackie" Janna piped up "But it looks like I win"

"What? Why?"

"Because" Janna told her smugly "I actually got part of my confession out. Heck I actually was going to confess, all you were going to do was ask him on a date"

"Which if I had" Jackie countered "I would've told him how I felt on said date!"

"But I got a piggy back ride" Sabrina shyly cut in "He got to be my hero."

"That's not confessing Sabrina!"

"I had physical contact with him!"

"Psst, like that counts for anything."

"Girls..." Jackie held up her hand to stop the warring teens "I just noticed something."

"What Jackie?"

"Yeah what? That I rule?"

"No..." Jackie turned to the others, wondering if they came to the same conclusion she had "Did anyone notice that our stories have a common element in them?"

"You mean that we all horribly failed?" Janna supplied "Because I think that was obvious"

"Technically I didn't try so I didn't fail" Sabrina muttered under her breath.

Jackie shook her head.

"No, that in every single one of our stories, Star is one that stops us from getting too close to Marco"

Janna scoffed before the realization of what that implied hit her

"Wait..."

"I mean" Jackie went on with her theory "In my story, she appears right as I try to ask Marco out on a date."

"Ferguson told me Star thought the opposing mascot was a real monster when she's been here long enough to know better" Janna whispered softly.

"And before I could thank him again, Star found us and even healed my leg for me. Maybe so Marco didn't have to stay with me" Sabrina added in.

The trio stared blankly at the chemistry table, unsure what this new revelation meant.

"You are all seriously surprised at this?"

The trio turned to Sam, their question gazes revealing that humans were clueless and not very good at seeing the writing on the wall.

"What do you mean Sam?"

Sam shrugged nonchalantly, flipping over her face down Ace card "Star likes Marco. Duh"

All three girls shouted "WHAT!" at once.

"How do you know this?" Sabrina questioned

"She told me"

The girls shared a look with one another before turning back to the demon

"She told you?"

Sam nodded, putting down a king "Yeah. When I tried to tell Marco."

"Oh this I got to hear" Janna said with a grin "tell us how demons foreign exchange students ask out humans oh great and amazing Samantha."

"Well..."

 _Sam took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before she went out there to see him. She had only been here a week and she was already trying to ask out a human. Granted this human was this super awesome, adorkably cute, nerdy fighter but hey, he was already better than half the demons in the underworld._

" _Okay" Sam told herself "Just go out there and tell him you like him, simple as hunting mice."_

 _Sam smiled to herself in the crack mirror, her fragmented image staring at her from various angles._

 _She opened the door, taking a deep breath as she made her way to where she left Marco tied up._

"Wait a minute" Jackie intrusted "You tied Marco up?"

Sam nodded casually, showing no remorse for her actions

"Whoa, that's pretty crazy" Janna chipped in "was he into it?"

"JANNA!"

"Kidding, kidding"

"Why did you kidnap him Sam?" Sabrina asked, the quiver of fear in her voice

"Oh, in demon culture, you have to restrain your maybe date. Adolescent demons tend to lose control of their powers when startled or under lots of stress. Trust me you think asking someone out here is hard? Try doing it when they're spitting out fire, lightning or brimstone at you uncontrollably. Not easy and makes you want to do the same. Besides, I didn't know that when I first got here. Hello different cultures. Can I go on?"

The girls nodded

" _So..." Marco replied in a bored voice, almost as if he had been through this kind of thing before. Sam didn't know when was the last time he had been restrained in a chair but it made her feel better that apparently Earth shared some customs with the underworld_

"They don't" Sabrina muttered under her breath

"Again, I know that now" Sam replied.

" _So..." Sam replied nervously, finger twirling one of her ponytails_

" _Am I here as a hostage? Because you'll never get Star's wand." Marco muttered calmly_

" _Star's wand?" Sam was confused at the sudden turn that this whole thing had taken "Why would I want Star's wand?"  
_

 _Marco glanced at her, confusion all over his face "because it's a powerful magical item?"_

" _So? I'm a demon. Like I want any more powers I can't control"_

" _So...why am I here?"_

" _Oh!" Sam's face flushed, a blue tint on her pale cheeks "I...umm...well you see..."_

" _Why did you restrain me?"_

" _I didn't want you throwing fire all over me or something"_

" _Why would I do that? How could I do that?"_

 _Sam peered forward carefully "You don't?_

 _Marco shook his head "Yeah humans can't do anything of the sort."_

" _Oh...oh wow...I...thought..." Sam covered her face in embarrassment "Sorry I mean I wanted to ask you something but in demon culture you have to restrain the other party because us teenage demons tend to lose control of our powers when nervous or startled._

" _Oh...well we humans just sweat and say stuff we didn't mean to"_

" _Here" Sam took a step forward "let me let you out"  
_

 _She began undoing one of the knots._

" _What were you going to ask me Sam?"_

 _Sam tried to keep her 2 hearts from racing too out of control. She really wasn't expecting to tell Marco this close to his face_

" _Well you've been really nice to me despite the countless fires and things I've melted. So...you are really cool and I just wanted to..."_

" _NARWHAL BLAST!"_

 _Sam looked up to see an aquatic mammal smash into her, sending her skidding across the floor._

" _What the..." Sam looked up only to see the most terrifying sight she had ever seen._

 _Star Butterfly, hair flowing in the wind, two large smokey columns of hearts surrounding her as she made her way to Sam._

 _Sam tried to get up but Star beat her to it, lifting the demon up by her shirt collar and leaning in close._

" _I'm...I'm sorry!" Sam cried out "I didn't...it was a clash of culture I..."_

" _I know what you were doing" Star muttered, her voice low and dangerous "If you are going to ask my Marco out, you better make sure you can. I will destroy you if you hurt him any way."_

" _Y-your Marco?" Sam questioned but Star already released the grip on the demon, apologizing for her rash actions as Marco made his way over to the two._

"Star likes Marco?" Jackie said in a daze.

Sam nodded in response "It looks like she's willing to wait as long as it takes for Marco."

"...so...she's letting him date other people?" Sabrina asked, confused by it all

"Star doesn't want to control his life. She wants to give him his freedom That being said, she also seems extremely confident they are going to be together one day."

The girls didn't know how to take this new piece of information.

"So we still have a chance?"

"I guess so."

"I don't know about you" Janna said, rising up from her seat "But I am not going give up Marco without trying. Watch out Star here I come!"

"Me too!

"Same here!"

Sam rolled her eyes, verbally adding in "Same here I guess." while mentally thinking to herself, there is no way they are going to beat Star.

* * *

Marco and Star sat next to each other, staring upwards to the night sky in their pjs, hanging out like the young pair always did.

"Marco" Star began "Are you okay? You've been really quiet."

Marco turned to Star, her bright blue eyes staring directly into his. Just seeing Star made Marco's heart skip a beat nowadays

"Yeah, I'm just thinking"

"Thinking about what? How cute I am?"

Marco's face flushed a bright red

"What? No no I..."

Star pouted, disappointment clear in her eyes "Oh I'm not cute then?"

Marco waved his hands wildly "Wait, no that's not what I meant! You're really cute Star and extremely pretty!"

Marco flinched, unsure where that last part came from.

Star's cheerful grin and giggle scrambled Marco's brain some more.

"Hee thanks Marco."

Marco couldn't stop his face from pooling all the blood into it. Marco had no idea why he was feeling so nervous around Star. Why his thoughts ran rampant with little questions like "I wonder what her lips taste like?" and "has she always been this pretty?"

Marco was seeing Star in a whole new light and it was confusing the heck out of him simply because he had no idea when this happened.

"Marco" Star whispered softly, sending a chill down his spine

"Y-yes Star?" Marco replied, unsure who was closing the distance between them: Star or Marco.

"You know..." she brushed a strain of hair behind her hair and Marco was overcome with the sudden urge to run his fingers through her hair to see if it felt was soft as it looked. "I really need to tell you something"

Marco gulped, unaware how his body was steering him closer to the princess.

"What is it Star?"

"I..." she said, her breath tickling his lips now that they were mere inches away "I really, really..."

"MARCO!" Mrs. Diaz voice called "Did you get the laundry?"

Marco leapt to his feet, shouting dramatically "NO I DIDN'T. I'll do it right now mom!"

Marco gave Star a shaky smile, trying to ignore how much he wanted to sit back down and kiss the girl

"I...I got things...to..umm do.."

Star smiled, nodding calmly towards her best friend

"I'll wait Marco until you're done with those _distract_ _ion_ _s_ "

Marco gave her a tense smile, making his way down towards the inside of the house, stealing glances at Star every few seconds.

Star smiled to herself, staring upwards to the thousands of gleaming stars above her, winking at her as if they approved of the young couple that almost is

Star let out a soft whisper that was equal parts pride and longing.

"Almost got him. Just a matter of time"


	47. I said I don't dance, not can't (Canon)

Hello fanfiction! author here, hope you are doing great. A thank you for every single favorite, follow and review. they mean so much to me.

A special thanks to h mae. haha don't worry you made plenty of sense. I am glad you did enjoy it even if it isn't your usual cup of tea.

SVTFOEfanatic -We must fix that AT ONCE! WE NEED 500 CC OF STARCO STAT! I am really honored that my stories help you relax. here have another! get plenty of rest and you keep being awesome too. "Win or lose, I'm going out with a bang."

watermalone- haha dont worry, i give late reviews too. haha i remember i mentioned it a while ago. took forever but it is here. Im trying to figure out a way to show Sam's backstory but its a little hard. ill figure it out sooner or later. thank you so much. good luck to you and best wishes as well good sir!

fanfictionfordayz- well should i try to revive you or get a clone? i mean our starco insurance covers both. so..hmm this is tough. would you revive for a cookie?

Finn: Missed it by that much. next time star.

deadshoot- the ship sails itself. no literally. My starco captain title is literally for show and tax reasons. well there is always a star and a hoodie. Ah :D haha my bad

grim- I love that story arc though the episode with Alfred's backstory was great too. no worries, i am planning to add Sam into the rotation. you readers seem to love her so why not? hey hey, no vault hunting. oh crap just hinted at a au. FORGET THAT here read this story instead.

Haruatora- well if you want to be haruatoa, let me know. haha i noticed that a while ago though his is pretty small (Since it is currently Janna, Jackie, a blonde girl kissing him on the cheek on his wall of foreign exchange students and Star.) still plenty to work with for anime style hi-jinks. to the vault!

king of france- yes the doctor is a great man. which makes me wonder when i do the doctor who au do i make Marco into the the tenth *Given he fits the whole david tennt look better and already has his rose* or do i make Star the 11th (because how cocky matt smith is and i want to see Star in a fez. well another fez since she changed her horns into one during freeze day.) well that's for future me to worry about.

IDC1314- thank you so much for your kind words i'm glad you enjoyed it so. haha keep up the amazing work yourself sara! GO SARA!

lost- haha i have a feeling part 2 would be Marco trying to outrace the girls who are trying to make him pick which one he likes most.

thewookie- sounds like a cover of sharp dressed man. "They come running just as fast as they can, cause every girl goes crazy for a safe kid" haha she has like a 95% shot of getting with Marco and that's just from the show.

Kieran- well i have a great announcement for you.

pure trash- I am very happy you enjoyed the story and i love that idea soooo much i am adding it to my request list i have set up after the next two chapters and my special 50th chapter *So excited*

billy- haha thank you for noticing, no one mentioned it but i assumed you all got the joke. you should laugh cry or laury or is it crugh. I thought about it but decided it was more in character for both of them if Marco was a shy guy trying to ask a normal girl out. Spying was a job so its second nature to him, he fully expects to be seduced, betrayed and killed but the cute girl working at the electronic store? how does he impress her?

So first on Starco corner, a million thank yous for H mae who really made me happy and honored when she decided to draw my OC sam which looks great. she also drew Stella and Marcus from Axis's story nothing comes easy and that heartbreaking scene in from Starfall. thanks for making cry all over again mae! check her work out over at tumblr, hains-mae. Sara, idrawcartoons1314 over on instagram has a bunch of awesome doodles including a really excellent Fangy Janna, the season finale hug and 12 year old starco that is too cute. Fandomharbor also on instagram has a few doodles up as well, including trying new styles out that look good. and finally on the list spatziline on tumblr has some great work including gravity falls meeting star and a reblog of Star wearing janna's clothing (it totally works on her). here on ff we got a number of awesome stories up. It's obivous from real travioly, nothing comes easy from Axis, two amazing chapters of Starfall from golfalphamike, an heartwarming scene from Flowersforfanictions's the star and the sun, butterdiaz's the right reason, a cute meta story called starco discovers starco from the skeptic potato, a fun college au from totallyobessedwithSVTFOE called SVTFOE Starco college au, a very awesome chapter from Fabioferrario's magical disruptur and of course just purely awesome twst on you're my wish come true from fanfictionfordayz that makes me wonder if someone's been sneaking into the vault. no seriously if you haven't read that new chapter from fanfictionfordayz, stop reading this and read that now!

so a special announce, after sooooo soooo soooo sooo soooooooooo long *seriously did not realize how long it had been* it is finally here, the stand alone story of Marco Diaz vs the world AU i promised forever go.

so now this au. Marco is upset when one of the more confident, suave Diaz cousins manages to convince Star to dance with him during a family wedding. Marco can't hide his jealousy anymore as he cuts in, showing Star which Diaz she should be dancing with.

So not gonna lie. this started as a simple song fic and...well blew up into this. I think i was running on a fallout 4 high. Literally not even sure where this came from but i hope you enjoy it.

THe song of the night is shake a tailfeather from Ray Charles. God i love this song and i totally don't sing it at the top of my lungs whenever it comes on. If you want a description of the dance moves, i recommend watching the clip. if you just want a really sweet jazz song, listen to the soundtrack. for all intents and purposes, blood moon ball did not happen yet or the episode order is mixed up. the age is whatever you want as long as you remember they are underage.

thank you so much for everything! you readers make me all kinds of happy! i hope you are all doing good. Enjoy and i own nothing!

 _This means lead singer, **this is back singers (there's much, not really)**_

* * *

Marco Diaz was not a happy teen. Even surrounded by his family on this happy day did not bring a smile to his face. Mostly because the family member he hated most swept his best friend off her feet and away from him.

It was the weekend, a Saturday as the entire Diaz clan gathered to celebrate the marriage of Marco's favorite cousin Lisa Rivera (formerly Diaz as of that morning).

Marco loved his cousin Lisa very much, mostly due to her influence on the young man whenever she baby sat him. She was the only (outside his loving parents and grandparents) that really accepted his behavior and encouraged it, singing loudly with him whenever one of their children movies came on, teasing him a playful manner and being the big sister he never had. Just one dork teaching another.

So when Lisa met Juan, Marco was carefully eying the former high school friend of his cousin, ready to catch him in any wrong doing.

As it turns out, there was no need.

The 21 year old man was really awesome, knowing a vast array of nerdy knowledge while remaining both cool and suave, something Marco may have been attempting to emulate since meeting him.

And Juan took to Marco like he was his own flesh and blood, inviting him to hang out with him and his friends despite their age difference.

Marco liked Juan and Juan liked Marco but even Marco couldn't understand how fond Juan became of the younger man.

Juan liked him so much that he asked Marco to be one of his groomsmen.

Marco was honored beyond belief and happily accepted though he didn't realize he had been accepting for another person as well.

Lisa fell in love with Star the moment the two met and bonded with the young princess quickly and deeply, so much that when Marco agreed to be Juan's groomsman, Lisa asked Star seconds after if she would like to one of Lisa's bridesmaids.

Star accepted the very moment the question had been finished, followed quickly by asking what exactly a bridesmaid was.

And because some outside force seemed to control their existence, Marco was paired up with Star. And at first, things were normal.

Well normal being a relative term as Juan and Lisa were not normal given the theme of their wedding was 1950's Day of the dead.

Marco didn't even know if that was a thing but if it hadn't been before, it was now.

Marco's groomsmen attire was probably the most fancy outfit Marco had ever put on in his entire life.

A crisp, well pressed white dress jacket with a black trim placed strategically over the lining of the pockets, collar and interior of the clothing. A white, vertically striped dress shirt with black bow tie, buttons and of course, Marco's signature well pressed black slacks with shiny, reflective loafers that Marco was forced to recreate for the rest of the group. And the piece de resistance was of course the unique calaca skeleton mask each guy wore tucked under slicked back greaser hairstyles.

The bridesmaids wore a white short sleeved buttoned blouses covered by slightly longer sleeved matching jackets, a varying array of pink, red and black ribbons tied around their necks. Each bridesmaid wore their own favored color belt (Star choosing red for some reason, probably to match the ribbon around her neck) and a poodle skirt homemade by Star Butterfly herself. The poodle skirts were long, about calf length in the pinkest shade of pink Marco had ever seen with black trims at the bottom, stars and hearts covering inch of the fabric (Star's personal touch naturally). Unlike the guys, the girls had access to Star and her amazing magical powers so they simply let Star paint the calaca style skeleton on their faces (They refused to share the princess with the guys so they were forced to make due with the masks since none of them had any ounce of artistic flair. Well one did but he was too sick to have a steady hand.) and finishing up their strange mesh of cultures, the girls pulled their hair into a single ponytail and tucked their hair under a simple headband with a flower glued to the right side of it.

Overall it was strange sight but since he was best friends with Star Butterfly for the last few months, strange was the new norm.

So weeks of practicing came and went, the pair joking and having a fun time as always.

But both teens got a bit of a surprise the day of the wedding

The best friends arrived early, having caught the same ride to the church before they were forcibly separated by their respective parties.

The pair did not reunite until it was time to walk down the aisle and when they saw each other wearing their outfit for the first time, they were overwhelmed by the other.

Each of the practice runs had been done out of costume, just regular street clothing, so now when it was time for the real thing, the pair found themselves staring at one another in a new light.

To Marco, Star looked too cute and pretty for words, her bright sky blue and immaculately braided ponytail fitting well with the whole retro outfit giving her a strange combination of adorable innocence and regular Star flair thrown together in a perfect collection though Marco felt the urge to wipe away the face paint off Star's face, it no longer sitting well with the young man.

To Star, Marco looked incredibly refined with a hint of bad boy tossed in to really make sure she couldn't stop looking his way. Star always thought human hair could only be shaped in a single direction given how much time Marco placed his hair into forward spikes but she had to admit, to her pleasant surprise, that his hair could move in other directions and she was really loving the gelled back precision Marco did with it this time. Though, staring at his brown eyes peering her way from the mask silts, she was not a fan of the accessory for some reason. It looked great but Star couldn't put her finger on why she wasn't liking the mask when worn with the rest of the attire.

The traditional wedding march played provided by a traditional mariachi band.

Marco and Star could feel their cheeks redden as they walked down towards the altar, their bodies stiffening when everyone pulled out their cameras and began taking more pictures of the young couple than any other pairing, quietly cooing at how adorable the two were. The wedding march really didn't help either.

Adding to the embarrassment fire was the fact when the bride and groom (Finally wed though forced to wear the standard marriage outfits) cheerfully kept on fighting the norm and threw the bouquet the moment the two finished their kiss

and who caught it? A certain magical princess of course, who cheerfully locked eyes with Marco, beaming with pride at what she accomplished and completely oblivious to why Mr. and Mrs. Diaz were suddenly laughing loudly.

Marco wished he died on the spot because since that moment, the family was jokingly planning his wedding to Star, all out of earshot of his best friend of course.

And after that mortifying morning led into this terrible night at the reception hall.

It started well enough, Marco ditching his mask and Star wiping away the face paint as the two hung out at the edges of the brightly lit hall, happily chatting to themselves and not trying to draw any more attention from the newlyweds.

"Marco" Star asked quizzically, turning to her best friend with the cutest questioning look

"Yeah Star?" Marco answered, taking a long drink of his soda.

"What was the deal with the thing I caught? And why are people saying I'm getting married soon?"

Marco spit his drink out comically, bathing a nearby waiter who shot him a look of pure hatred.

"I..wha...where?"

"Well..." Star's flush went completely unnoticed by Marco who was still trying to wrap his head around his family actions "Your parents kept joking about planning my wedding and everyone has been asking when's the date and Lisa told me she fully expected to be one of my bridesmaids. D-did I do something?"

"N-no Star of course not!" Marco quickly coughed out, trying to get much needed air into his lungs "It's a game people play at weddings."

"What game?"

"Well..." Marco began, uncomfortable at having to explain such a thing to Star "When someone catches the bouquet"

"The flower thingy I caught?"

"yeah that, well the reason behind it is whoever catches the bride's bouquet will be the next person to get married."

Star's eyes brightened, a girly glee became apparent within those blue orbs as she leaned closer to Marco, hands held together in tight fists and excitement written all over her face.

"OOOO I'm gonna get married next? How does the flower know?!" Star's face fell into shock before she shifted her glance conspiratorially around the room "Is Lisa a witch? Can she see the future? Can she tell me the answers to Monday's math test?"

Marco let out a blissful laugh, Star's antics just too adorable for him to handle.

"It's just a game Star. Something played for fun."

"Oh." Star replied, mildly disappointed before the smile returned to her face "Well it was a pretty fun game though I wonder who you parents had in mind for my husband?"

Marco flushed, the sight of his family stealing glances towards the teens hidden in the back reminding him exactly who his family was trying to ship Star with.

"N-no idea..." Marco muttered low, trying to ignore all the subtle stares from the rest of the Diaz's

"Well hello senorita" A sly, cocky yet charming voice called out.

Star and Marco looked up and while Star's face was confused at was going on, Marco's face sunk into anger.

Of course it would be _him_

"Alexander Ramon Diaz, at your service"

Marco couldn't help but glare at his cousin, jealously seething at Alexander's refined and incredibly graceful bow. He was always the cooler cousin.

Alexander was a year older than Marco and Marco's least favorite family member.

Alexander was a cocky, pompous jerk who constantly belittled and ridiculed Marco behind the family's back though treated him like a little brother whenever anyone was looking. Worse still was the fact Alexander was a seasoned player, breaking hearts left and right while having little to no remorse, using his charm and suave to stroke his ego above anything else

and now he had his eyes on Star.

Alexander was dressed up with a black leather jacket, combed over black hair as his hazel eyes caught Star's attention, his ripped jeans and laid back but confident attitude causing Star to blush under his gaze. She never could resist a bad boy.

"Hello Marco. And what is your name beautiful?"

"Star Butterfly" Star muttered calmly

"Well Star Butterfly, I would be immensely honored if you would dance with me."

Marco opened his mouth in protest, staring at Star like she lost her mind.

Star glanced towards Marco, unsure if this was okay. While she loved dancing, she was more than content to just sit here and hang out with Marco.

"Well I..." she began but Alexander had already grip her hand gently but tightlly, guiding to her feet.

"Don't worry, Marco will be fine. And we won't be _too_ far from him"

"Well, since Marco can't dance..." Star mumbled softly, disappointment flowing through her upon realizing she could never dance with her best friend, no matter how much she wanted to. He didn't know how to dance. He said so himself.

"Great it's settled!" Alexander shouted cheerfully, leading Star to the dance floor but not before shooting Marco a triumphant look that screamed "looks like I win again."

Marco's hand curled into a fist, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach as he flagged down a waiter.

The waiter shot him a look of disdain "Are you planning on bathing me again?"

"Give me the your sugariest drink"

"I don't think I want..."

"Did I stutter!?" the glare Marco shot the waiter could've melted stone.

"R-right away sir!"

Juan was having the best time of his life, laughing, smiling and dancing with the love of his life. But something felt off. Something wasn't right.

Juan turned to see a happy bubbly Star dancing with Alexander, having fun but secretly eying a certain direction every few seconds.

Juan traced her line of sight to see his second favorite Diaz slumped over, dejected and surrounded by what looked like bottles.

Concern overwhelmed Juan. Surely the staff wasn't stupid enough to give an underage teenager alcohol right?

"I'll be back" Juan told his wife, kissing her cheek as he pulled away from her

Lisa frowned which turned into a nod of understanding upon seeing her favorite cousin down in the dumps.

Juan approached Marco slowly as if he were a wild animal.

Juan eyed his drinks carefully, relived at what he thought was underage drinking turned out to just be a normal teenager'ss consumption of sugar.

Juan took a seat next to Marco, quietly waiting for Marco to say something but the boy made no motion he heard him arrive, taking a swig of his Super Rushing Thrill soda.

"You okay buddy?" Juan asked carefully

"Peachy" Marco murmured, low and clearly upset.

"I...is it Alexander dancing with Star? Scared she's gonna fall for his act?"

Marco let out an amused laugh, one that caught Juan off guard.

"Seriously? Star may be little on the reckless side but she would never fall for Alex's tricks"

Marco pointed to the dance floor and Juan noticed that while Star was having a blast, every time Alexander tried to make a romantic move or close the distance, Star would simply smile at him and subtly pull away not allowing the playboy to get too close.

"Oh wow, man was I wrong. So wait, why are you moping then?"

"I'm not moping. I don't drink Super Rushing Thrill when I am mopey."

"So you are..."

"I'm slightly upset" Marco answered, taking another drink of his 5th bottle of soda.

Juan couldn't kept the disbelief from his gaze "Only slightly?"

"Okay, maybe pretty upset" Marco admitted.

"Why?"

"Star said I can't dance."

"oooookay?"

"She clearly didn't listen to me. She asked me to dance one time during the first couple weeks she was on Earth and I told her I don't dance."

"Not that you can't" Juan supplied, pieces of the puzzle finally fitting into place

"I don't like dancing. I feel...ugh I don't know. I mean I know Star loves to dance but she's never asked me! She misheard me and now she's off dancing with someone else because of it."

"...do you want to dance with Star?"

Marco shifted uncomfortably, not really wanting to answer the question.

"I am not confident." Marco said slowly "I overthink things, I overreact and I just play it safe and just because I know how to dance doesn't mean it's going to wow Star. She's this amazing magical princess from another dimension who is just...awesome...and I'm just..."

Juan leaned back, purposely not saying anything about Marco's confession. Marco didn't seem to realize what he said and the last thing Juan wanted to do was drive the teen away.

"You know what the difference between confidence and cockiness?"

Marco turned to Juan, unsure where he was going with this

"Alex has both and I have neither?"

Juan shook his head "Confidence is thinking you can do something while cockiness is knowing you can."

Marco peered at Juan, completely confused "I...I don't get it. Aren't they the same?"

Juan shook his head "A cocky person just assumes they are gonna succeed, they believe no matter what they are going to win. But a confident person? They accept the fact they might not but they still tried their hardest in spite of the threat of failure and are okay with whatever happens, content with knowing they did their best win or lose."

Marco felt like someone injected him with courage, the burning desire to dance with Star overwhelming him in the best way possible.

Marco took a long drink, finishing his soda as he dramatically slammed the bottle onto the table. He rose to his feet, undoing the buttons that kept his jacket closed, tugging at the collar of his attire before unnecessary flicking it forward.

Juan beamed with pride as Marco walked towards the dance floor, his steps sure and steady.

Star let out a laugh that was 3/4ths real, 1/4th wishing she was with Marco. Even if they couldn't dance together, he was still her best friend and she had the most fun with him.

"Having fun Star?" Alex asked with a smug grin.

Star nodded, silently laughing at Alex. Seriously, did he think she was going to fall for his stupid tricks and smooth tongue? It was rather adorable how hard he was trying but Star saw past the front and saw the shallowness within. He just wasn't the guy for her. Decent dancer though.

Star's sore, tired body was energized once more when she heard the next song begin, a quick but expertly rhythmic pair of hands playing a keyboard filling the room with a jazzy, sound as a solid but floaty, bouncy voice began to sing

 _I heard about the fell_ _a_ _you've_ _been dancing with,_ _a_ _ll over the_ _neighborhood_ _  
_

Marco's eyes solely focused on Star, her smile and laughing face egging him to go for it, to screw safety or how bad this could end up and just go for it. Just dance with Star!

 _So why didn't you ask me baby or didn't you think I could?  
_

Marco Diaz did not dance. He did not like all the attention it brought him, the  
"aww how cute Marco looks dancing" comments from his family and he never believed his father whenever he said it would help him impress a girl. He was taught old school dance moves: swing, rock, a bit of waltzing and ballroom. How was any of that ancient stuff supposed to impress any girl?

But in this moment, brimming with a confidence never felt before, Marco fully believed his dad was right. He was going to dance with Star and show her what exactly he can do! If it impresses her or not, at least he tried.

 _Well I know that the boogaloo is out of sight  
_

Star closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the walking bassline along with the crisp, precise jazz band to wash over her.

Alexander's face to slip into a deep concentration. He was getting nowhere with Star fast. She wasn't like the other girls and that just made him want to succeed even more. One way or another, Star was going to fall for him.

 _But the shingalings the thing tonight  
_

Alexander felt a rough tap on his shoulder, almost like someone was trying to pry him away from the magical princess. Alexander turned angrily finding empty air awaiting him. He was confused, caught off guard about what was going on.

Marco slipped passed the distracted Alex, striding over to the rotating Star who was too caught up in the energy of the song to properly noticed him.

 _But if that was you and me a now baby  
_

Marco reached for Star's hand, enjoying the soft touch of the princess and the little surprised gasp that escaped her lips as he held on tightly.

Star couldn't stop the smile from spreading all over her face, letting Marco drag her far away from his preoccupied cousin. Marco was a million times more fun than Alexander and she could use a break.

 _I would have shown you how to do it right  
_

Star's eyes widen when Marco did not lead them back to their secluded table but rather to the other side of the thinly crowded dance floor, turning his body so both teens were facing each other.

"Marco, I don't understand..."

 _Do it right **(** **ah** **-huh)**  
_

The instruments began building slowly, their slowly rising crescendo fanfare matching Marco's racing heart as he stared deep into Star's beautiful bright blue eyes.

 _Do it right  
_

"Star" Marco said calmly "I said I don't dance, not that I can't"

"Wha? Oooooh..." Star let out a small giggle, touched that Marco would at least try to dance with her even if he couldn't

"It's okay Marco, I understand. You don't have to force yourself. Let's just go back to the table" She told him with a reassuring smile.

 _ **Do it right, Do it right,** Do it riiiight!  
_

"I can dance and I'm going show you right here, right now princess." Marco said.

Star flushed, not only at the fact that Marco refereed to her as princess for the first time ever but that he looked so sure of himself. He held himself with confidence Star never saw in him before. He was so certain that not only he could prove to her he could dance but there was an underline tone that hinted that she was going enjoy it.

And she couldn't wait.

 _Aaaaaaaah!_

Marco began swaying, his body matching the song perfectly in time catching Star off guard while he took her hand once more.

Twistin, shake it shake it shake it shake it baby!

Star burst out in laughter at Marco, her best friend twisting his hips back and forth, the sly grin on his face more endearing than off putting. She couldn't help but join in right away.

 _Here we gonna loop de loop  
_

"MARCO!" Star shouted. Marco pulled her towards him before spinning her around him, his fingers expertly guiding her rapidly turning body, the ends of her poodle skirt trailing after her in a dizzying twirl before Marco's arm slid around her waist, stopping her completely and holding her close to him just as the deep thud of a bari sax filled the room loudly.

"Marco..." Star whispered, breathless. Where did he learn how to do _that_?

 _Shake it out baby  
_

He wasn't done. Not by a long shot. He told Star to back some distance away, his eyes never leaving her stunned ones, his hand loosely but firmly holding onto her.

 _Here we gonna loop de la  
_

Marco pulled her in, turning her so she faced away from him, her arms crossed as their hands interlocked with each other, Marco holding the princess from behind.

 _Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather  
_

Star pouted when Marco let go of her completely.

She whirled around to complain when she noticed Marco putting his hands behind his back, bent low and shaking his whole body up and down with a goofy smile.

 _Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather  
_

Star finally noticed Marco wasn't the only one doing the silly dance move. The rest of the few people on the dance floor were copying him, smiling and laughing, not at all taking this seriously.

 _Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather!  
_

Star shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully quietly hinting to Marco that she did believe that he could dance.

Marco smiled so more. Still not finished yet.

 _Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather!  
_

Star bent over, hands held behind her back. She faced Marco, mirroring him completely, body shakes and cute smile included.

 _Aaaaaah!  
_

Star took his hand and spun the pair around in a circle.

 _Twistin, shake it shake it shake it shake it baby!  
_

The teens effortlessly pivoted on their heels, standing side by side, swaying their bodies rhythmically to the song.

 _Here we gonna loop de loop  
_

Star launched herself at Marco who caught her quickly, lifting her above his head and dropping her off behind him. The two twisted towards one another quickly and effortlessly when the beri saxophone thud signaled them to do so

The people around them assumed the young couple must've done this sort of thing many times before, their movements perfectly synced and natural.

 _Shake it out baby  
_

Star was having a blast. Marco could dance! MARCO COULD DANCE! And not only dance good, dance amazingly.

 _Here we gonna loop de la  
_

Star tip toed on the balls of her feet, allowing Marco spin her again, her blonde ponytail chasing after her, completely lost in the moment.

Marco grip Star carefully, swinging her under his legs, taking a deep breath as he held onto his best friend

 _Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather  
_

Marco lifted her back to her feet, Star surprised by the lean muscle that appeared silhouetted underneath his jacket sleeve.

 _Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather  
_

Marco raced forward to the very edge of the dance floor, Star in tow.

 _Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather  
_

"Marco? What are we doing?" Star asked, looking back to see the rest of the dancers staring eagerly at them, the crowd staring at them like they were waiting instructions.

 _Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather  
_

"I'm showing everyone exactly what I can do" Marco said.

 _Aaaaaaah, come on!_

Marco ran forward before breaking into a slide, his loafers scraping against the smooth tile floor like it was made of ice. _  
_

_come on baby  
_

Marco did a perfectly balanced about face, never once losing the rhythm while he looked into the group of dancers watching him, amused but impressed by the normally anti-social Diaz.

 _Come on, yeah, come on babe, alright  
_

Marco stopped, his eyes closed, his feet tapping while he recalled the songs lyrics, letting the music flow into him and flow out of his very being

 _Do the twist_

Star let out a happy chuckle when Marco began swinging his hips and arms left to right, his lower half going one way, his upper the other.

She turned around to see the near deserted dance floor was now packed with everyone. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, Juan and Lisa Rivera, even Alexander resigned himself to the group. The young and old dancing together, following Marco's example as they just lost themselves in the fun.

Star cheered, jumping in and watching her best friend lead everyone in a great time. _  
_

 _Do the fly  
_

Everyone danced back and forth, moving their arms up and down like they were attempting to take off into the sky

 _Do the swim  
_

Star really doubt moving one arm forward followed by repeating the motion with the other would help anyone swim but she was willing to go along with silly Earth culture

 _And do the bird  
_

Star could not believe anyone in the group could keep a straight face as they held their hands at their hips and began flapping them while they strutted around like an Earth chicken.

But they did and so did Star.

 _Well do the duck_

And Star had no idea how loosely pulling their arms to the sky and towards ground was being a duck but she long since knew humans were quite strange.

She loved them for it. _  
_

 _Aaah, and do the monkey  
_

Everyone lunged forward, their arms motioning like they were pulling on ropes or something.

 _Hey hey, watusi_

Star could feel her hair whipping back and forth, rising and bending forward, stamping on the ground when she stared at the ground and clapping her hands when she looked to the ceiling. _  
_

 _And what about the fruit?_

Marco couldn't help but just be happy at the silliness of his family, everyone spinning in a circle, eyes glued on the ceiling while clapping their hands over and over again. _  
_

 _Do the mashed potato_

Star was amazed when everyone from Marco to Grandma Diaz's feet began crisscrossing each other, no one but Star tripping of themselves.

But there was no laughter at her clumsiness, no eye roll at the ungraceful fall, just Marco and an outstretched hand, a warm compassionate smile on his face that melted Star's heart. _  
_

 _What about the boogaloo?_

Everyone's body began shaking left to right, two halves of their bodies grooving in two alternating directions.

Star and Marco looked at each other, their happiness written all over their faces, content with just being with each other regardless of what they were doing. _  
_

_Oh, the bony marony_

Everyone pointed all their fingers to their outstretched left leg, trying their hardest not to stare at the two clearly lovestruck teens just standing there. Grandma Diaz was practically ready to shout "KISS HER ALREADY!" to her grandson but only through an iron will did she keep her mouth shut. _  
_

_Come on lets do the twist_

Marco and Star followed the command, a knowing glint in Marco's light brown eyes and a completely flushing of pale skin for Star. _  
_

 _Aaaaaaaah! Twistin, shake it shake it shake it shake it baby_

Marco wrapped his arm around Star's waist once more, drawing her close before dipping her one final time, the song fading into the background as his breath tickled her lips.

"If you ever want to go dancing" Marco muttered, soft and calmly "You ask me first princes, okay?"

Star, for the first time ever during her time on Earth, was completely awestruck into silence, nodding slowly while her heart was ready to jump out of her chest.

Marco pulled her back to her feet, giving her a bright smile and said "Good" before turning on his heels and walking away, his confidence drained and the realization of what he did and where he did it in front of who sinking in.

Star let out a girly, silly giggle, dazed by what just occurred and before she could stop herself, she chased after him, calling out loudly

"Marco! We're not done dancing yet!"


	48. So I'm kidnapping you part 3 (STEAM AU)

Hello fan-fiction! author here. hope everyone is having a great day. thank you for every single follow, favorite and review. they make me so happy and mean so much.

A special thanks to h mae- i should really just hire a robot to track your non-solid form and reconstruct you from now on. seriously im getting new forms of melting and you can't even! what do i do now?! i am glad you enjoyed :)

SVTFOEfanatic- yes alexander didn't seem to get Star wasn't into him but luckily Marco got the courage to show star exactly how good he was. awesome time to regain that starco energy! to the internet. "Not all who wander are lost."

fanfictionfordayz- you want more? HERE IS MORE! though you dont have to bow to me, im not sure how to feel about that.

totallyobessedwithSVTFOE- if they added Sam to the series, i would die. then ask for a job. well due to fan response, they will be more of sam.

Finn-thank you so much, i shall try.

billy- haha i love that chapter so much, so much in fact im writing it as a stand alone. and also i tried to show it off as a real time story but i might've overdone the interruptions. still glad you enjoyed it though.

lost- thanks i shall try to do so!

Fabio- my job is to provide starco, would you not have me do my job good sir? Hmm? HMM! haha just kidding.

raye- yep he can do it all. probably why he has his own harem. and here it is, part 3 and not the finale because it turns out being longer than expected.

Harutora- aww for a moment i was like what did i do?! I just did my civic duty as Starco captain. my job is to keep us all sane until season 2 comes out! it will be the next chapter which hopefully will be done before the end of the week. hopefully. no i am afraid not. its been a long time since i saw MLP, i really just remember 20% cooler, doctor hooves hanging out with rose, umm and the last one i saw was twilight sparkle going super saiyan on tirek. seriously just singing the dragon ball z that whole time. and why would they keep up the stained glass window of twilight if they are trying to hide her? SERIOUSLY!

deadshoot- im glad you enjoyed it so though i didn't think you were being moody with your review.

thegreatjman- i respect all opinions but i will not have you say ray charles was high school musical. i will use your bones as my kindling to stroke the flames of starco if you ever do so again. hope you enjoy this chapter!

IDC1314- im glad you liked it, i think starco is all our lives at this point.

grim- yoooou know the vault is like a flying fortress protected by a space dragon right? no digging is really...well unless its the 3 times a year it buries itself in the ground for some unknown reason. anyway you need the season pass if you are going digging in the vault! i hope you enjoyed the song and maybe. i wasn't expecting to get such a positive response but we shall see. i mean that is how sam got added to the rotation.

Misfortune- Sugar is liquid courage. or at least able to make you so hyper you decide screw fear, im going for it. it is a great song and i wouldn't be too surprised, Ray charles is one of the most talented jazz piano players ever, his influence long reaching even to this day and shake a tailfeather really has that 50's rock vibe. give it a listen, its silly but super catchy and energetic. and thank you for your kind words.

starco love- Sorry starco love, that was pretty much it for chapter 47. im glad you loved it and hopefully the other chapters.

up on starco corner is sara over on instagram who did some awesomely cute drawings, especially a really flattering and amazing picture based on the last chapter thank you sara, i am deeply honored you drew that and it makes me all kinds of happy. it means alot to me. spatziline on tumblr has some more awesome drawings up including a self drawing of her as scrooge mcduck that makes me wanna watch ducktales, woohoo! and now im singing the song. on FF we have some amazing updates. road trip from ninjacupcakex, nothing comes easy from axis, a great janna marco date *dont worry, still starco captain buuuut have to admit that was pretty cute* from fabioFerrario's magical disruptur, an amazingly cute and omg i need to read chapter of Starfall from golfalpha mike *READ THAT NOW STOP READING THIS AND READ THAT NOW!* princess and the safe kid from PFTones, a funny diaz family road trip from unluckywrites and ending it up is a season of star vs from kieran wespell. still trying to catch up on that one.

so here we go, part 3 of the steampunk AU. i was planning on finishing it this chapter but it ended up being so big, it had to be another chapter. so my current order is Which one of us is addicted, my special 50th chapter, steampunk part 4 finale and some requests i need to take care of. i also have a question for you readers: which would you like to see first? frozen AU or Bad boy Marco au? _"And this means someone is speaking another language but not everyone can understand" its an old cheat i came up with forever ago when i wanted someone to speak another language without writing another language. lazy i know but oh well._

So not too much starco here, building up the climax but still hope you enjoy it. thank you so much for everything, you readers are the absolute best. Now i am off to write guardians of the starco. I can't stop this feeling, deep inside of...whoops i own nothing and enjoy the story!

* * *

Star stared out the porthole, a sea of cheering people waving at her, wishing the princess well, that she has a safe trip and returns to Echo Creek soon. They looked her way but no one saw her, the outside of the porthole completely tinted to prevent the crowd from seeing the truth.

She let out a sorrowful sigh, closing her eyes, trying not to let sadness overwhelm her as she felt something lightly pulling on her hair in a repetitive motion.

"Aww, don't pout Starry!" Apple told her happily, calmly and gently brushing her hair, making sure the princess looked absolutely amazing when the big event came.

"Don't pout?" Star's voice was controlled and neutral, not a hint of strain or fear within her melodic tone "You are planning on killing me."

Apple shrugged, not even bothering to deny such an accusation "Doesn't mean you can't enjoy the last time you get your hair brushed. I mean I'm enjoying it! It's so soft! Like some kind of pillow! How do you get it that way?"

Star said nothing, staring blankly out the porthole once more.

Apple watched the princess carefully. She knew Star. There was no way she was just going to simply accept her death, she was planning on some sort of escape. She was cocky and headstrong like that.

Star never did know when to give up when she's been beat.

"Fine" Apple sighed dramatically "Don't tell me your amazing hair secrets. Whatever. It's not like I'm trying to impress Toffee or anything."

Apple took a step back, ensuring she was out of reach of Star's wrath.

"I'm sure you'll be all talks and giggles when I bring your little boyfriend to join you in here."

Apple smirked as Star twisted around, snarling at her in pure hatred, the rattling of the shackles wrapped around her wrists echoing loudly throughout the cramped train car. Star tried lifting her hands past her chest but the chains that restrained her were bolted directly into the floor preventing too much movement.

"Don't you dare bring him here!"

"Oh, touched a soft spot did we?" Apple teased, flicking the princess's nose

"Unfortunately for you, it's a part of the plan." the cool, collected voice of Toffee called from the doorway.

There stood the traitorous prime minster, well dressed and kept as ever, relaxed despite holding the princess hostage in the middle of a crowded train station.

"Why? Leave Marco out of this!" Star shouted, glaring daggers into both of her captors.

"He is a loose end I've been trying to tie up for years. Besides, I've already leaked to my contact in the local newspaper that he is the one behind your terrible accident. The fact that I finally found him was just...icing on the cake"

"ooooh, can we have cake?" Apple asked, flirtatiously nudging Toffee "With sprinkles?"

Toffee's stoic face broke into a small, frightening grin "I suppose we could this once."

"I said let him go!" Star screamed, salty tears of rage running down her cheeks.

"Either he dies with you princess or he gets a one way ticket to the bottom of the river."

"Why would he..." Star began before realizing what he really meant.

"Accept it Star. At least with this way you get to spend your last moments with a poor, dirty loser."

Apple stepped out of the cage, slamming the door loudly before waving goodbye to Star happily "We'll be back in a few. Buh bye Star!"

Star's face showed no emotion until they left, the shadows creeping up on her until she was shrouded in the darkness of the early morning.

"Marco..." she whispered softly, tears running down her cheeks as she slumped over, brushing them away with the back of her hand.

* * *

"Why we keeping him alive?"

Marco could feel his head switch from scraping against the cold, cobbled streets to brushing against the cold, rock filled dirt road.

Marco tried opening his eyes but could not do so for long given he only recently regained consciousness from a head injury.

He was gifted with a picturesque view of the smoky night sky of Echo Creek in bursts, each time he closed and opened his eyes more and more of his sight returned.

"Toffee says he needs him alive, for now"

Okay, Marco told himself, time to take count what's going on.

Marco's head pounded angrily every other moment like a nest of bees had settled within and became riled up. He was surprised how well he was taking the pain given the fact he took a rifle to the face. While it did hurt, it did not even come close to the first weekend he met Ferguson and Alfonso. Now _that_ was head trauma.

Marco balled his hands to fists, getting the feeling back into them though the handcuffs still bit into his wrists rather tightly.

His ankles and legs were free though telling by how roughly the two hands that held on to either leg it would not be wise to start kicking. Yet.

Suddenly, his feet fell to the floor, dropped with a muted thud onto the dirt by the two men as they began to step away from him, talking amongst themselves in the quiet park.

"How long do we have?"

"About 30 minutes. Toffee wants to make a show of princess at the train station to get as many witnesses as he could to verify she was indeed on the train."

Marco stifled a groan threatening to bubble out of his chest. They needed him alive but barely alive was still a type of alive.

Marco quietly rose to his feet, surprised he recognized the location they dragged him to.

It was a park nearby Arnold's pub that was often abandoned during this part of the day.

Marco blinked, his headache slowly going away but not quickly enough to safely fight off these guys. No matter, Star was in danger and he hadn't a moment to waste.

"So the plan is to meet up with them outside of town in one of those fancy self driving carriages Toffee has."

One of the 'police' looked to the side, the big hulking horseless carriage towering over anything that wasn't a tree and barely concealed in the bushes. Seriously did they really think that was going to hide it? Well it worked given it was still here and this was a bad thieving neighborhood.

"I don't know how to drive that." one told the other

"Well" Marco muttered from behind them "I could give it go"

The two whirled around in surprise.

Marco swung the stick he found as hard as he could. It cracked in half against one of the officer's face, sending him sprawling to the floor while splotches of a dark, red liquid sputtered into the darkness.

Marco barely had time to change his footing when the remaining officer tackled him, pushing him to the ground while he reached for something on his belt.

The world was tilting and spinning but Marco lashed out with his foot. His attack found empty air but the anxious police officer leapt sideways reflexively.

Marco leapt to his feet, stumbling for the moment due to the sudden shift.

The officer rushed him once more but Marco's eyes finally relined itself, allowing Marco to see the attack coming and swiftly step out of the way.

The officer skidded to a stop but Marco was close behind, following up on the opening. He smashed his right fist into the officer's shoulder blade.

The officer let out a pained grunt, wildly gripping the empty air around him. Normally that attack would've shattered bones but with his hands cuffed, there wasn't much Marco could do. It still hurt since boxing taught him most of the power actually came from your legs, not your arms but with one fist dragging the weight of the other, he wouldn't be knocking out anyone soon.

The office flailed for a moment, his hand finding Marco's handcuffs. Marco tried to pull away but the officer tugged at him, dragging him helplessly forward. As long as he had his hand on the chain, Marco couldn't back off or attack him anymore.

Or so he thought.

Marco shot the officer a disbelieving look. Before the officer could question the reasoning behind the look, Marco's foot shot forward, smashing itself into the kneecap of the officer.

The officer cried out in pain, clutching his now broken knee pitifully as he sank to the grassy floor.

"I may be a boxer but I've got other limbs too cuz"

Marco heard a click of revolver just by his ear, his eyes catching the broken nose officer aiming a gun directly to his head.

"I will shoot you." he told Marco in a matter of fact tone

Marco turned his gaze, taking in a quiet joy at the sight blood running down the man's cheeks from his nose.

"Toffee needs me alive cuz" Marco began slowly, hoping his bluff would pay off.

"I don't think the condition matters much"

The bloodied officer rose the revolver above his head only for a giant hand to snatch his wrist mid-air. Before he could react, the bloodied officer was lifted into the air, struggling uselessly as a behemoth of a man launched him into the darkness, the sound crunching of bones against a tree ringing loudly in Marco's ears.

Marco tried to calm his racing heart, a green fierce looking iris staring directly at him while the pale white one seemed to reflect Marco's fearful face towards himself.

"Dredger" Marco muttered, turning slowly to face the man "Hey...what are you doing brav? Fancy a stroll through a kidnapping?"

"MARCO!" a voice cried out from the darkness.

Marco tried to see who called him but was overcome with three figures launching themselves at him, wrapping themselves tightly around his frame.

"Ferguson? Alfonso? Franny?"

the trio pulled away from him, joy etched in each of their faces though they tried their hardest not to show it.

"What's with you cuz? We leave you alone for a few days and you end up most wanted man in the city" Alfonso scolded, lightly smacking Marco's arm.

"Seriously, a princess Marco? There are easier girls to nick brav" Ferguson chimed in.

"What these idiots mean to say is we're glad you are safe" Franny translated in her thick Irish accent "Though admittedly when you asked me to sneak you into the hotel, I hadn't been expecting you to...you know burn it down and run me out of job."

"Oh. I'm sorry Franny" Marco starred guiltily at the younger girl, her orange hair tied into two pigtails, her freckle covered face and green eyes playful and relaxed as she tucked herself deeper into her over sized coat that covered her small body.

"That's alright Marco, best not to feel too hung on it. I hated that job."

Everyone shared a smile before Dredger's cough reminded them of his presence.

"So what's with jolly giant over here? You know they were officers right?" Marco asked cautiously, using his friends as human shields in case Dredger decided to try the long distance Marco throwing challenge.

"W...we don't know. Actually, he led us to you. Apparently he spotted you getting dragged off by the bobbies."

"really?" Marco didn't bother to hide his shock stare towards Dredger "why is that?

Marco didn't really expect Dredger to answer, he was a mute. Never talked, never made any noise aside the occasional grunt and yell.

" _?_ " Dredger said in some flowery, refined accent.

Marco's jaw fell, unsure if he actually believed what he just heard.

"H-he can talk?"

Franny nodded "Aye but no one here understands a word he's saying. Some sort of nice sounding stuff for sure but for all we know he could be deciding which one of you is great for kindling."

Dredger shot a dirty look towards the girl, muttering quickly and rapidly _"?_ "

"See? Not a single understood word to be said there brav."

"Wait..." Marco took a step a closer to the man, despite the urge to run and hide "Wait, say that again."

Dredger took a deep breath, rolling his eyes for good measure as he repeated. " _Thanks ?_ _trying ? help you, you bete."_

Marco clapped his cuffed hands together "AH! I got it, you're speaking french!"

Dredger gave him a disbelieving and cagey look _"_ _You speak french?"_

"Not a word" Marco shook his head cheerfully before snapping his finger and pointing to Dredger "But I understand it pretty well!"

Dredger looked impressed, evidently not all of these men were unrefined swine.

"So..." Ferguson peered at Dredger like he had grown a new head "You're a french bloke?"

Dredger shook his head " _Mewian actually."_

"Mewni? You're from Mewni? Wait, Mewni speaks french?"

Dredger shook his hand back and forth " _Kind of, it is more like Canada, a mixture of languages working as one."_

"Ah...okay. so...umm...why did you save me?" Marco asked carefully.

" _Wasn't trying to save you._ _Heard you_ _kidnapped princess. Wanted to ensure safety_ _of her_ _by seeing what you did with her. Those two were obviously not police, feared they would kill you before I did._ _"_

"ah...right...then."

" _also you owe me money. ? money. Like ?"_

"Umm...I'm sorry?"

Dredger scoffed as he repeated, much slower _"You, 500 pounds, owe._ _Can't pay if you are dead._ _"_

"riiiiight...anyway, I need to get these cuffs off" Marco motioned with his restrained wrists.

Dredger wasted no time, gripping the chain in the middle before breaking it with his bare hands.

" _Is it true, you kidnapped princess?"_

Marco shook his head "Yes, no. kinda? I was ordered to by the prime minster Toffee, he said I was supposed to kidnap her to save her from an assassination attempt. That he orchestrated."

Dredger's eyes narrowed in anger _"Minster of prime Toffee is a bad man."_

"Minster of prime? Oh wait, prime minster, right right languages don't always translate correctly. Why is he a bad man?"

" _Was once in a man named Ludo's army. Terrorist revolutionary. Wants throne for himself. Toffee convinced the royal family he changed his mind, wanted to make up for his misdeeds. Royal family is kind but perhaps too trusting."_

"I need to stop him, he has Star!"

Dredger's eyes popped out of his head.

"The hottie princess? The one from the newspapers that everyone was making a big deal about? She's heading back to Mewni brav, on this really nice looking..." Ferguson flinched, Marco's palming striking him against his shoulder repeatedly "Oww, oww what the hell brav?"

"That is my girlfriend you are talking about"

"Y-your g-girlfriend? S-shit brav you delu...oww, oww stop it!"

"Well future girlfriend but still! show some respect!"

"Fu-future? Oww! I doubt she's into poor pisspots OWW OWW!"

"95% sure she's into me."

"Oww, oww she...she's leaving on a train!"

"I know!" Marco shouted "They were planning on shipping me out on that thing" he motioned to the horseless carriage "Meet up with the train outside of town. I assume they were load me aboard and derail it to make it I offed Star for Ludo."

Dredger's muscles flexed in anger, a look of pure hate on his face _"I will not allow that man to harm my princess. Marco, if you save her, your debt is considered_ _paid_ _though if you date her I will snap you in half."_

"Well no promises on the no dating thing but I was planning on saving her anyway. extra incentive on not dying is nice though. Deal Dredger. C'mon, we got a princess to save."

"I don't know, I ain't much for saving royalty" Ferguson muttered softly before Alfonso joined in on the smacking "Son of... what is it cuz?"

"She's a princess, she's rich. Could be a sweet reward."

Ferguson shrugged "Rich pricks don't give out a...OWW!"

Marco glared at him, his hand prepped to strike Ferguson on the back of the head once more "I said respect her."

"Well" Alfonso paused, trying a different approach "maybe she's got a hot princess friend."

Ferguson gave a cocky smile "The Ferg's never won over a royal before."

Marco and Dredger shared a look, there was no way Ferguson was going to charm anyone.

"alright I'm in!"

"To that strange abomination of machine and technological advancement that no one will fully understand!" Marco shouted, pointing to the carriage.

"Actually" Franny sucked air through her teeth, pulling away from the group "I got this new job I need to run off towards but hey, good luck on saving your princess friend Marco. Nobody die and Ferguson, mom wants a fresh gallon of milk whenever you get back home."

"Franny! Tell her I'm doing some heroics!"

Franny was already running off across the park, shouting loudly behind her "Sorry Ferguson, I couldn't hear you! Bye!"

Ferguson turned to Alfonso dejectedly "Remind me to pick up some milk before we head home cuz."

Alfonso nodded

"We done yet?" Marco asked, looking around for any more distractions "Yes? Good? Can we go save future Mrs. Diaz yet?

Dredger shot him a dirty look before they heroically charged their way over to the horseless carriage.

"I have no idea how to drive this thing"

"Me either."

"Yeeeeah that might be a problem." Marco concluded, trying his hardest to figure out how exactly this machine worked.

" _Don't worry, I'll drive"_ Dredger told them, jumping onto the front of carriage and gripping what looked like a steering wheel tightly

"You know how to drive one of these things?" Marco asked, eyes full of wonder.

Dredger shrugged nonchalantly, a hint of pride twinkling in his eyes _"Was Mewnian War Charioteer in back in Mewni. Wanted safer job."_

"So you decided to work in a bar, how's that working for you buddy?"

" _Good since people are scared of me"_

"Except me" Marco answered, suddenly feeling very afraid when Dredger turned to look at him.

Marco let out an awkward cough "So, this thing is from Mewni?"

Dredger nodded _"Mewni very advance. It was a big shock when I came to Echo Creek, feels like I am living in the stone age."_

"Agreed" Marco whispered, climbing alongside Dredger in the front while Alfonso and Ferguson piled inside.

" _Hang on tight"_ Dredger told him as he twisted a knob, something roaring to life within the carriage and Marco found his stomach rushing into the back of itself, the wind hitting with a force he never felt before as Ferguson and Alfonso cried out "THE MACHINE IS TRYING TO EAT US!"

* * *

"Why couldn't we change her clothes? She looks sooo ratty in those poor people's...whatever that is."

Star frowned, glanced down at the outfit Marco threatened out of the shop keeper. It wasn't usual princess attire but she liked it all the same. Especially Marco's red scarf and cap.

"She didn't have any other clothing. Now go get everything ready" Toffee shooed Apple away, looking at the window to make sure no one could see anything.

"Why are you doing this Toffee?' Star asked, trying to make herself as comfortable as she could shackled to the floor inside a cage in a cramped train car.

"Simple princess, power."

Star let out a laugh, not because she had anything to be happy about but she knew it would annoy him.

True to her prediction, Toffee glared at her, clearly not enjoying being mocked by the captive princess.

"So let me get this straight" Star began, the dangerous intelligence she hid from the world shining through every inch of her face "You kill me, my parents end up too depressed to rule and as prime minister, you do your civic duty to lead the nation straight into Ludo's hands. Sound about right?"

Toffee looked unimpressed though Star suspected he was a little surprised she managed to guess his intentions "My, perhaps my plan is too simple if you are able to figure it out. Though you were wrong about one thing"

"Oh? And what's that lizard breath?"

Toffee stood to full height " _I_ am ruling your country. I never planned to give power over to Ludo. I used him to further my goals just as I used your parents."

Star laughed "Your plan will never work! My parents will never simply just _stop_ ruling Mewni..." Her gaze became distant "Even if I died..."

Toffee chuckled, relishing in his chance to return the mockery Star bestowed upon him "Yes they will. You are their precious Star. They would absolutely devastated if anything to happened to you."

Star scoffed, crossing her arms as best as she could while turning her head away from Toffee "With all the rules they make me follow and being ashamed at my actions, I doubt I matter _that_ much"

"Your ignorance is truly awe inspiring. They didn't make you follow Mewnian law about the gloves or anything of the sort. The nobles made them uphold the traditions."

Star turned to Toffee, gaze unsure and confused "What?"

"They've been trying to overturn the laws for years so that you could do whatever your heart wishes. Almost succeeded too if it wasn't for a certain prime minister"

"You're lying" Star said quickly, gripping the bars of the cage tightly "You're lying."

Toffee gave her a toothy smile, one that made him seem more animal than man "Sometimes the truth hurts more than a little lie. Get comfortable Star, we're leaving in a few minutes and soon you shall be reunited with Marco. One last time."

* * *

The streets were nearly empty, a light fog hanging in the air as just a handful of people were walking this early, even less horse drawn carriages on the streets. People who were expecting a quiet morning got a rude surprise when a giant black blur roared passed them faster than any horse could manage.

"I know we're in a rush but I don't want to die!" Ferguson shouted from within the carriage as Dredger made another sharp turn, the screeching of the wheels telling him he was going too fast.

"WOOHOO!" Marco let out an elated yell "FASTER DREDGER! FASTER!"

Dredger rolled his eyes, wondering how exactly did he get mixed up in these kind of events. Again.

"Guys" Alfonso called "We have company."

Dredger and Marco turned around to see two more, sleeker black Mewian War Chariots rushing towards them, the well dressed suits of the men letting them know who they were working for.

"Toffee's men no doubt" Marco muttered under his breath as the vehicles began quickly gaining on them.

Marco turned to Dredger "I thought this was supposed to be fast?"

Dredger shrugged, quickly making another turn, narrowly avoiding colliding with some pedestrians who decided to cross the street _"This is an older model, Mewni is always looking to advance their technology. Sometimes I swear it is like magic the things they come up with."_

"Well that's just great" Marco muttered under his breath as carriages caught up to them, positioning themselves on either side of the our heroes.

A man leapt onto their carriage, his hat tumbling in the wind as he drew a knife, staring evilly towards Dredger.

"Marco!" Dredger managed to shout in strained English.

"On it!" Marco replied, carefully making his way onto the roof of their ride.

The knife man narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to figure out how he was going to incapacitate Marco without killing him. Toffee still needed him alive after all.

Marco used this to his advantage, lunging at the knife man, nearly losing his footing when one of the other carriages slammed into theirs causing Dredger to zigzag in order to keep from overturning.

The knife man steadied himself before gripping Marco's collar. Marco tried to elbow the man but another bump forced him to focus on not falling onto the street. The knife man dragged the unsteady Marco to the edge, grinning maniacally as he pushed him over forcing Marco to leap onto the enemy carriage.

Marco slid against the smooth top, narrowly grabbing the edge before he fell onto the street. The man with the knife turned to Dredger, motioning for the others to box him in so he couldn't shake him off.

Dredger looked angrily to either side, both drivers too far away for him to reach with his massive hands. He could hear the footsteps approaching him from behind but he couldn't simply let go of the gas or wheel. He needed to make sure the others were safe.

Marco took a deep breath, his aching hands straining to keep his body upright when he heard someone shouting in the distance. He looked forward and found an angry vendor shouting him to stop or else he was going to find himself face first into his cabbage stand.

Marco's legs flailed uselessly in the air, his attempts at pulling himself up failing miserably. The stand inched closer and closer and Marco could feel the phantom pains, a gentle reminder about how much the injury about to befall him was going to hurt.

Marco swung himself backwards, using the space to let his legs to get enough room so he could solidly plant them on the side. Marco took deep, rapid breaths, trying once more to get on top of the speeding carriage, forcing himself to keep going even when it felt like his fingers were going to fall off.

With a mighty tug and leap, Marco flew onto the top of carriage, the side of the vehicle barely clipping the stand. The carriage swayed out of control due to the sudden impact as the stand exploded in a rain of wooden planks and leafy greens, the vendor shouting at the top of his lungs "MY CABBAGES!"

"SORRY!" Marco called back, opening his mouth to say more but realizing that he really didn't want to promise to pay for the destruction. It wasn't his fault, it was Toffee's. _He_ could pay for it.

Marco turned to see the knife wielding man locking his arms around Dredger in a chokehold, trying to plunge his knife into the giant but failing to to accomplish the deed, Dredger's elbow striking at him repeatedly and preventing him from getting a good angle.

Marco looked in front to see the driver of his carriage paying closer attention towards the road than behind him.

The driver was scanning ahead when he heard the quiet thump of someone slipping into the seat next to him

he turned to see the smiling face of Marco staring at him

"Brav, you got to work on your situational awareness" Marco told him before he firmly placed his foot on the man's stomach before kicking him out of the driver seat.

As the man's screams faded, Marco slipped into his unoccupied space, trying to figure out the controls before giving up entirely

He glanced and felt his heart drop at the sight of Dredger's attacks becoming slower, more labored, the lack of air finally getting to the massive man.

"Well shit" Marco murmured, turning the steering wheel as far as he could.

Marco smashed into the carriage violently, the knife wielding man's hold on Dredger's neck slackening for a moment but that's all Dredger needed. Dredger's hand found the man's collar and with a flick of his arm, the knife wielding man was sailing through the air, Dredger saying something Marco really couldn't repeat after him. Because he couldn't speak french.

"I _have_ remember that one" Marco told himself, climbing onto the roof and leaping back to his own ride.

Dredger motioned for him to hold on and Marco fell to his stomach, gripping the sides of the roof as tightly as he could.

Dredger roared, turning sharply down another road, completely losing the other carriage while they barreled down the streets.

"Dredger, look!" Marco pointed excitedly, the smoke of the train bellowing in the distance, the sun slowly rising and chasing away the foggy mist from the city.

" _Do you think it is wise? Isn't that where Toffee wanted you to go?"_

"Yeah but he was expecting to pick me up out of town! Right now he's guard is lowered. I got the element of surprise right now and that could change everything."

Dredger nodded, surprised how well reasoned that thought was. Perhaps Marco wasn't an idiot after all.

Marco couldn't stop the smile on his face. He was almost to Star, just a little more and...

A gunshot rang out causing Marco and Dredger to duck in fear.

The other carriage raced back into view, driving alongside them, the person riding in the passenger seat aiming a repeater rifle in their direction.

The rifleman fired once more, narrowly missing Dredger's head. Angrily mumbling to himself, the rifleman cocked the receiver, loading another bullet into the chamber.

Dredger panicked, there was nothing but a straightaway ahead of them with people who refused to run over. no way to avoid the bullets trying to end his life. It was just a matter of time before one of those bullet buried itself in his head.

The rifleman took aim again, trying his hardest to focus on the Dredger's head but the bumpy road did not make it easy. His finger gently squeezed on the trigger, itching to bring its full weight down when the moment was right. The rifleman fired but a sudden hole in the road violently rocked the carriage causing him to fire upwards, the bullet missing the top of Dredger's head by an inch.

Dredger ran his hand on the top of his head. He could _feel_ how close that one was.

As the rifleman argued with the driver, Marco searched around for anything to could help but it took all he had to simply not fall over the side.

The rifleman aimed once more, determined to get this shot right. He lined up the sights, his breath calm, his hand steady. There was no way he could miss now...

"HEY BRAV!" the carriage doors opened and standing there, waving his exposed stomach around like a flag was Ferguson, his appearance previously unknown to the assassins.

The rifleman leapt back, caught so unaware that his gun discharged directly into his driver's skull.

"Ferguson, I love you" Marco told him as the assassins carriage slowed out of view.

"Not the type of love I'm looking for but thanks anyway."

Marco rolled his eyes, staring forward as the train began to pull out into the countryside, the carriage catching up to almost effortlessly

Until the train began getting proper speed now that it was away from civilized life, slowly outracing the struggling, beaten up carriage.

"Try and keep up" Marco told Dredger "I'll get the princess as soon as possible."

Dredger barely nodded a response when Marco flung himself in between two cars, easily landing upright despite the speed of the train.

Marco took a deep breath, resting for a moment before looking into the cars. Not a single soul in sight. Either Toffee and Apple were going to get reinforcements when they stopped to pick up Marco or their men were hiding within, waiting to spring their trap.

"Well then" Marco told himself cheerfully, taking a peek at the reflective mirror. He fixed his hair, dusted off his clothes as best he could from the wear and tear he just experienced, checked to see if there was any notable scarring or bruises. he nodded to himself, gripping the handle to the car door before muttering excitedly "Time to find my princess."


	49. Which one of us is more addicted? (CANON

Hello fanfiction! author here, hope you are doing great! thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they make my day.

a special thanks to H mae- everyone loves cocky Marco. and i really tried not to make too many stereotypes. well thank you for your kind review, wait to the explosive part 4!

SVTFOEfanatic- im glad this story help your day get better. I am huge fan of reading. i've been doing it all my life and i just love how, like you said, a certain of words can evoke so much emotion and depth. its a great feeling and im glad i can share a little bit of it with all you readers. I haven't mastered it at all. writing, like many other things, is a skill that will take a eternity to master but i shall improve my writing and always strive to learn and improve myself. "It isn't the end of the world. even if it feels like it is."

Finn: thank you so much i shall try.

Rayfe- haha trust me i can plug starco into many things and there's enough side characters to have Marco have his own harem. though right now my own anime plans are sailor moon and soul eater. maaaaybe fooly cooly and i think Star vs the Fallout would fit better as a title. omg dogmeat laser puppies! best party member ever! im not sure if i will do fallout au but i am extremely tempted. haha im glad you enjoyed the story.

Harutora: haha alright noted, bad boy for harutora.

typodetector: haha yes one of my more embarrassing typos. though if you got to chapter 30, i think you know how bad i can get. it is your title after all. alas its life and they are mistakes but they are my mistakes and they help me grow. hope you enjoyed the stories though regardless of my many mistakes.

grim- I guess you could always take the starco bi-plane, starco dragon or the starco x-wing...that totally dont exist. whaaa? who said that? psst not me. haha yes i figured it would be funny if Dredger the mute turns out to be Dredger i speak french and understand you guy. right now is which one is more addicted, followed by my special 50th chapter and then the finale of the steampunk. after that im finishing up requests with Frozen and the bad boy au thrown in somewhere.

flowersforfanfics- thank you so much for your praise. i dont think i deserve it i am just a guy that likes to write but i thank you anyway. Cocky Marco was fun to write but abit weird. trying to keep his personality a cocky attitude was a blast though. Don't worry i do plan to do both frozen and BB Au. Im really glad you loved the super silly dance story and i will probably add juan and lisa since they were so popular.

IDC1314- well sara, life likes to get in our way. thank you for your kind words and some more awesome starco drawings.

Holly- im glad i made your day. makes me happy and perhaps the cabbage man will get lucky in the next town. though knowing him probably not.

and last but not least my guest reviewer.

guest- well i dont think it was too bad. Star was always running ahead, never really thinking and yes while she did think it was oskar, she felt deep inside it wasn't him but someone better. but her brain took a while to catch up to her heart. or i could be wrong. either way i am very happy you had some fun out of the story.

First on Starco corner, we have h mae with a really awesome drawing of star and marco from Starfall, check her work out over on hains-mae on tumblr. sara on idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has a really awesome picture of greg, mabel and starco graduation! too cute and finally spatziline is really hitting out the park with her various drawings. on FF we have an insanely cute reimaging of beauty and the beast from flowersforfanfics the star and the sun (Check it out now!) all sorts from nightmareking, it's obvious from the real travioly, an awesome episode from a season of star vs from kieran wespell *i feel like im binge watching a saw, trying my hardest to catch up* star and the forces of evil vs the darkness from bigmike, a heartwarming SVTFOE starco college AU, autumn from unluckywrites and road trip from ninjacupex which is a great read.

a little announcement, guardians of the starco now is a standalone story and is up just thought i'd let you know. 

I wanted to get this chapter out much sooner as it had been ready for a few days now but im recovering from a medical procedure. nothing serious but i had some bed rest. ill try to get some more chapters of the various other stories i have laying around but i can't promise anything.

so here we go, the last of the voting poll AU's which one of us is more addicted? A truth or dare game goes horribly wrong when Marco is forced to kiss Star but when she fails to respond or even acknowledges the kiss, Marco is hurt. He wasn't that bad was he? but soon Star begins acting strange and its confusing Marco to no end.

So here we go, i hope you enjoy it, thank you for every single follow, favorite and review. they seriously mean so much to mean i can not properly express it. just in case i dont update in time, happy thanksgiving everyone! and i own nothing! enjoy!

current voting score

Frozen 2

Bad boy 1

* * *

To say Marco was shocked to receive an invitation to Brittney Wong's "I'm richer than you and to prove it, here's a needlessly expensive party" party would've been understatement especially given the last time Star and him crashed Brittney's event they had accidentally got everyone busjacked.

But even Brittney Wong must adhere to the social rulings of high school. By that Marco meant that once everyone found out Star Butterfly was not invited, the entire school was out in force and boycotted Brittney's party. Literally stood outside the front of the school, moving around in circle during brunch and lunch, protesting Brittney's choice to leave out Star.

And because Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz were always together, Marco automatically got an invite as well.

Truthfully, Marco couldn't care less about the party. He didn't like Brittney and he wasn't going to just shelve his dislike of her because he got a piece of paper that said he could go to an amazing party.

He had morals! He had ideals! He had conviction!

He also had Star who was infinitely more fun to hang out with than embarrassing himself in front the entire school at a social event though embarrassing himself with Star was wasn't much better. Sometimes it actually felt worse for some reason.

But Star, the ever fun homing princess, pleaded with him to go to the event, citing it wouldn't be the same if she went by herself.

Marco held out for exactly 3 seconds, a new personal best. He even managed to survive the initial puppy pout strike. But just like Star had a weakness for all things cute, Marco possessed the same weakness towards Star.

And off they went, dropped off by his loving parents at the foot of the valley that lead to Brittney's mansion. Seriously, Brittney owned entire valley to herself.

The party was as expensive and unnecessary as the invite promised. 4 petting zoos of different climates, an entire theme park built directly into one of the backyards, several concerts and Marco heard rumor that an ice sculpture was being flown in from Alaska that very day.

Marco was very resistant to enjoying any of these amazing thrills. He did not like Brittney. After how she treated Star, she was lucky Marco didn't decide to show her how exactly he handled bullies.

But Star didn't seem to hold grudges and was more than happy to try out this explosion of Earth culture.

Marco couldn't bring himself to ruin her fun and thus they were off in a whirlwind of high exhilaration and extremely gluttonous levels of food consumption.

Marco couldn't even remember a quarter of what he did, too far lost and caught up in the sheer happiness of hanging out with Star and enjoying Brittney's privilege to realize what was going on.

Hours felt like minutes, minutes seconds and seconds weren't even registered in his memory as time blurred one long stretch that reminded him of the time where Star accidentally froze time.

Which became a real surprise when he suddenly found himself sitting in a circle, surrounded by his fellow classmates, shouting in the most cocky, confident tone that he chose dare.

His brain took a moment internalize what was going on but it was too late, the words already tumbled out of his mouth.

The rest of the group shared a conspiratorial glance towards one another implying that this whole thing was a trap and Marco walked head first into it.

Jackie smiled at him deviously and while Marco's heart beat nervously, it no longer sending him into a spluttering mess as she stared directly into his eyes. Rather out of affection, it was beating more to the response of fear he was now feeling towards the situation he found himself in.

Marco didn't know when he stopped chasing after Jackie but he couldn't even find the effort to even try to remember. It's not that he didn't like her. He just didn't like her like _that_ anymore.

"I dare you...to kiss the next girl who walks into the room"

Marco could feel his eyes trying to launch themselves out of his skull. They were not seriously asking him to do that, were they? That was too far! That could have some horrible ramifications! There was no way he could do that. What if the poor girl expected more from him? He couldn't just...

"What's wrong safe kid?" Brittney taunted "too much of a chicken?"

Marco threw a deepest look of loathing towards the hostess, raising his finger and accusingly pointing it in her direction "Nobody calls me chicken!"

The group shared another dopey smile and Marco gulped upon realizing he fell another trap. He was just not living up to his 4.0 GPA today was he?

Marco jumped at the sound of approaching footsteps, thick and heavy, striding with purpose.

Marco glanced around the circle fearfully, mentally taking count who was sitting down with him. There was Jackie, Ferguson, Sabrina, Chantelle, Alfonso, Starfan Brittney...wait...wait where was Janna?!

Marco took a deep breath, his hands clutched in a fist as the footsteps grew louder and louder, impossibly deafening in his ears.

Marco could feel everything stop as he spotted a flash of yellowish blonde hair peeking from the door frame. No, no, no! She couldn't have picked a worse time to show up!

Marco began mentally nudging Star to go away, to not enter the room. He prayed to every deity to do him a solid and divert the magical princess with something cute and adorable or maybe a monster attack, anything that would get him out of kissing his best friend.

Marco could feel the tension in the room, the rest of the players holding their breath in anticipation who was rounding the corner.

"YEAH! JUSTIN IS HERE! TIME TO GET THE PARTY STARTED" the blonde haired football shouted loudly, popping from the doorway, two tacos in his hands.

Marco let out a sigh of relief while the others let out a groan of disappointment.

"Hey Justin, those tacos look good, can I have one?"

Marco let out a quiet "Eep" the group's loud cheers drowning him out as Star Butterfly bounced into view, twirling mid-air and landing gracefully on her feet, gratefully taking the food from the football player and popping it in her mouth, her eyes closed in pure bliss as she chewed on the taco.

"STAR!" everyone called at once causing Star's eyes to pop open in surprise.

Marco couldn't help but notice how cute her puffed out cheeks were.

"Oh hi! What are you guys doing?" Star asked quizzically, leaning forward but not quite entering the room.

Marco's brain kicked into 5th gear, realizing that Star had not yet fulfilled the requirement of the dare. Marco waved her off, trying his hardest to get her to walk the other direction.

He stood up, rising to his feet as quickly as he could, rushing forward to try to stop her from taking another step forward.

"Hi Marco!" Star shouted excitedly, waving her hands as frantic as Marco "Jazz hands!" She let out the most adorable giggle as she took a step into the room, unaware of what she just got herself into "I love jazz hands! Why are we jazz handing?"

Marco slapped his face with his palms, trying to ignore the smirking grins and knowing gleams in the others eyes.

"Oh hey Star! Great timing, you're just in time to help Marco out with something."

"Oh?" Star peered questioningly in Marco's direction, her face shining with the desire to help him in any way she could "What did you need Marco?"

"I...I...I...I..." Marco repeated, unable to climb out of the endless loop he found himself in. This couldn't be happening. Life couldn't be so cruel to make him do this.

"Just stay there Star!" Starfan cooed, the giddiness slowly enveloping the room, evident on everyone's faces "Marco will do the rest."

Star nodded, cheerfully waiting patiently rather than questioning such an odd request.

Marco could feel a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck, his body simultaneously too warm and cold to inhabit. His mouth was dry, his fingers twitching uncomfortably and his heart stopped dead in its tracks.

The room seemed to shift in and out of focus, becoming blurry and crystal clear at once, everything feeling spread out and impossibly wide while everyone felt too close for Marco's liking.

And as Marco stared into Star's bright blue eyes, the happy go lucky smile of blissful ignorance she was sending his way made him feel terrible about what he would soon do to her.

How did Marco end up in this situation? How did he end up moments away from sharing a kiss with his best friend?

Oh, right. He was an idiot and some higher power was messing with him. That's how.

"Come on Marco" Ferguson teased "best not keep a lady waiting."

"Yeah Marco" Star chimed in with a playful tone "Don't keep me waiting."

Marco said nothing, his words failing to even form properly in his head. There had to be a way out of this, some way he could just bypass this entire situation and skip forward to the next day or maybe next year. Marco was always curious about where he would be in 10 years. Maybe it really was a hop, skip and jump away.

Marco blinked, hoping time would lapse forward but no such luck, he was still 16 and still seconds away from sharing his first kiss with Star.

Which wasn't the worst thing in the world but Marco felt guilty. Star didn't like him like that. It wasn't her fault that he fell for the princess while he was busy chasing the skater.

It had been months since Marco realized his true feelings for Star though when those feelings formed he still wasn't sure.

Maybe it was when the two were paired up for his cousin's wedding, Star looking absolutely stunning in the bridesmaid outfit. Or maybe it was the surprise birthday party she threw for him when he turned 15, having gone through so much trouble to set up everything by hand. Maybe those feelings had always been there, nestling deep within his heart when he first met Star and just growing from that moment on.

Or maybe he was just overthinking this.

"C'mon Marco" Star told him warmly, an understanding glow in her eyes "Just go for it. What's the worst that could happen?"

I lose you, Marco thought to himself.

Marco took a deep breath, walking and closing the distance between Star and himself.

Star stared at him, curiosity finally catching up to her

"Marco, what are you...?"

Marco let himself go, taking a step forward and catching her lips with his.

It was awkward, it was strange, it felt weird and Marco knew he wasn't doing it right. Her lips were too soft against his rough ones. He could feel her breath tickling his face. His lips were moving too much and he was pretty sure he was kissing her way too hard.

It was the best moment of his life.

Marco pulled away, heart thumping loudly, eyes closed in fear. There was no sound from the sidelined princess and Marco feared her response. Would there be disgust in her eyes? Anger? Loathing? Was this the act that destroyed a previously unbreakable bond?

"Well that was unexpected."

Marco could feel the record player scratch, the rimshot of the drum set, the wah wah of the trombone as he stared at her in disbelief.

Star looked at him normally. Her face was calm, collected like nothing was out of the ordinary. She gave no indication she just received a kiss from her totally platonic friend. No giddy smile, no righteous anger, heck she didn't even look sheepish or confused. Just a regular Star face.

"I...I...we...just..." Marco stammered out but Star already motioned to take a seat, asking if she could join whatever game they were playing.

Everyone shared a look with each other, unsure what exactly was going on but deciding to just pretend it didn't happen.

Marco stood there, frozen, lost in his own foggy thoughts until the party ended and his parents were called into the household to drag him out.

* * *

The moon hung high as the Diaz's and Star arrived home. Marco bolted upstairs, hiding away in his room until the night grew late and sleep beckoned to him.

He slipped on his blue jam jams and staggered his way into bathroom he shared with Star, finding it empty despite the lack of light from the princess's room.

She must've gone to sleep already.

Marco stared into the mirror, a million questions filling his head while he began his ritualistic pre-sleep grooming

Was he so bad that Star simply refused to acknowledge the kiss? Maybe she didn't want embarrass him in front of their friends and classmates? Maybe he was so bad her mind just blocked it, saving her from serious mental trauma. She created a Star clone to take her place. It was all a horrible dream. He was trapped on an alien spaceship and they were altering his memories!

Marco froze like a deer caught in headlights when door frame to Star's room lit up as the muffled pitter patter of bare feet against the floor came closer to the bathroom.

Marco willed himself to move, to not just stand there like an idiot as Star threw open the door, letting out a cute yawn before stretching towards him, her blue sleep dress confirming Marco's suspicions that she had fallen asleep.

She made her way over to her side of the sink, sleepily peering into the mirror, searching for her toothbrush, apparently not noticing Marco's shaking hands or still posture.

"The party was fun huh Marco?" she asked, reaching for the toothpaste he left on his side.

Marco made a strangled noise before he was able to get out a single word.

"Y-yeah it was pretty fun."

"I can't believe Brittney would waste so much money."

"I..I can...she's Brittney. Remember how much money she spent trying to create her very own wand?"

Star giggled, turning to face Marco with a bright smile "Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that!"

Marco gave a strained yet relaxed smile. Maybe he didn't ruin his friendship with Star. She might've not felt the same way or somehow the kiss didn't actually happen but Star Butterfly was still his best friend and that was better than he could've ever hoped for.

"Still I think the theme park was too much"

Marco scoffed "You weren't saying that when we were on the roller coaster!"

Star playfully nudged Marco's side "Says the guy who was turning all sorts of lovely shades of puke green"

Marco groaned "Hey! I told you I get motion sickness."

"It seems very inconsistent doesn't it? Maybe you just didn't want to ride with me?"

Marco rolled his eyes "I live with you. I've known you for 2 years and we've been through a lot together. At this point sharing a small space with you isn't exactly frightening experience."

"Uh huh, whatever you say safe kid"

"Ugh, I told you never to call me that!" Marco whined, facing Star only to find her staring in his direction, a sly, playful smirk on her lips.

Marco couldn't stop his eyes from landing on her lips, how deceptively soft those pink thing really were and how the memory sent chills down his spine.

"What is it Marco? There something you want to do?

Marco shook his head, trying his hardest to push the urge to kiss Star deep within the recesses of his mind.

The air became silent as the two teens finished up their proper hygienic code and prepared to get some much needed rest.

It was Marco's turn to yawn, the stress and worry of the day forcing his eyelids to rise and fall, the temptation to sleep too great for him to fight any longer.

"Looks like you're about to fall asleep on your feet Marco, go to bed."

Marco nodded in agreement, turning to Star "Night Star."

"Night Marco."

Marco's senses were on fire, sleep banished into an abstract concept as a minty taste lingered on his lips. It had been so quick, so effortless Marco almost missed it. But he could taste the flavor of the toothpaste, he felt the familiar touch he never thought he would experience again.

He stared at the retreating figure of Star, her long blonde hair swaying hypnotically back and forth but before he could voice his thoughts, the princess disappeared beyond the doorway and the lights were shut off a moment later.

Marco brought his trembling hand to his mouth, gently touching it.

"Star just kissed me..." Marco murmured to himself.

True it was more like a peck but a kiss was still a kiss regardless of length.

And Star Butterfly had just kissed Marco Diaz.

* * *

Marco didn't get any sleep that night, staring upwards towards the ceiling, mind running away with him and unwilling to slow down.

It had to be a dream. Some sort of fantasy he accidentally got too involved in. There was no way Star had kissed him. She was Star! And he was Marco! And they...couldn't...just...did not...

The alarm blared loudly, sending unprepared Marco sprawling to the floor.

"Oww..." Marco weakly moaned, trying his hardest to untangle himself from the sheets

"You okay Marco?"

Marco found himself staring at an upside image of Star, her bright blue eyes peering at him full of concern with a hint of restrained humor.

"I'm...I'm fine!"

Star pursed her lips, clearly not believing her best friend.

"If you say so. Now hurry up, it's pancake day! YAY PANCAKES!"

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to force the image of last night's kiss out of his head.

"Stupid brain playing tricks on me" he told himself.

* * *

Marco watched Star carefully as she consumed her food like a ravenous monster, her fork and knife whirling around in a blur as bits and pieces of the pancake seemed to disappear into thin air.

"That was soooo good!" Star let out a blissful sigh, patting her stomach contently.

Marco just kept on staring, slumped in his chair, his breakfast untouched as he tried to catch some sort of sign. If the kisses had really happened, then Star would've been avoiding his gaze or, or acting nervously.

But nope, Star was acting like Star. No sign of any nervousness, she was staring at him, direct eye contact with the same Star smile she always gave him.

"Stupid dreams..." Marco muttered under his breath.

"What was that Marco? Something wrong? You haven't finished and you normally love pancakes." Mrs. Diaz noticed his half eaten breakfast.

"I..sorry mom. I was just...thinking..."

"About what Marco?" Star asked quizzically.

"N-nothing..." Marco began shoving food into his mouth, hoping that would be enough to dissuade any further questions.

"Okay" Mrs. Diaz didn't believe her son. There was something going on though she had the sneaking suspicion that Marco wasn't quite sure what was happening either.

Mrs. Diaz picked up Star's plate, smiling as she made her way over to the sink and began cleaning up the dishes.

"Now Marco, I need you and Star to run down to the store and pick up some things for dinner."

"ah huh" Marco agreed mindlessly.

"I'll have the list ready for you in a moment."

"Okay mom."

Star stood up, full of energy and excitement which was the norm for her.

"Hurry up Marco. We need complete the mission for your mother. We need to face the trials of the store!"

Marco couldn't help but grin at Star's enthusiasm, a bright shining light contrasting against Marco's downtrodden, gloomy mood.

Marco let out a laugh before sitting up straight "Okay Star, just give me a second."

Star walked passed him, clearly too pumped up and eager to start the walk to the store "Come on Marco. Don't keep me waiting."

"give me a..." Marco's heart stopped when he felt Star's lips pressed against his cheek, a firm but tender kiss planted purposely.

Star began humming happily, skipping her way to the front door while Marco's fork slipped out of his hand, falling onto the plate with a loud crack.

"Marco!" Mrs. Diaz turned hurriedly "are you okay?"

Marco faced his mother, a far and confused look written all over his face.

"Y-yeah...I..I'm...fine."

"You sure?"

Marco nodded slowly

"Can I have the list now?"

* * *

Marco watched his best friend suspiciously. He watched her greet the world in her normal Star voice and tone. Hop, skip and bounce around like Star would usually do. She even giggle and act just like Star.

But this couldn't be Star. This must've been a trick because if his memory served right, he just shared 3 kisses with this Star. This Star must've been an impersonator or a shape shifter. Something or someone must've taken her place and now was using his feelings for Star to lure him into some sort of trap. That had to be the answer! Because it made sense. Somehow.

"Marco?"

Marco leapt high into the air, flailing about. He turned to find Star was no longer walking ahead of him but rather somehow snuck her way back to his side.

He shouldn't have let his mind wandered. He should've been focusing on exposing this fraud and finding out where his real Star was taken. He felt guilty at being tricked so easily but even he couldn't tell the different. She certainly looked like Star with her devil headband, fluffy pink earmuffs and winter coats and boots. But he wasn't fooled, not in the least.

"Marco, you've been acting really weird"

"oh, I've been acting really weird huh? I'm sure that's exactly what I want you to think!"

Star glanced around, wondering if anyone nearby was noticing his behavior "Ooookay."

"I mean...hey Star, did you feed the laser puppies today?"

Star bit her lip in concentration and Marco was overwhelmed to kiss her pretty face off. But he held strong, he resisted the urge. He only took _one_ step towards her.

"I think so."

"Really? All 8 of them?"

"Well duh" Star began, before turning to the side, whispering to herself as she counted off their names "Winston, Pinkington, Cookie, Fluffy, Fluffy Jr., Captain Blasty, Doughnut. Yep! All of them."

Marco snickered "Missing one"

"O-of course!" Star shouted uneasily before turning away in deep thought once more. "Marco Jr. Marco Jr. Marc...yep! All 8 of them!"

Marco smiled. This was Star alright. There was no way a spy would know all the names of their laser puppies. Mostly because Star changed them week to week. Except Marco Jr. she liked that name for some reason.

Marco let out a sigh of relief, glad the person next to him was indeed his best friend.

And then his brain screeched to a halt, the kisses rising up into his mind once more.

Before his train of thought could get far though, Marco felt dull pain fill his face, his body smashing against an open door.

Marco's eyes fluttered, the sky and Star hovering above him.

"What happened?" he asked groggily, the pain quickly fading away at the sight of Star

"Door."

"Door?"

Star nodded "Door"

"Help me up?"

Star smiled, helping Marco to his feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah" Marco answered, trying to ignore the group of people surrounding him.

"Oh good."

Star kissed his forehead lovingly, gently patting his face before racing off towards the store without a word of warning.

Marco trailed after her speechless, the barely contained laughter of the crowd telling him that really did just happen.

* * *

Maybe it's some sort of Mewnian thing.

"Marco"

Or a prank? A very strange prank. Star's humor could be weird at times.

"Maaaarco"

Or maybe, just maybe Star really...

"Marco!" Star shouted.

Marco shook his head, focusing on the pouting princess and the sudden increase of weight in their shopping cart.

"Whoa, whoa Star! Where did this come?"

"Weeeell I figured since your parents are going out, we could have a movie marathon!"

Marco could feel his heart racing. He totally forgot tonight was his parent's monthly date night. They could be gone hours and that meant Star and he would be...

"I dunno Star, I..." Marco began but was cut off at once.

"Oh come on Marco! We haven't done one in foooooreeeever! And it be fun! Just me, you. _Alone_."

Marco blinked. Did he hear that properly? The underlining tone pleading, mischievousness and hinting at something. Or was that just his imagination?

"Star"

"Marco, pleeeeease?"

Marco flinched, trying to resist the full on puppy pout Star was throwing his way. But Marco was never good at eluding Star's charms and that was when he was prepared. Right now he was completely caught off guard and thus his will crumbed within a second.

"Fiiiiine. We'll get the snacks"

Star cheered, wrapping her arms tightly around Marco, seemingly unaware of his suddenly stiff posture caused by her touch.

And as Star skipped away, Marco let out a sigh, mumbling under his breath "Well this isn't going to end well for me."

* * *

Marco sat on the couch, a few inches from Star, trying his hardest to keep his eyes on the television and not his incredibly attractive, beautiful best friend.

But Star was never one who enjoyed being ignored especially by Marco.

And thus began the painful game of keep away.

Every time Star scooted closer, Marco moved away, trying his hardest to go away from Star, not _towards_ her.

At first Marco assumed he was able to get through the night with relative ease, his actions subtle and calm but halfway through the Princess Bride movie, Star began shifting tactics.

Every time a lightly romantic scene came up, Star would slowly inch closer, cooing how cute the scene was.

When a major romantic scene came up, Star moved about 3 inches in Marco's direction her arms wrapping around his and trapping him for about a minute or so, her head laying comfortably on his shoulder, letting loose a single longing sigh.

When one of the lovers was in trouble, her hand found his, holding tightly for the duration of the scene and lingering for a few moments after.

And after each time Marco would shuffle slightly away from the princess, his heart pumping all his blood into his face where it would just pool there. His evasive plan was working for the moment but Marco just trapped himself at the very edge of the couch, his body slanted so he could press himself as far as he could from Star.

"That was great" Star whispered as the ending credits rolled on.

Marco could feel his brain just break down when Star curled up next to him, leaning against him, nuzzling comfortably as she placed her hands onto his chest.

Marco was unsure what to do, unsure how to respond.

It had been one day since Brittney's party but it felt like a lifetime. Marco needed to know what all these surprise kisses were all about. He couldn't have any peace until the mystery was solved.

Marco coughed loudly, catching Star's attention.

Marco opened his mouth only to stop midway when Star's gaze focused on him and him alone, her eyes breathtaking at close range.

"Yes Marco?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Umm...Star..." Marco began losing himself in her eyes, fearfully of the true answer behind her actions.

"It's the kisses right?"

Marco felt his body tense up, the reality of the situation crushing him like dozens of weights pressed on his lungs: The kisses really happened.

Marco nodded slowly

"Well ask then."

"Is it a Mewnian thing?"

Star shook her head, a playful smile dancing on her lips "Nope, trying again safe kid."

"A prank?"

Another head shake along with a disbelieving look "You really think I'd be that cruel?"

"N-No. Umm..."

Star peered deeply into his light brown eyes, a deep well of emotions Marco never saw before twinkling at him

"Simplify Marco. Don't overthink this."

Marco stared at Star. He wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe it with every inch of his heart, the heart that belonged to the magical princess before him. But he didn't want to be wrong, he didn't want to risk everything on him misreading the signs. Because he read too much into something that wasn't there.

He thought back to the kisses, how loving, tender they were. And Star did them all without a moment of hesitation, without a single doubt like she saw the whole picture after years of scrambling over lost pieces.

"You like me."

The air was thick, Marco's heart still and terrified. Star made no movement, no indication she heard anything that was just said and for one moment, Marco thought he lost it all.

Star's cheeks flared a cute pink tint as she whispered softly "Y-yes...I...I like you Marco."

Marco's heart soared, he couldn't believe it! He never thought this dream would ever become a reality.

"But..." Marco frowned "The party..."

Star shyly curled deeper into Marco, her fingers twiddling as her voice became uncharacteristically soft "Of course I wasn't going to respond. Y-you kissed me in front of everyone! I...I didn't think our first kiss would be in front of such a crowd...and I didn't want them ruining it with their teasing and..."

"So you pretended like nothing happened."

"I...I was just so caught off guard I didn't know what to do. I've waited for so long and I never thought..."

"Wait. For how long?"

Star stood quiet for a moment, lost of memories of their past 2 years together. "Officially months now..but...unofficially...maybe longer. Maybe it was when I saw you dressed up so...handsomely when we were paired up for your cousin's wedding or maybe it was my 15th birthday and how hard you worked to make it so perfect, even making it a traditional Quinceañera, sharing a dance with me...or maybe..." Star closed her eyes, holding her hands over heart like she was praying "Maybe there had always been there...since I met you...and it just grew from there."

"I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out why you started kissing me!"

Star pouted and stuck her tongue out towards him "oh yeah? I've been driving myself crazy trying to stop from kissing you so much! Do you _know_ how hard that was?"

"YEAH I DO!"

"PSST I DOUBT IT DIAZ!"

"Oh yeah, I...! what's that?"

Star turned around, the panicked look on Marco's face too much to ignore.

"Marco?" Star questioned, not seeing anything "I don't see..." she turned around only to have Marco's lips ready to catch hers. She jump back in surprised before smiling and letting herself melt into the kiss.

"That was mean."

"That" Marco said with a smile "Was payback."

Star pouted angrily before Marco swooped down and stole another kiss from her, causing the princess melt once more.


	50. So that happened (?)

Hello fanfiction! Author here, extremely excited and just bursting at the seams with anticpation but more on that later. right now A GIANT HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE! Everyone who reads these stories you are just the best all of you.

a special thanks to h mae- no need to apologize. it was insanely fluffy even i admit that. i am very glad you enjoyed it. "tomorrow is a mystery, there's no changing that. what you can change is your attitude towards it. You are face head on or have it drag you kicking and screaming. you pick kid"

SVTFOEfanatic- have my own smile on face right now and im a pleased you enjoyed it so. this meant to be out 2 days ago but its been one looong day after another.

Finn- man i dunno, i just wrote it. have another story.

totallyobessedwithSTVFOE- that is completely normal, feel free to do so. I shall join you if you wish.

deadshoot- yeah, can't wait to see what star comes up for next week.

lost such praise, many reds. much thank you. im glad you enjoyed it and i have to admit its one of my more finely crafted chapters. probably not gonna happen again haha.

Rayfe- just feel the starco warmth. its everywhere. and of course i do, you readers have some of the best ideas i have ever heard.

Fabio- I read alot and play games, movies tv shows and im very good at taking bits and pieces of other storys and putting my own spin on them. that chapter inspired by a NEG story called Addiction by DJLEE thematically similar but not the same. and for that add, i now adding it to the vault under inside out AU. it'll be in the next rotation of requests. and thank you for your kind words.

Harutora- you died? oh man i killed someone else, good thing our insurance covers that. annnny chance a new chapter will revive you? any at all?

the wookie- haha it sounds like a child trying to say marco. or an anime of some sort. and not, not really as cute or catchy as starco. im glad i was able to catch his character pretty decently. he seems like the type that would overact and complicate everything.

IDC1314- of course it is sara, our love of stories is what makes more stories and more adventures to fall in love with! haha thank you so much for your kind words. i wouldn't go as far as to call it best but i am happy you enjoyed it so. haha awesome i can't wait to see how it comes out.

Misfortune- I love the movie and as much as i'd like to, i have not picked up the book. its on the list but between reading the newest stories from Rick Rodian and just rereading classics like dracula or sherlock, i kinda forget to pick up some new books haha. You keep using that word. i do not think it means what you think it means. awesome! i cannot wait to read it! such excite. im thankful for my health, my life, my friends and family and you amazing readers who really let me go wild with my love for writing.

kolapez- i am happy you enjoyed it.

grim- always take the dragon. no matter what, take the dragon! ITS A FREAKING DRAGON YOU CAN SING THE DOUBLE DRAGON TITLE SONG ON THE DRAGONS! i decided quality of quantity for the kissing or else i could be doing it for like ever and half. trust me i can make them share a lot of different kisses. There is a doctor who au in the works *still debating do i make Marco the 10th or Star the 11th* and a sherlock au too and now i know you've been to my vault.

fandomqueen- i would love it if this happens. i mean i thought it fit perfectly for star.

xboxrica- well let's see if the 50th chapter changes your mind

skeptic potato- while i am a musician, i am not a guitarist. Honestly i based it off of my friend who does in fact own a 5 string guitar they aren't common and they're not really preferred. should've looked into that but oh well. and for the lyrics, i honestly just tried to hear the song instead of looking it up but diego luna's voice, as great as it is, was just a bit too much accented for me. oh well we live, we learn and we try again. glad you enjoyed the stories.

smitty theories- first of all thank you for the review. second of all i love that idea so much i am adding to the request vault. it wont be in this rotation but it has a spot in the next one i promise. great idea! and i hope you keep enjoying the stories.

seaschild- its okay, our starco insurance covers everything.

twiflutterdazzle- E

last but not at all least, my guest reviewers. That's impossible, we have isabella phineas type adorable bearings...is...is starco more adorable than anything we've ever known? dear god. haha whaaa psst, no Pinkington is..is a common name on mewni. guest 2 i am not just doing mewberty i am also doing cheer up marco, blood moon and maybe storm the castle. guest 3 aww ill have some tissues ready. thank you for the review and im glad you enjoyed it so. guest 4 i should've put up a warning label, melting is a common occurrence here. apparently.

At the starco corner we have some awesome undertale and danny phantom drawings from h mae over at hains-mae at tumblr, check her out. Sara's idrawcartoons1314 has some cute star pics up of pigtail star and sweater town star that are cute. She also has the male lead of that one show the miraculous ladybug i think its called? which looks pretty awesome too. she's also lightly playing the piano and making me want to pull out my keyboard and try to figure out those songs. check her out on instangram and we have a cute christmas sweater wearing Marco over on spatziline at tumblr. she also has a really cute star and marco arguing over a turkey for thanksgiving. here on FF we have an insanely cute chapter from Flowersforfanfictions the star and sun, a great read. bigmike has updated Star and the forces of evil vs the darkness, another cute chapter of it's obvious by the real travioly, a season of star vs by Kieran Wespell, an highly recommended chapter from fanfictionfordayz you're my wish come true, watermalone's ripples which is going to be a great story though the first chapter is pretty intense. Starfall by golfalphamike is getting some awesome steam and another cute chapter from unluckywrites's autumn.

So here we are. 50 chapters and i double taked when i read the word count was a quarter of a million words. it...its something you know? I mean honestly i never thought i would write this much, get this far when i started. its extremely humbling and a huge honor to be able to write this much for you amazing, wonderful readers. I mean seriously words cannot express how much this really means to me. what you all mean to me. so i hope this chapter does it for me.

My author's notes are at the bottom because i want this to be a surprise. The only thing i am telling for sure that it takes place in the canon au. everything else you are just going to have to read to find out.

this is also the last chance to vote for which au is being written first. the votes are currently frozen 3 and bad boy au 2.

Thank you all so much for making this such a great and fun experience, i get to do what i love and i get to add a little happy, joy, reading into some wonderful people's lives. and honestly what more could i ask for. Thank you all, enjoy and i own nothing

* * *

This place had nothing that could be used as illumination to pierce thick and slithering coils of the darkness that blanketed the land. Majority of this place was just rolling endless darkness, shifting shadows that made the eternal night seem alive, a monstrous being rather than just a concept.

Nothing thrived here in the dead silence. There was nothing of notice or worth here.

Except the valley.

It had appeared out of nowhere. Millions and millions of years of silence, of pitch and inky darkness, of everything as a unified singularity ruined by those stupid crystals.

A large mass formed into this world when the darkness wasn't looking. Crystals of every shape, size and color blending together. They weren't just in clumps, no no no they were the faces of the valley that towered high into the sky, the smooth paved trails and hills that ran up and down, this way and that inside its walls. diamond shaped columns of varying shapes and sizes that grew everywhere in every direction! And they were bright, their extreme mixture of colors just too much to bear. The very meaning of chaotic.

In truth it was not as majestic or as large as the darkness made it to be. The valley was a speck, an insufficient concept in the grand plan that was the night. If it was formed out of intention or some strange cosmic convenience was no matter. If it had a true purpose of existing or rather was born by utter accident was of no consequence. It was here and it ruined the uniformity of the darkness.

It must be destroyed.

Except it couldn't be.

The darkness tried its hardest to wipe away the valley, attempting eliminate the threat with its entire being, absorb it into the individuality that was the dark.

But the valley refused. The valley did not, would not go back into the inky night from whence it was born and try as it might, the darkness could not reclaim its entirety.

The darkness then tried to destroy it, using its power, its limitless strength to simply quash it back into the shadows. And it worked!

Sorta.

As a whole the valley was impervious to the darkness but with enough force, enough pressure the darkness found he could rip away pieces of it, separate chunks of it and send those spiraling into the abyss. And the darkness worked gleefully at this task, chipping and ripping away from the valley with everything it possessed!

But the valley provided to be a troublesome foe. Whatever was ripped away, it regrew. Whatever hole was left within its surface, it filled in. Whatever was lost was made new once more. Even if it didn't quite look the same, even if the shapes weren't exactly the previous shape, the valley simply replaced whatever it had lost.

And if that was not bad enough, another valley appeared and another and another and ANOTHER! Valley after valley, crystals of endless colors appearing throughout this place, this ocean of night! Similar in shape, similar in colors, similar in structure but none every quite the same. The darkness could see the subtle differences. Maybe it was a splash of red where another had a blue in its place or, or maybe it was the fact this valley's crystal grew sideways as opposed to this other one's growing at an angle! And the worst part? The absolute worst part? Most did not know there were other valleys! Most were unaware there was more valleys like them, scattered all about!

The darkness was infuriated, angry, resentful. It just wanted everything to be as it was before, a perfect, unified singularity. Not this chaotic mess of disorder!

The darkness picked at all the valleys, it ripped what it could, destroyed whatever it could grasp and it didn't matter if this was futile, it did not matter if this was pointless, the darkness didn't even care if it lost in the long run, if it never truly destroyed the valleys. It simply wanted to destroy what it could as long as it could. Be it piece or sometimes an entire valley if it was lucky, it would continue to oppose these disorderly valleys, destroy those that sought to disturbed his existence for as long as it took! Until time itself ceased to be!

* * *

"STAAAAAAAR!" Marco cried, holding onto his best friend's waist for dear life, trying to ignore the icy cold air brushing against his face, the churning of his stomach and the large silhouetted figure standing behind them.

What started as a simple outing to get some food quickly escalated into the duo running for their lives from some sort of shadow man through a dark and rather terrifying forest.

Marco knew he shouldn't have let Star convince him to make a small pit stop at this "itty, bitty dimension for some rocks." Now they were running through some forest being chased by...well Marco wasn't entirely sure who he was.

Marco peered backwards, the jolting of the unicorn's gallop making his stomach feel like it was trying to throw itself out of his body. Marco could feel his face pale at the sight of their pursuer. There was just something about him he didn't like.

The man looked like he was made completely out of shadows: his cloak, his hood, even his limbs were completely silhouetted. The only thing that wasn't was his eyes, two white specks staring at Marco from under the hood, far and distance like stars. The same eyes that seemed to focus on Star and himself only.

Marco gulped, looking forward, trying not to get angry at Star's elated cheers of joy.

"Star, we're being chased by a mad man for some stupid rocks!" Marco complained but Star scoffed him away.

"Please Marco, he's not after us. He's just standing there, being all creeper like!"

Marco opened his mouth to say more when something shot passed him, nearly taking off his ear in the process.

It was a slithering, dark tendril with a razor sharp looking spade at one end.

"STAR!" Marco yelled, trying to contain his panic at whatever the hell that thing was.

Star frowned "Okay so maybe he's more monster than creep."

The tendril lunged directly at Star who blasted it lazily with her wand, nervously chewing magical item while she tried to think of anyone she might've accidentally angered with scary shadow powers.

"Star, what did you do to that guy?!"

"I did not do anything Marco" Star scoffed, rolling her eyes at Marco's accusation.

"STAR BUTTERFLY!" the man called from behind, his star-like eyes narrowing in anger as he waved his hand in their direction.

The shadows behind became thicker, almost alive as more and more tendrils shot from the dark, all eagerly seeking out the two best friends.

"Weeeeell that I'm aware of!" Star nervously chuckled, gently patting her pale white unicorn Pickles to speed it up.

"Star! How many times have I told you not to..."

"MARCO DIAZ!" the man cried with a hint more anger than his voice held for Star. Even the tendrils seem to pick up their pace once his name had been called out.

"HA! What did _you_ do to the guy Maaaarco?"

Marco was flabbergasted. He's never done mean to anyone in his life! Sure he was a little battle crazed on occasion but he was certain he has never met the scary shadow man before.

"M-me? I didn't do anything! I don't even know how he knew my name!" Marco let out a yelp, ducking just in time to avoid being pierced by the spade appendage.

"Riiiiiight. Yeah I don't believe you." Star teased, cheerfully blast any shadow thingy that got too close with pink flower lasers.

"He called your name first!"

"He said your name madder!"

"Madder is not a word!"

"Do you read the Mewnian dictionary?"

"Well...no."

"Then it's a word" Star nodded in triumphant.

Pickles took a sharp turn, the wave of darkness narrowly missing skewering his legs as he neighed annoyingly at his riders.

"Fine, let me see one"

"See what?" Star turned to Marco, letting confusion pour out onto her face.

"The Mewnian dictionary" Marco said with a hint of smugness "Let me see it."

Panic began to set into Star's face as she awkwardly chuckled, waving his request off "psst nah, there's no point."

"Why? Because there is no word madder?"

"What, no that's not it. We really should go home." Star pulled the dimensional scissors out, hastily cutting open a portal only to have two tendrils stab the swirling vortex and shut it closed before anyone could do anything to stop them.

Star and Marco stared blankly at what they just witnessed.

"Staaar." Marco began slowly

"Yeeeeah I didn't know you could do that either."

Star and Marco let out a unified "Eep!" When the tendrils caught up and began trying to impale them. Marco and Star stood up, shifting their weight and ducking, weaving and dodging the shadow man's attacks.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" the shadow man called out from seemingly every direction.

"WHAT DID WE DO TO WARRENT THIS MUCH HOSTILITY!?" Marco cried in a panic, dipping his head just in time for the tendril to miss his skull but cutting off one of his trademark spikes.

"NO" Marco whined "Not my Marco spike!"

Marco reached forward to pummel the offending shadow limb the only to be pulled back by Star at the last second.

"Marco!" Star blasted a group of tendrils away with her signature narwhal spell "I need you to focus! I can't fight them off and use the scissors! Here!"

Star thrust the scissors into Marco's hand as she closed an eye, focusing before letting loose several dozen razor sharp hearts slicing several attacking limbs into ribbons. But many more began to replace them hurriedly.

"Star, be careful" Marco fumed "You nearly gutted me."

"Marco, this not the time!"

Marco rolled his eyes, stabbing the air and pulling downward, opening a new portal that the shadowman promptly shut once more.

Marco turned back to face "COME ON MAN! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!"

"Marco, I can't keep this up" Star murmured fearfully, rising a pink butterfly shield just in time to intercept another assault.

"Star, Star can't you supercharge the scissors? I mean its a magical item, your wand is magic. can't it make, I dunno, it more powerful?"

Star's hearts became light bulbs, a wave of understanding overcoming the young princess

"I know! I'll supercharge the scissors! It should work! I mean it's magic and the wand is magic. I'm brilliant."

Marco stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing "A genius"

"Thanks!" Star aimed her wand directly at the scissors, praying to anyone who was listening to help "Magic supercharge blast!"

The pair closed their eyes, the bright rainbow shimmer too much for them to handle.

The shadow man shrieked in pain as if the wand was somehow hurting him.

Marco opened his eyes first, holding up the cutting tool that now was packing a tiny car engine on the back of it.

"I wasn't sure what I was expecting."

"MARCO!"

"right, right!" Marco cut the air quickly, flying into the sky when the portal sprung to life above them, a massive vortex that was easily the size of the elephant.

"Whoa!" Star shouted when she began sailing into the sky against her will. Pickles neighed happily before taking off into away from these crazy humans with Star calling after him "BYE PICKLES THANKS FOR THE HELP!"

Star closed her eyes when she passed through the portal, the angry and vengeful screams of the shadow man making her really wondering what she did to the guy.

Star let out a happy shout when the portal spat her out directly ontop of Marco.

"ugh...Star, get off" Marco muttered, straining to get the princess off of him.

"But you're so cushy!" Star leaned forward, staring directly into his face "you sure humans aren't made out of pillows?"

"STAR! Get off!"

"Nah, I might take a nap!"

Marco grunted, catching Star off guard when he lifted her off of him and gently placed her back on the ground.

"Wow Marco, you're getting preeeetty strong."

"Star" Marco whispered, his eyes darting all around "Where are we?"

"Huh?" Star finally took notice where they were.

It was pure white: White ceilings, white floors, white walls. But that wasn't the strangest thing. No the strangest things were the various, adult sized mirrors that hung carefully on the walls. Each mirror was the same but the frame around them were wildly different.

Star saw a cowboy frame, a steampunk frame, one that was composed of microphones and even one with some sort of light sword.

"What is this place?" Marco said, taking a step forward, the vast room not even echoing his footsteps. He spotted a few frames: One that had the Greek comedy and tragedy masks, one dotted with 7 X's, a skull and crossbones hung over one and he was pretty sure he saw one was covered with ice and another that had a beanie on it.

"I..I don't know."

"Can you find a way out?"

Star bit at her wand, unsure if she even could figure what was going on.

Star was blinded by a pink light that appeared from nowhere.

Star glanced down and was surprised to see that it was her wand that was source of the mysterious light.

Star held out her wand, her wand's light fading away when she pointed in one direction but growing brighter when she tried another.

"I think my wand can lead us out! COME ON MARCO!"

"STAR!" Marco shouted for what felt like the 50th time today as Star raced forward, bolting ahead without waiting Marco to respond.

Marco ran after her, trailing behind her, not close enough to stop her but not far behind to lose her.

"Star slow down!"

"Why don't you speed up Marco?" She teased, sticking her tongue out playfully at him "or are you just taking it safe? Which is it safe kid?"

Star let herself form a grin on her lips, Marco's enraged face just too cute. She just couldn't resist pushing his buttons.

"GET BACK HERE PRINCESS" Marco yelled, suddenly picking up rapid speed and slowly closing in on Star.

Star let out a happy giggle, pushing herself even harder to avoid what would probably be a tickle attack by Marco.

"Sorry Safe kid, still too slow to catch me!" Star yelled behind her, turning around a corner and...

Blam! Pain filled Star's forehead as she collided with something hard and thick with enough force to send her sprawling backwards onto the floor.

"Oww..." Star moaned, rubbing her pain racked forehead gently "What hit me?"

"Star! Are you okay?"

"Yeah" Star said softly "I'm okay."

"Marco! Are you okay?"

Star's eyes popped open, confused why she just heard her voice ask if Marco was okay.

"Marco?" Star asked quietly, twisting her head to get a look at the hoodie wearing boy "Did I just hear my own voice?"

Marco made no effort to respond, his jaw hanging low, his face full of shock.

"What are you staring at?" Star muttered in annoyance. She looked forward, her jaw dropping and her face matching Marco's

Because in front of her was Marco, sitting on her butt in the exact same position Star was.

Except it wasn't Marco. Well he looked like Marco with the same shade brown eyes, same light brown hair. Though this Marco was still different from her Marco. Her Marco didn't wear a black beanie with a cartoon skull with its tongue sticking out. Nor did her Marco have two suns painted on either cheek almost like her own hearts. This Marco wore a bright red shirt with a yellow star in the middle, black khaki pants with countless pockets and zippers with black hiking boots that looked just like Star's own footwear.

"Staaaaar" other Marco whined "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

A shifting of a head caught Star's gaze and she followed the movement for an even bigger surprise.

It was her! Standing there, staring in disbelief. Well not her, Star was Star but this...well she looked like Star but ugh! she was dressed differently than Star. The other Star had her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, she wore black thick framed glasses. Where her hearts should be were instead a several small freckles. Over her body was a baby blue hoodie that would've been the exact same as Marco's aside from the different colors. She wore a dark blue skirt with matching leggings and sneakers.

"I see it. I'm not sure if I believe it but I see it."

"Well" the other Marco said, getting to his feet slowly "This certainly tops our top 10 weirdest things that happened us list."

Other Star looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Even weirder than that dimension with the dogs that had human faces?"

the two stared blankly ahead before shuddering in disgust at the memory.

"Okay maybe not _that_ weird but close." other Marco replied

"Who are you?" Marco questioned, helping Star to her feet while taking a defensive position.

Other Marco narrowed his eyes, watching the two carefully "I was about to ask you two the same thing!"

"Right, sure you were and I'm the prince of Mewni" Marco joked.

Other Marco stared at him "I _am_ the prince of Mewni."

"Whaaaa?" Star and Marco responded, turning to one another to make sure they both heard the same thing.

"Why are you so surprised?" Other Star chimed in, suspiciously staring at Marco and Star "You're clearly just some sort of dark magic copying us."

"You think?" other Marco asked, hand hovering over his side.

"They must be, why else do they look like us?"

"HEY!" Star cut in " _You_ look like _us_! You're the dark magic copy cat thingys!"

"Everyone" Marco took a step forward "Everyone just cal...a...achoo!"

The other Marco jumped, startled by the sudden noise. His hand shot to his side, pulling up some sort of weapon.

Star reacted instinctively, rising her wand to defend herself and Marco.

"Narwhal blast!"

"Walrus Blast!"

Other Marco and Star were stunned when the wands shot their respective aquatic mammals, the two animals colliding in midair before exploding in a glorious display of red and blue sparks.

Other Marco's eyes landed on Star's wand, uncertainty in his eyes.

Star looked down at the magical item tightly gripped in his hands. It was a red wand with a circular top, the outer layer of the circle as red as the hilt but the inner design a beautiful combination of white and gray colors, some stars scattered about with the black comet as the symbol in middle. Instead of fluffy white wings, his were fluffy and black.

A perfect but reversed mirror image of her wand.

Star and other Marco straightened their posture, taking a step forward towards each other.

"STAR!" Marco called out

"MARCO!" Other Star shouted.

Other Marco and Star stood face to face, carefully measuring up the other.

Other Marco narrowed his eyes as he muttered softly "It's gonna get a little weird."

Star smiled back "It's gonna get a little wild!"

"I ain't from round here!" Other Marco sang at the top of his lungs

"I'm from another dimension!" Star sang back

Other Marco and Star turned to stand side by side, hands into fist and shaking as they performed a duet.

"Gonna get a little weird, gonna have a good time! I ain't from round here, I'm from another WOOHOO!"

The two shared a mid-air high five, laughing and giggling, all tension gone despite the fact no answers had been given yet.

Marco made his way over to other Star's side, the two of them staring at the others, completely lost.

"So" Other Marco started "You're...?"

Star nodded joyfully "Yep! And you're...?"

The other smiled, giving her thumbs up "You know it!"

Other Star and Marco coughed loudly, motioning to get on with it when they caught the attention of their counterparts.

"Oh, sorry" Star said sheepishly "I got caught up in the excitement of the situation. It's not every day you get to meet your alternate reality selves!"

Marco and other Star nodded, seemingly understanding what was said before double taking, both shouting as one "Wait, what?!"

Other Marco nodded in agreement "Yep! We're from two different realities! One where I'm the prince of Mewni and the other where Star is the princess of Mewni"

"Okaaaay" Marco slowly started "but why are we meeting?"

Other Marco frowned, unsure if he could answer that question

Other Star turned to Marco curiously "Hey Marco?"

"Yes?" Other Marco responded

"No" other Star shook her head "Not you!

"Yes...umm Star?" Marco answered unsure if he knew what was going on

"What?" Star replied

"No not you! Hoodie Star"

"Oh, my bad." Star stated

"Hoodie Marco" other Star began "Were you two running from some creepy shadow guy?"

"Yeah"

"And did he attack you?"

"Yeah and let me guess, you supercharged the scissors?"

Other Star gave a short nod "Yeah we did. I guess supercharging the scissors allows it to cut through the barriers of reality"

"So all these mirrors must be other versions of ourselves."

"So to get back home, we just have to find our mirror!"

"Which the wands can lead us to!"

Marco and other Star cheered, sharing their own high five moment.

"Well then, since we have some time" Other Marco started but Star cut him off, dragging him away "I guess we can find more about our realities!"

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Other Star asked outloud.

Marco shook his head "I don't think so. This isn't time travel or anything like that. I'm sure it's safe"

Other Star peered knowingly at him "You mean you hope."

Marco gave a nervous chuckle "Yeah _we_ hope."

The two shared a laugh

"So" Other Star told him, her tone clear she was going to ask him a few questions "You're Marco if he was born on Earth."

"Yeah. I got to admit that is pretty weird to hear."

Other Star giggled, a perfect Star laugh "Yeah I bet. And yes, I am Star who was born on Earth."

"Well you look like Star, do you act like her?"

"How does she act like?"

"Bubbly, full of energy, girly girl of girlness?"

Other Star rubbed her arm "I am girly. Love me my rainbows and rabbits. I usually ask Marco er my Marco to make them for me. But bubbly? Full of energy? Sometimes, depends if I have to be the one that watches out for Marco. For the most part I'm pretty happy go lucky."

"Huh, that's my Star too"

"Hey hoodie Marco, do you get called safe kid?"

Marco rolled his eyes, unable to believe in all the universes, that was the constant "Seriously? You too?"

other Star nodded "Yeah, it sucks huh?"

Marco agreed "Totally! Ugh, I wish they understood how much of a bad boy I really am!"

Other Star laughed "me too. Er Bad girl. Hey, who do you have a crush on?"

"Jackie Lynn Thomas" Marco sighed happily "You?"

"Jack Lionel Thomas" other Star sighed back.

"Green Belt?"

"Yep, embarrassing parents?"

"When aren't they? Perfect grades?"

"mhm, danced with Star at the blood moon ball?"

Marco shyly scratched his cheek "Yeeeeah. You?"

other Star nodded, just as shy "Yeah, I was caught so off guard when Marco came out of nowhere and swept me off my feet."

"Wait, your Marco danced with you? Not you starting the dance with him?"

"Y-yeah. His ex Sam came. Blackmailed and guilt tripped him into go. I don't think he was over her. Then he spotted me the crowd and I...i don't he kinda just strode over to me and we..." A pink tint brushed other Star's cheeks.

"Weird, in my reality a demon named Tom came and tried to sweep Star off her feet but she wasn't having any of it. She only decided to give him a second chance because he claimed he changed and she wanted to be fair."

"Strange. Hey do you remember that time when we talked to our crush for like a whole hour?"

Marco stared at her, unsure what she was getting at "Uh, what do you mean? I barely started talking to Jackie. I mean the most I've done was send her cat pictures."

"Really?" Other Star seemed surprised "Did you at least save her from that weird sock monster thing when we went on a field trip?"

"N-no. My Star did that for me because I was too nervous"

"But I saved Jack! Pulled him out of the sock myself!"

"Hey, how long did it take you get past the nod phase of our plan?"

"Nod phase? What the heck is the nod phase? I've been talking to Jack since like 2nd grade. Well...well talking is a strong word. More like short bursts of conversations."

"Huh, I guess we're not exactly the same."

"We are still Star and Marco. Most of our personalities must've carried over. Do you cook?"

"Yeah. My nachos."

"Yeah my Marco too, he makes the best nachos once he discovered what they were."

* * *

"Sooo" Star cooed, eager to find out as much as she could.

"So?" Other Marco responded

"Tell me about yourself? Is mom totally dragging you down with all the threats to send you to saint o's?"

"Mom? No she's supporting me. Dad's the one threatening me to send me to Saint Hugo's"

"Huh, oh oh can you kickbutt like me?"

"I guess? I was trained by dad himself. Wanted to make sure I grew up to be this big, tough warrior."

"Your dad trained you? The royal guards babysat me and taught me some fighting moves without my parents knowledge. Hey do you parents get on your case about being prim and proper?"

"Not really, dad's more like you have to be tough, no emotions, no weakness! No smiling or giving out free hugs or anything! Stoic and emotionless."

"You give out hugs?"

"N-no, I'm not really a hugger."

"Oh. So who's your Oskar?"

"Oskar? Oh you mean Ophelia? The girl with the record."

The two shared a longing sigh.

"So, have you talked to her?"

"T-talked? Haha no no, not yet! But I'm working on it! On step 2 of my 23 step plan."

Star couldn't believe what she was hearing "Wait, step 23? seriously?"

"Well I nodded at her the other day!"

"...this is the strangest sense of deja vu."

"I dunno. I...sigh. I dunno...I mean normally I'm super confident and happy. I mean I can be! There's no dad to tell me off. But...every time I see her. I...I just can't. I get nervous and my entire brain stops."

"So we're not exactly the same?"

Other Marco shook her head "similar but still carrying some of our key traits."

"Yeah. Hey, question!"

"shoot Star."

"haha shooting Star" Star laughed "anyway, are you and your Star dating?"

Other Marco's cheeks flushed terribly "N-no! Why, why would you say that? Are you dating your Marco?"

It was Star's turn to flush "Wait, no! I...I just thought you two seem really close and you look really cute together."

"I..umm..wait...wait doesn't that mean you two are just as close and would just look just as cute?"

Star shook her head wildly "What? No no no. I mean...I guess? I...this is pretty confusing."

"Agreed, can we like drop this?"

Star nodded "yeah, we better get going."

* * *

The two couples stared at each other, still trying to wrap their head around the sheer idea of other realities.

"BYE!" Other Star and Marco waved, Other Marco's face distance like he was trying to wrap his mind around something.

"BYE!" Marco and Star said together, turning away and following the wand to their reality.

The walk was quiet, Marco cheerfully walking ahead while Star was plagued with a certain idea that wouldn't leave her alone.

Did she look cute with Marco?

Other Marco and Other Star looked like the cutest pair and if Star was going to be honest, given how close they were hovering to each other and how protective they were of each other, she would've pegged them as dating or at the very harboring some serious affection for one another.

But that meant her and Marco were the same since they were so similar to their alternate reality counterparts. But Star didn't like Marco like that...did she?

She didn't think she did. But then again, now that she really stopped and thought about it, it was a really...pleasant idea. One she wasn't wholly against.

Star let out a sigh, looking up before plowing into another solid mass, her head dully aching with a familiar pain.

"Seriously?!" Star cried, angry at the idea this would happen twice in one day "AGAIN!?

"MOM! DAD!" a girl's voice called at the same time a boy's cried out "Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!"

"Mom?" Star replied, unsure what that meant as she stared a curious look with Marco who answered "Dad?"

The two peered close at the new couple they ran into.

The girl was about their age and looked strikingly familiar for some reason. She had long light brown hair that was just like Star's tucked under devil horns headband with electric blue eyes staring at them fearfully as two pink hearts on her cheeks with a little mole just above the left one began pulsing lightly. She was wearing red faded hoodie that looked a little too big on her with a pink shirt underneath. She was wearing a black knee length with black leggings and boots with sharp, shark-like teeth plastered on the front. She quickly hid something behind her back.

Her companion was a boy about the same age. He was shorter than everyone by half an inch with jet black wavy hair and forest green eyes hiding behind some wire frame glasses. He wore a white shirt with sliver crescent moon plastered on the front and black shorts, knee high socks with black converses.

"W-what are you doing here?" The girl asked, trembling like she was about to be scolded

"Us?" Star questioned defensively "We're existing is what we're doing! And you come and rudely run into us! That is the second time that's happen and I'm getting pretty tired of it!"

"I'm sorry mom." the young girl replied

"And another thing, why are you calling me mom?"

The girl's flushed, cutely turning all sorts of different shades of red while her hearts began to change different colors while she twiddled her thumbs.

"Well...you...you..."

"Nova!" The boy shouted, turning to her and whispering not so discreetly in her ear "Look carefully at them"

Nova raised an eyebrow, her shy behavior disappearing into thin air as she glared at the boy "Connor, what are you blabbing on about now?"

Connor motioned to them with his head, his eyes shrinking and widening like he was trying to be subtle.

Nova rolled her eyes, landing them on Star and Marco who were still confused by what was going on.

"Omg" Nova under her breath, gripping her hair in a panic "They're going to kill me!"

Marco took a step forward, sharing another confused look with Star "We're not going..."

"OMG I'M SO DEAD!"

Star shifted guilty "I know I was little forceful but calm down, we're not going to..."

"Mom warned me this could happen! And I didn't listen to her!"

Nova began pacing back and forth, agitated as she began dramatically making flourishes with some sort of black magician's wand in her hands. The all black stick with a white tip type wands.

"Mom told me not to supercharge the scissors! And I did! And now this...and _them!"_

Marco wasn't sure how to feel when Nova gestured to them like they were some sort of problem.

"Nova!" Connor shouted, stepping in front of the increasingly distraught girl "Nova it's okay, it's okay! I'm sure..."

"And you!" Nova turned quickly from palpable panic to righteous fury "You told me it would be a great idea to charge the scissors" she took a step forward forcing Connor to back away quickly as she sped up "You told me nothing bad would happen!"

Connor scoffed, quickly turning the tables around and stopping Nova in her tracks "No, I said it was a bad idea and that thing that your mom warned you about was probably going to happen!"

Nova's face became baffled. She placed a finger on her cheek while she looked up thoughtfully "Yeeeeah no I don't remember it that way."

"Big surprise" Connor muttered under his breath.

"What was that four eyes?"

"I said big surprise Novy"

"Ugh, I hate it when you call me that!"

"Then why are you're cheeks red?"

"Anger you dolt!"

"EXCUSE ME!" Star shouted loudly causing the two teens to jump "As much as I love watching a cute couple flirt in front of me."

"Mo...we're not a couple!"

"Novy and me? In _her_ dreams"

"What was that four eyes?"

Nova gripped Connor's shirt collar tightly, raising the wand in his face that glowed with a red hue

Marco whistled loudly "Hey! Cut it out."

The two broke away, looking anywhere that wasn't the others direction, a blush appearing on both their faces.

"Look, we just want to know what is going on."

Nova shook her head "Nothing, nothing what's so ever daaaaaaaaaaaude! Yep, dude. We're just gonna be going now."

"Nova" Connor whispered loudly " we don't know which mirror is ours!"

"The wand said its the one behind us you dolt, come on." Nova whispered back, a force smiling sent towards Star and Marco while she pushed Connor away.

"I can't believe we just met _them_ " Connor's voice softly said, getting fainter and fainter.

"I know right! Mom and dad looked absolutely adorable together at our age!" Nova whispered back before there was a loud plop and silence.

"They make a pretty cute couple" Star said simply.

"They are totally into each other" Marco agreed "Come one let's go home"

Star and Marco rounded the corner where Nova and Connor disappeared to only to spot a single mirror in the room, its frame plain and simple with no describable features.

"I guess they were from our reality. Maybe we'll see them again."

"Maybe."

Marco grabbed Star's hand, sending her heart racing at his touch.

Before Star could comment or ask Marco what he thought of them as a couple, they leapt through the portal landing onto the Diaz's backyard.

"Are we home Star?" Marco asked quietly

"Oh good" Mr. Diaz called out from inside the house "You kids are here! Though I thought you were getting something to eat? Why are you back so early?"

"Early?" Marco asked "What time is it?"

"It's about 7:30. You left for that rocky dimension about 10 minutes ago."

"Oh...right. We didn't feel like going out dad."

Mr. Diaz looked like he didn't believe them but shrugged and went on his merry way.

"We're back Star! WE'RE BACK!" Marco shouted cheerfully into the night sky, kissing the ground before spitting out some grass that managed to get on his tongue.

Star chuckled, her cheeks still red from when Marco held her hand. He was really just too cute and she could just...

"Star, are you okay?"

Star felt her heart shift into overdrive when Marco peered closer towards her, looking at her carefully as he pressed one of his hands against her cheek.

"M-Marco! What are you dong?" she stammered out, hoping he couldn't feel her wildly beating heart.

"Star, you're not sick are you? You're like really red and warm."

Star batted his hand away from her, already missing his touch "I'm fine Marco!"

"That's what you said when you had that fever!"

"That was different, I was lying that time!"

"and not this time? Nah uh, get back here Star. Doctor Marco is going give you the treatment you need!"

Star's flush became worse as her mind conjured up some rather intense scenes of her making out with Marco which she wasn't entirely against.

"SEE! You're even more red!"

"I'm not sick Marco!" Star cried, running into the house, a playful grin on her face as Marco ran after her, shouting "GET BACK HERE STAR! I WILL CHASE YOU AS LONG AS IT TAKES!"

 _20 years later_

Nova and Connor landed softly in the backyard, the night sky showing no passage of time.

"Ugh, are we back four eyes?"

Connor glared at Nova, trying not to let her bright blue eyes send him into a daze again.

Connor bent over, groping in the dark for something he accidentally dropped when the two were sucked through the portal.

"Yeah, my lucky pen is here. Same bite marks, same worn out ink. We must be in the right time."

"You and that stupid pen, just get rid of it already" Nova complained while secretly taking joy in the fact that he kept her gift to him from the second grade even when the pen long ceased to function and was no longer even remotely useful anymore.

"Yes" A voice called out from the darkness "You are in the right time."

Nova and Connor shared a frightened look with one another, Marco and Star strolling out of the night with the biggest grins on their faces.

Nova looked at the ground, unable to face either of them in the eye. Her mama told her not to use the supercharge spell in their backyard and she had.

No one said anything, silence almost unbearable.

"So..." Star began "Didn't I tell you we were a cute couple?"

Nova peered up, surprised that there was no lecture, no shouting about recklessness or the dangers she may have encountered.

Nova shyly nodded "Yeah mom, you guys were like the cutest couple back then."

Marco rose an eyebrow "And not now?"

"I-I mean you still are but..but...I...umm..."

Marco let out a cheerful laugh "Relax Nova, it's just a joke."

Nova cracked a smile

"What's not a joke is that you used the supercharge spell when we told you not to"

Which turned into a frown.

"Hey, that's no fair!" Nova cried "You knew I would use the spell! You remembered from the time you met me! This was all a set up...I've been had!"

Star nodded "yep but you still broke the rules. Go upstairs, you're grounded for the week."

Nova huffed, turning to Connor and sticking her tongue out at him "This is _your_ fault!"

"My fault? I told you not to use the spell!"

"Yeah right, you just wanted me to get in trouble so I couldn't go to the dance Friday! Now you got your chance to ask out Missy instead of having me drag you to the stupid thing."

"H-hey Missy is a nice girl and it wasn't like that at all! I didn't think you'd get in trouble!"

Nova huffed again, jealousy clearly written on her face "yeah right." and stormed off towards her room.

"Go after her Mr. Sinclair, we'll be calling your parents shortly to pick you up and informing them what you two have been up to."

Connor's face paled but he nodded in understanding, muttering under his breath about if he was about to be grounded too, he might as well spend all the time he could tormenting Nova.

The night air became quiet as Star and Marco shared a light kiss, holding each tightly as they both whispered

"Yeah they're totally into each other."

* * *

Author notes time *UPDATED*. I'm very sorry i did not realize i did not explain a few things about this au when i updated it last night. i apologize for that. i was so excited that it slipped my mind, my bad!

The darkness and the shadow man in the beginning of the story is none other than Nox, a character from If i miss you. the valleys of shimmering crystals is his perception of the various realities found through out the multiverse. to every living being, he looks like pure darkness. to him, everything looks like overly bright and chaotic crystals. he has to send parts of himself and basically shrink them down to directly form in the varying universes.

Other Star and Marco are actually Star and Marco from the role reversal universe i did a while back. I just love the idea of them meeting the canons versions and thus this chapter was born.

And finally Nova and Connor arrived in the nexus point of the multiverses because there, time does not move forward or backwards. it stands still so everything that happens happens in the same moment. That's how they were able to meet younger Star and Marco. its weird i know but it sounded better when i first wrote it.

Hopefully this help clear up any confusing things i failed to explain or describe about the chapter. and im sorry i didnt post all this information up last night when i updated.

I really really hope you enjoyed this special 50th chapter of my story. It means alot to me that you all read my work and enjoy it so even more so that we've made it this far because without you amazing readers i would not be much of a writer. A million, million thank yous to Hyper Blossom Z who came up with the brilliant idea for the role reversal universe. Without that request, this would've been a very, very different chapter. I also would like to thank IDC13 14 sara. While i did came up with the look of RR star, Sara added something her pictures i really enjoyed. She replaced Star's hearts with some freckles and i loved that so much i decided to add it in. thank you all so much and have an great day! a great week!


	51. Novy and four eyes (future AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, hope you are doing great. Thank you for every follow, favorite and review. they mean the world to me and you make it so much fun to write.

a special thanks to h mae- haha they were all adorable huh? nox did force them to supercharge the wand and sometimes life moves in strange mysterious ways.

misfortune- As you wish. haha i recommend watching movies with the subtitles on. you'd surprise how much your vocab will increase using that method. haha thank you so much im glad you enjoyed chapter 50.

Finn- i shall keep working, to the computer! *Watchs gravity falls*

Lupus- thank you for your kind words. chaotic is my middle name. well not legal middle name but still. haha you are awesome too! high five!

deadshoot- totally. Marco is keeping an eye on Connor.

grim- dont worry, under starco insurance, you're immune to the laws. so sing, sing for me! cause i'm having a good time, having a good time! sorry about that, i forgot to put the rest of the authors notes up. they are up now in case your still confused. sorry about that!

lost- sorry about that, the notes at the end are updated to explain everything.

rayfe- thank you so much but you clearly haven't read the british version of harry potter. much more cussing. yes he's still reeling after being forced out of their universe. but he's very angry. agreed Star is cute no matter what universe she's from though i admit other star is pretty cute. sometimes if he isn't filming. Other Marco actually has a walrus butler with beret and mustache. he has a mop but no bucket.

devious angel- nox from my other story

Harutora- umm...you can't sue me for killing you. just saying.

Fulgurite- thank you so much. if this got into the show i would die. or scream in joy. i still plan on making more and more chapters. I do take requests though i tend to do them in rotations. im opening requests in the coming months. depends on how long it takes me to get the next set out.

IDC1314- im glad you enjoyed it! honestly the role reversal was one of my favorite AU's and the moment i wrote that, i knew i had to have the two universes meet and ive been saving it ever since. haha i cannot wait to see your drawings. good luck in school btw! you got this!

blevinp- Thank you for pointing that out in case i missed it. in the case of that story, i aged up Marco and upped his skills because he is going to be facing really powerful video game characters.

CCparker- before i do the kim possible movie, i have to do a kim possible AU *Which is planned in this next set of requests*

twiflutterdazzle- thank you so much. im glad you enjoyed it.

smittytheories- hello! nice to talk to you again! time and space, only madmen can understand it. madmen like the doctor. thank you so much! i am very proud to reach 50 chapters. i never thought when i started this little project all those months ago id ever reach 50 but here we are. thank you im so happy you enjoy my work. you readers are the best and you make writing for you so much fun. i hope so too and you want to talk about sappy? you've read my stories, extremely sappy. haha take care of yourself! and here is 51

Arsenal- haha i did no such thing, starco ships itself. literally. my self appointed title of captain is for tax reasons. thank you, i think my strongest style is first person and i was pleasantly surprised at the response for if i miss you. I've loved the idea of different view points and story switching between characters early on when i started writing so i really practiced it and must say i've gotten decent at it. thank you for your kind words and i hope you keep on enjoying the stories. it makes me very happy when you readers say you enjoy them. you rock even more my dear reader! Titanic is one of the stories that i wont go out of my way to write but i will write it if it is requested. so i guess if someone asks for it sure why not.

what if- that sounds incredibly funny and awesome. im totally doing it though admittedly it might be a part of a larger story because the scene itself might be too small but who knows? ill add it to the list. awesome! i can't wait to hear them. you readers come up with the most amazing ideas! :)

Armagdatron- "Marco, maybe you should put on a shirt. just saying" "I WILL BATH IN THE TATTERS OF THEIR GREEN CLOTHING! I WILL DRINK IT WITH MY MEAL OF VICTORY! I SHALL CONSUME THEIR VERY EXISTENCE!" "Well since he's gone crazy,Marco! Yo! put on this red head band and shout hadouken!"

122112: "Can we have sodas too?" "What? you want..." "Oh and ice cream, it isn't a we saved the world part without ice cream." "Guys this is getting..." "Oh can i have sprinkles? like the really cute rainbow ones?" "Star, you dont seem..." "We can't we like poof in giant robots." "Well you see..." "Marco, i'm tired. Do i have to fight off a great evil?" I am not a t-rex. i mean i am part t-rex but not moving doesn't mean i can't...hey...hey where did you go?! that is very rude to just disappear like that!

skeptic potato- just wait for the finale!

and last but certainly not least, my guest reviewer thank you so much. i hope you keep enjoying the other stories i have planned :)

guest 2 haha i love me my sap as you no doubt could tell from my stories. thank you so much. i love writing and as a musician i've always been an entertainer at heart. so i guess writing for you amazing readers was just the next step. Even im surprised how far I've come. well believing in yourself is key but far from the only piece of advice ill give. first of all, vocab. it really helps. second would be details. they help the reader paint the picture you want to show them in their mind and because these are words, we writers are at a disadvantage in the media. if your details are in the most important object in the scene whether it be the characters, the location or even the action. 3rd dont try to be original. make something your own (Which is not the same thing as being original. there's only 12 stories in the world after all. ) like you want to do a knight story? maybe have the knight not fight with a sword or maybe play a bit with cliches, maybe the big hulking knight is a girl or a robot. Maybe the princess is saving the knight. even if its been done, add other things into the story. you've read and seen a million stories and you can fit something from one into another. my last piece of advice is to read. see how other people describe other characters, what words they use, how they use them. if you are stuck, other writers can show you how to get over your writer's block and what worked for them. Good luck to you my dear reader, i hope to read what you come up with soon and if you need my assistance, just ask! as for the different realities, i usually do though admittedly i've been stuck in the canon universe. hopefully that will change soon! haha ive got a couple of those mess with people ones tucked away in my vault :)

this week on starco corner, the artists are taking a break no doubt because it's the end of school and they need to focus on their work! here on FF we have some amazing stories. an insanely cute chapter from fabioferrario magical disruptur, the star and the sun from flowersforfanfics, a great cute diaz family road trip update from unluckywrites, ripples from watermalone and i missed it just as i updated, the princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482

Okay so this is the other side of Nova and connor story. Sorry if you were expecting something else but i liked the idea of the future so much and i wanted to see how it turned out. There is some starco, not much but it is super fluffy and cute! and dont worry the next update we will return focus to our favorite couple as the finale of steampunk. I do actually have a list of where everyone is in this future but i didnt put it up for length. if you are curious, let me know and maybe ill put it up as its own solo sheet

side note this is the last chance to vote for the next au because frozen and bad boy are tied 3 a piece.

thank you so much for all your reviews, your kind words, your follows your favorites, they mean everything to me and make me so happy to be a writer. to those of you in school, in case i do not have a chance to say it, stay sane! you got this! i believe in you! starco believes in you! One step at a time! and GOOD LUCK! i hope you enjoy this story even if it isnt starco. I own nothing.

* * *

The sun slowly rose into the sky over Echo Creek, letting everyone know that it was time to get up and face the day. That new adventures awaited, new thrills, new challenges, it was a new day to live life to its fullest!

As the rays of light hit the magical princess's face, her eyes were forced open, her electric blue irises narrowing in anger before she let out a shout of discomfort and blasted the window with her wand.

The sound of rattling chains crisscrossing over each other, covering every single inch of the window so no light could pierce through its defense let the rest of the household know that someone did not want to go to school

Marco Diaz looked up towards the ceiling, a smile forming on his face as he took a long sip of his morning coffee "It sounds like Nova's awake."

Star laughed, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder "Aren't you glad I wasn't that dramatic?"

Marco turned to Star, eyebrows raised as his light brown eyes sparkled with humor.

Star flushed, shyly avoiding Marco's gaze "Well at least I didn't blast my alarm clock."

"Much" Marco supplied

Star turned to Marco, sticking her tongue at him only to be let out a muffled "Eep" when he caught her lips and kissed her deeply. Two smiled like shy teenagers all over again before breaking apart with matching grins.

"So" Marco coughed, still turning a lovely shade of red after all these years "what do you think she'll be using this time?"

Star looked to her daughter's room, putting a finger on her chin and began thinking of all the spells Nova knew.

"I'm betting she'll blast it with the acid teddy bear"

"I'm thinking she'll hammer it to death."

"Why's that?"

"The dance is coming up Friday and I heard a little rumor that Missy really wants to go with Connor."

Star huffed in false anger, lightly smacking Marco's arm "Hey, hey no fair! You're using insider information."

Marco shrugged "It's not my fault Star"

Marco laughed, trying not to aww at the cute pouting face of his wife.

Star smiled mischievously, eyes glimmering with a look Marco knew all too well.

"Star? Star, what are you doing?" Marco asked, rising to his feet and backing away as Star took predatory steps his way.

"oooooh nothing."

"Staaaar! I don't believe...wait...no...no you can't!" Marco's began heating up "not today! I-I...photo day..."

"What? I'm not allowed to mark what's _mine?"_ Star sly whispered, sending shivers down Marco's spine.

Marco could feel his heart racing as Star began strutting his way. He couldn't keep his eyes off his incredibly beautiful, breathtaking wife especially since she was still in her pajamas that consisted of some blue shorts and a pink tanktop. She even made rabbit slippers look good. Still adorable, still cute but with many more adjectives he could not say in front of company. She was shorter than him but still felt like the bigger presence in his life. The cute teenage girl grew up to be an absolutely gorgeous woman.

Star glanced carefully where her target lay, nestled underneath his white collared shirt. Star could feel her face lightly blushing, the idea that after all this time her good-looking, attractive husband could still make her heart race anew like they were still teens sharing their first moments of affection. It did not help how hot he looked in his black business suit, white collared shirt with red tie, his well kept muscles obvious against the fabric of the clothing and that adorable little patch of hair on his chin (Star forbade him from growing a beard or mustache and Marco happily complied. For now.) The cute teenager boy grew up to be a super handsome man.

And yet as Marco began turning all kinds of varying colors of red, his back pinned against the wall as Star began lightly biting his neck, they were the same when they first admitted their feelings 17 years ago: Two goofballs that fell in love with their best friend.

"Star!" Marco's voice cracked when she pulled away, admiring her work with a sly smirk "Another Star mark?"

Star shrugged "I like it, it looks good on you."

"You're only saying that because you made it."

Star nodded, pulling on Marco's tie and drawing him closer for another kiss "and don't you forget safe kid."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The two shared a passionate kiss, Star's arms wrapping around Marco's neck and Marco's hands finding their way onto her waist only to break apart at the sound of an alarm clock blazing followed by some heavy object smashing against the floor with enough force to shake the house.

Star let out defeated groan as Marco left one hand on her hip and the other hand gripping hers tightly, spinning and twirling as the pair began to waltz around the kitchen

"Looks I win Star!" Marco shouted cheerfully, dipping his wife and looking lovingly into her eyes.

Star stared at him with 'enjoy this while you can' eyes, letting out a giggle when Marco bent over and kissed her once more.

"Okay, okay" Star smacked his chest, pulling away despite how much she wanted to keep it going "You have to make breakfast wild man"

"Yes daddy and please stop making out with mom."

The paired look up to spot their fledgling daughter staring at them with combination of loving humor and having seen too much.

Nova Butterfly was 14 years old. Her light brown hair was shaped like Star's and her blue eyes were more electric colored than her mother's light pupils. Two pink hearts covered each cheek and a little mole was dotted above the left one. A black and white oversized mallet was slung lazily over her shoulder like she was ready to take on some carnival games as bits and pieces of something technological dripping off of its smooth, circular surface. Despite the fact they needed to go soon, Nova was still dressed in her purple sleep dress.

"You know" Marco told his daughter, helping Star to her feet and kissing her cheek gently "You should very happy that you have parents so open with their feelings that you know it's okay to show affection to someone you like"

"Even though your father took _fooooreeever_ to realize his feelings for me."

"Says the one that couldn't even look me in the eye without turning pink for days after we first kissed."

Nova smiled brightly at the childish argument her parents fell into, teasing and flirting even now, their love still strong and perfect. Nova really hoped she could find someone like that.

"HEY!" Nova whistled, catching the attention of her parents "Please stop, this is too much PDA" Of course she didn't need to let them know how much she loved their antics. She had a reputation to maintain "I don't know whose worse now: You guys or the grandparents."

"Weeeell Grandpa and grandma Butterfly like to go hunting together. Holding hands as they fight the wildest beasts of Mewni."

" Grandpa and Grandma Diaz are still traveling the world. Sharing a new kiss in a new location everyday."

"Will they be here for Christmas?" Nova asked quizzically, taking a seat, morphing the mallet back into the black magician's wand with the white tip once more, wiping off the remnants of the alarm clock.

"Oh definitely, you finally have the wand! They'll want to see how your progressing with your magic. Dad probably wants another litter of laser puppies" Marco told her.

Nova look down nervously, unsure if she was going to be able to live up to everyone's expectations.

She felt the loving of embrace of her parents, holding her tightly and warmly as they both whispered into her ear "you got this."

Nova smiled, hugging back and sharing the same goofy smile her parents had on their faces

"Oh!" Star yelled with excitedly, taking a seat across her daughter "Will Connor be joining us this year?"

Nova frowned dejectedly, deciding to focus her gaze on the eggs and bacon her father just handed to her, muttering softly under her breath "He said he might be going back to Canada to visit some family for a while. Won't be here all break."

Star and Marco shared a look. To anyone else it would appear Nova was aloof about the news but they knew better. They were going to have one sad child this Christmas.

"Maybe you could use the dimensional scissors to visit him if he does go" Star offered, taking a quiet joy at how her daughter's face subtly lit up.

"Psst, what do I care? He's got his own life. But then again I might need to. Just in case he starts brawling about not being able to see that new Indiana Jones movie. It doesn't come out there during the holiday season like it does here. I keep telling him it's a reboot, it isn't going to be good but he won't listen. It's like he worships Chris Pratt or something"

Nova hurriedly ate her breakfast, a whirl of knife and fork that was pretty frightening to witness.

Nova raced up to her room, trying to ignore the chuckling of her parents.

"Looking super cute" Nova told herself, nodding in the mirror at her trendy, stylish outfit. She wore a pink t-shirt underneath one of her father's old faded hoodies that was just a little too big on her which was perfect because flicking Connor with the loose sleeves was too much fun. She put on her mother's old devil headband. She wore a black knee length skirt (anything shorter and Marco would've had a heart attack. And Nova a scolding) with back leggings and boots with shark-like teeth plastered in the front.

She looked carefully at the headband, tapping it lightly with her wand a few times. Top hat? No. Aviator cap? no. Fez? Cute but no. Pinetree baseball hat? Cute but not on her.

Nova shook her head when Marco called for her, deciding to just keep the devil headband. She wore it last week but perhaps no one would notice.

Marco rolled his eyes at his daughter riding a penguin down the staircase like some sort of sled while Star clapped and held up a perfect 10 sign when she made it to the bottom floor.

"Come on Nova, we don't have all day."

"Sorry dad" Nova quickly apologized, kissing Star's cheek "bye mom."

"Bye honey, I'll see you later."

"Bye Starlight" Marco whispered, kissing his wife's lips once more and taking as much time as he could. Even when they were gone for just a little bit, Marco missed Star terribly.

"Bye my sunshine" Star answered, melting away in her husband's tender kiss. Even when parted for a little, Star missed Marco a bit too much.

They pulled apart, Nova covering her eyes.

"I'll be in Mewni until 8 okay? You're cooking?"

Marco nodded "I got it, don't worry. Good luck with those negotiations"

"I'll try not to shoot myself."

"Please don't."

"How bout shooting them?"

"Only if you have to."

Star smiled, closing the door hesitatingly on her family "Byyyyeeeeee."

* * *

Nova hopped into the shotgun seat of her father's car, heart beating erratically as they began nearing their next stop.

The two pulled up to a small, single story white house with various gears, pulleys, random contraptions embedded and sticking out of the walls of the home.

Nova exited the car quickly, trying her hardest not to run full speed towards the household door.

She knocked impatiently, tapping her foot aggressive for a few moments, nearly combing out her hair when she heard the rushing steps heading her way. But she only raised her hand for an inch or two, having remembered her father's presence only 10 feet away.

"I'm coming!" A familiar voice call out and Nova could feel her heart skidding and beating wildly. She mentally prepared herself as best she could.

The door flew open and her electric blue eyes found themselves staring into her best friend's forest green ones.

"Hey Nova!" Connor said cheerfully, a smile on his face that nearly made Nova match it. His wavy jet black hair was a great looking mess again and those adorable thin wire frame glasses really made you focus on his eyes. There was his standard white shirt with that sliver crescent moon on it, black shorts with knee high socks and black converses.

"Looking like a dork again. Your favorite look"

"At least I wasn't panicking over wearing the same headband 2 weeks in a row again."

Nova's hands shot up to her horns before realizing she played directly into Connor's trap again "Shut it, some people like changing it up once in a while!"

Connor smirked "More like performing for the invisible audience."

"Come on four eyes, we're gonna be late."

Connor smiled brightly, reaching for his backpack he left by the door way and racing past Nova, shouting at the top of his lungs "Chewie!"

Nova was caught off guard and hadn't had the time needed to respond to his challenge "Chew...oh darn it."

Nova fumed in the back seat, glaring imaginary daggers into the back of Connor's head while the trio made idle talk.

"Why do we have that stupid Chewie rule?" Nova mumbled unhappily

"Because we like Star Wars and Chewbacca is always the co-pilot."

"But..." Nova began

" _Always"_ The finality of Marco's tone made it clear there was no winning this fight with

her father.

Nova rolled her eyes, staring out the window before landing on the side view mirror of the car, a smiling Connor could be clearly seen from this angle.

Nova gave a small grin, forcing it away when Connor turned around and began talking to her directly.

"I got a new invention! want to see?"

"Sure whatever" Nova's mouth said but her bright eyes made it clear she was very excited for this.

Connor held a small palm size box in his hand.

"What is it?"

"A hand size smoke machine."

"Huh...neat."

Connor pushed the button on top, grinning like an idiot when the machine began coughing a large amount of smoke.

And didn't stop.

"Uh oh. It...it's suppose to stop" Connor muttered with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Connor!" Marco shouted, trying to wave away the smoke away from him but it was no use. The car began filling up rapidly with thick, swirling smoke causing Marco to swerve out of control.

"Connor, Connor just stop it! TURN IT OFF!"

"Oh no, I think I just dropped it."

"What do you mean you dropped it!? You dolt! FIND IT!"

"Open the windows!"

"ON IT!"

"WAIT NOVA I'll JUST LOWER THE WINDOW"

"SUPER SONIC BOOM TEDDY BLAST!

The windows exploded with a force of a small bomb, shattering the glass and spraying onto the street.

* * *

Marco pulled up to the faculty parking, coughing as his car groaned angrily. Nova and Connor held the same shell shock look, unsure what exactly happened.

"Dad I'm..."

"It's okay Nova" Marco told her, giving her a light smile "Your mother did way worse with the wand though next time, maybe just use a simpler solution."

Nova nodded "Yes daddy."

"Off with you two, I'll see you in second period."

"Bye Mr. Diaz! Sorry about the malfunction!" Connor apologized, wincing when Nova's hand collided with the back of his head

"Seriously?! Who drops the darn device?"

"Hey, I was startled! I didn't think it keep going."

"You never think four eyes."

"More than you Novy."

"Ugh, don't call me that!"

Marco smiled at the disappearing figures of his daughter and her best friend, telling himself "They're cute together. I'm going to have to threaten him about taking good care of my daughter when they start dating."

* * *

Nova and Connor made their to way to their neighboring lockers, trying their hardest to peacefully settle a disagreement the two found themselves in.

"Agree with me or I'm blasting you!" Nova threatened, using her wand to pry open her locker, taking a moment to overlook her appearance "Ugh, I think that smoke messed up my hair."

"Nova, seriously? You look fine. Stop overreacting" Connor said, smiling when a robotic claw began handing him his school books when he opened his locker.

"Look you might have a lax view on appearances but I'm the daughter of Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz. You know the two greatest people like ever! I can't simply be whatever about how I look."

Connor frowned "I think you're holding yourself to an unnecessary standard that only you believe in."

Nova opened her mouth only to quickly look past her best friend and let out a soft longing sigh.

Connor questioned what was going on with Nova before he turned around, rolling his eyes when he saw _him_ walking their way.

"You gonna talk to him or keep drooling Novy?"

Nova shook her head, freeing herself out of her stupor "I _will_ blast you."

"Isn't he a pacifist? He wouldn't like if you start blasting people."

Nova opened her mouth to retort only to shut it.

Roman Greason walked by, waving happily at Nova and Connor with his gray eyes focusing only on Nova. His black hair was gelled back matching the greaser style he was currently rocking.

Nova giggled idiotically, returning the wave and muttering softly "H-hi Roman."

"Hey Nova, hey Connor"

Connor held a clenched smile he wasn't really feeling "hey Roman."

Nova didn't breath until he rounded the corner, taking large, dramatic breaths once he was out of sight.

"OMG OMG OMG HE LOOKED AT ME!" She cheered, spinning happily in a circle, spotting to face her locker door and checking off step 4 off her 30 point to marrying Roman check list.

"This is the best day EVER!" She closed her locker with girly squeal.

Nova turned to face Connor only for her face to fall, annoyance and disbelief etched on her face.

Connor scratched the back of his head, shyly pointing out how exactly his robotic claw worked to, ugh, Missy "look how perfect I am" Thomas. With her medium length blonde hair with streaks of red, pale blue eyes and just the cutest blue summer dress/white blouse combo along with her love of all things mechanical, her confidence and her perfect 4.0 GPA.

"Sounds awesome" Missy said softly, eyes shining with something like admiration.

"T-thanks Missy."

"Hey Connor, I was wondering if you were going to go to the dance Friday?"

Connor flushed uncontrollably "I...I don't know, I don't like dancing too much and..."

"Come on Romero" Nova cut in, gripping the back of his shirt firmly "We're going to be late for music class. Buh bye Missy! Bye! See you later."

Nova turned away, frowning while she dragged the struggling Connor away from miss perfect.

"Hey, Nova, what's your deal?" Connor complained "that was very rude of you!

"What? We need to get to music class and I couldn't wait for you to take 20 minutes to answer her question."

"And I have to watch you drool over Roman? Yeah I've got better things to do."

"So we're going to the dance Friday right?"

Connor stared at Nova "I...I don't know, did you want to?"

Nova let loose her hold on her best friend and gently nudged Connor's side "Yeah. We can make fun of all the couples trying to be romantic."

Nova held her hand to her forehead, looking upwards towards the ceiling like she was some sort of southern belle under duress "I'm sorry I'm so clumsy. I'm feeling flush."

Connor chuckled, bowing mockingly towards the young princess "Miss are you alright? You look unwell."

Nova took Connor's hand, spinning him around and around while murmuring "I have never felt this way before. It is such a strange feeling. It's almost like I'm...

"Yes?"

"No, I cannot say!"

"You wound me miss!" Connor placed a hand over his heart, pretending as if he were shot through, falling to his knees before laying sprawled out on the floor.

The two burst out in laughter.

"Come on four eyes" Nova scolded gently, offering her hand to Connor "We got to go or we'll miss Mr. Greason's music lesson.

Connor took it, smiling like he just won the lottery.

* * *

Nova tried not to flinch as the beginning band tried their hardest to get through a simple song and...well at least there wasn't a squeak every beat now. Just every few beats.

"That was pretty good guys" Mr. Greeson said with a calm, slow drawl, his face passive though a hint of pain was in his eyes "We'll like pick up from measure 50 tomorrow morning. Don't forget to do your music theory homework. I want the C scale transposed in 3 different scales. Major only. It's due on Thursday."

The bell rang, dismissing the students from the torturous session.

Nova sighed, putting away her saxophone feeling very defeated "I wish I was better."

Connor made his way over, putting his cowbell down on the percussion table "Why don't you ask Missy to help you? She knows like all the instruments."

"Yeah, you would love that won't you?"

"What? it's true."

"Whatever" Nova said, locking her instrument away in the music locker and taking off before Connor could ask what was wrong.

* * *

"Love is completely strange." Marco told his English class, spreading his hands to emphasis his point "No one knows exactly how it works. I mean scientists know how it works chemically but writers, artists, musicians know how it works in reality."

Nova stared out the window, wondering what did Missy have that she didn't. She knew Missy was a nice, sweet girl that Nova had no real reason to dislike but...she just did.

"I mean why do people fall in love? Because it feels great, because it enables great things! The greatest works of all time have been done for love and because of love: Annabel Lee from Edgar Allen Poe, 80% of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, even Sherlock Holmes felt it once in the form of Irene Adler. Love is the driving force of the greatest deeds and terrible tragedies."

Connor duly took notes, trying his hardest to figure out what was with Nova. She seemed to have a really strange dislike of Missy. Maybe she was jealous? Nova had always been a little protective of him.

"But sometimes love isn't so clear. Sometimes love is not open arms but defensive pushing. Flirting that doubles up not only for seeking attention but maybe a way to get some of that affection out before it consumes you. Sometimes the person you really love is the person you would've never guessed."

The class snickered, everyone knew the story of Mr. Diaz and his wife.

Nova sighed. She was not jealous. She did not get jealous. Why would she be jealous? There was no reason to be jealous. It was just Connor. Her childhood best friend with those really cute green eyes...

"Viktor, ready for a question?"

Viktor croaked in surprised, sculling to his feet and saluting Marco like he was a military academy cadet.

Viktor was lanky, with olive green skin and a yellow underbelly, his skull and crossbones shirt covered with a demi vest. His bulbous yellow eyes and bat wing ears really hit home there was a giant monster frog sitting in the class room. Well for the first week. Ever since Star Butterfly came to Earth, Earth just simply accepted whatever came their way.

"Viktor!" Marco cheerfully continued "Who is your favorite couple? You know like Romero and Juliet, Phineas and Isabella..."

"Nova and Connor?" Viktor said uneasily.

The class room broke out in the stereotypical "OoooOOO" chant as Connor peered up from his notes, confused about what was going on or why his name was mentioned. Did they find out about the pack of llamas Nova and him created last week? Because if he knew they were going to create a street gang, he would've never suggested it.

Nova was dragged out of her thoughts, turning to face the classroom only to see dozens of faces peering at her like they were expecting a show or something.

"I didn't do it! You can't prove a thing dad!" Nova shouted, standing up, wand raised high "You'll never take me alive! It was all Connor, he told me it was okay to shoot fireworks at the sun! He's the mastermind, I'm just the enabler!"

"Hey, wha Novy!?"

Nova opened her mouth to retort when the class cooed at them, commenting how the lovebirds were bickering like an old married couple.

The two flushed a bright red, wishing they were in the joke everyone else seemed to be.

"Ooookay" Marco said slowly, his face making it clear that they would talk about this later.

The bell rang not a moment too soon and as the sea of students poured out into the hallway, Marco called after them "Remember, I am expecting a one page paper about Hamlet! Did he really love Ophelia or was it all a ploy? Find out tomorrow!"

Nova shoved her things into her bag, trying to sneak out among the other students when Marco called out "Nova, a word."

Nova looked to Connor who shrugged nervously and muttered quickly "He didn't call me, see ya!" before rushing out of the room.

Nova sighed, dramatically making her way to her father's desk.

"Sorry I wasn't paying attention dad."

"What? Oh that's whatever. You okay sweetie? You did seem pretty distracted. Well more so than usual."

Nova rubbed her arm uneasily. She wanted to tell her dad but then again this was _her_ dad. Kinda embarrassing.

"Just a lot on my mind you know?"

Marco nodded, understanding exactly how confusing a time adolescence had been "Well if you need anything, you come to me okay?"

Nova nodded, giving him a bright smile before embracing him

"I will, thanks dad."

* * *

Connor and Nova sat at the table, quietly munching on their snacks, the day already taking its toll on the best friends.

Nova played around with her bag of chips, deep and lost in thought. She really wanted to go to the dance with Roman but hanging out on the outskirts of the black hole known as the dance floor with Connor, laughing and making fun of all the couples seemed just as appealing.

"So, _are_ we going to the dance Friday?" Connor asked the distracted princess.

Nova stared blankly at Connor, confused by what he was saying.

"The dance? The one you were making a huge deal about this morning."

"Oh... _oh._ I..I dunno..." she mumbled uneasily, eying her snack with unusual interest.

Connor frowned, unsure what was going on with his best friend

"Nova Butterfly! Hand over the wand."

Connor and Nova let out an irritated sigh as Ludo and his army of monsters burst forth from a portal. There was the two red headed demon person, Bearicorn, Spikeballs, that giraffe.

Nova leapt onto the table, drawing her wand "Hey Ludo, what gives? This is like half of what you usually attack me with."

"Oh" The tiny bird monster began "It's the 7th day of monstober. I had to give a few of my monsters the day off."

"And why only half?"

"Ah we're getting umm overtime for this" Bearicorn said with a nod.

Ludo fumed "I never said that. I said you get overtime if you get me the wand!"

The monsters let out a battle cry, rushing towards the magical princess.

Connor backed away, running towards the janitor's closet with all possible haste.

"Super bouncy teddy bear!" Nova shouted. a small, fluffy teddy bear smacked Spikeballs in the face before ricocheting into another monster.

Spikeballs rubbed at his face carefully, trying his hardest not to poke himself with his own spikes.

Nova smiled, leaping for the giant monster and using him as a springboard to launch herself high into the air.

"Hey, that was rude!" Spikeballs exclaimed, reaching up for the princess.

There was a barely audible pop as a potato exploded in Spikeballs face, the force of the delicious projectile sending him stumbling backwards.

"Yes!" Connor shouted in victory, a small air compressor attached to his back with six PVC pipes tied tightly together in his hands "I told you a potato cannon would totally work against these guys!"

Nova twisted her body midair, narrowly avoiding her wand being chomped on by the giraffe monster before she gripped its neck tightly "Proved me wrong great potato warrior."

A potato splattered against the two headed monster's stomach, causing them to fly backwards, landing on their back with a painful thud.

"Don't judge. What are you doing?"

"This!" Nova replied, turning her wand into a shaving razor, sliding down the back of the giraffe monster while cutting off all of the hair on its neck.

The giraffe monster shrieked in despair, running away from the battle to find the closest mirror.

Nova landed on her feet, crouching down low as Bearicorn charged towards her, horn poised to skewer her.

Nova rose to full height, the wand transforming into a rapier.

"En garde!" Nova yelled, catching Bearicorn'ss horn with ease.

Bearicorn growled before pulling back, breaking free of the hold Nova had on him before counter attacking

Nova parried his thrust, twirling gracefully around the charging bear before softly poking his furry hindquarters.

"OWW! That's not like okay!" Bearicorn snarled before a potato caught the back of his head.

A large lump formed on his head as he fell forward onto the floor

Nova smiled and shared a thumbs up with Connor

Connor return the gesture with one of his own. There was a loud crack and a gust of air propelled him forward, knocking him off balance. Connor to turned to see a crack in the compressor.

Nova, caught up in the thrill of triumph, didn't see Spikeballs until his shadow covered her. Before she could react, she was knocked off her feet and tossed towards Connor who looked up in time to see Nova collide with him.

Spikeballs growled angrily towards the teens, huffing and puffing as remnants of the potato dripped off his face.

Nova and Connor moaned weakly, too stunned to recover in time.

Spikeballs rose his namesake high into the air, Ludo chanting him on when he caught sight of someone familiar. Someone who was staring daggers at him and flexing his crossed arms threateningly.

Spikeballs turned fearfully to Ludo whose face seemed drained of all color.

"I think it's best if we go" Ludo muttered, an edge of fright in his voice.

"Master?" Bearicorn questioned as the monsters regrouped.

"Everyone back into the portal!" Ludo shouted, cutting open a portal before running through it like his life depended on it.

The other monsters caught sight of who stood there and quickly followed Ludo's example.

"Oh my back" Connor moaned "it hurts. Metal on bone does not feel great."

"My head" Nova muttered quietly, rubbing her forehead carefully "What happened?"

"I think you scared them off" Marco's voice answered "Maybe shaving that monster's back had something to do with it."

Nova leapt to her feet, pumping her fist in victory "Yes! Ludo is learning to fear me! Soon I'll be able just to scare him off with my terrifying death glare."

Nova glared menacingly at the spot Ludo had vanished while Connor shared a knowing look with Mr. Diaz.

"Oww...oww..." Connor muttered softly, hoping Nova didn't hear.

But she did and quickly rushed over, concern in her eyes

"Hey Four eyes, you okay?"

"I..I'm fine."

Marco shook his head "I think you might've hurt yourself a bit more than you thought."

"I'll be fine with some rest."

Nova bit her lip, unable to stop worrying for her best friend.

Marco frowned. If he took Connor to the nurse, she would have to call his parents, not to mention Nova would be a nervous wreck all day. Rest was what Connor needed.

"I know I'll use the healing spell!" Nova rose her wand high in the air before stopping dead at Marco's raised hand.

"Let's not repeat that one again."

"But dad, I'm sure I got..."

"How about" Marco interrupted, reaching into his jacket pocket "I give you the dimensional scissors and you take Connor home where he can get some rest?"

"Really Dad?!" Nova leaned forward, eyes shining at the sight of her father's scissors.

"This one time. Besides your uncle's home. He'll watch over you two"

Nova took them, eagerly cutting a portal before hauling Connor to his feet.

Marco took a deep breath, taking pride that he did not rush in after the pair once the vortex swallowed them whole. Marco tried his hardest to ignore the fact his teenage daughter would be alone with a boy. Alone. In their house. ALONE!

He failed terribly.

* * *

"Nova, Nova I'm fine!" Connor told her for the fifth time, trying his hardest to keep his face still under the chill ice pack Nova was pressing against his head.

"Shut it four eyes. Nurse Nova is taking care of you so stop fighting."

"Nova, I think your overreacting a little bit"

Nova held her wand threateningly against his face "I will blast you"

Connor looked at her, a seriously? look on his face "I think that is the opposite of your job description."

"Oh shut up"

Connor laughed causing Nova's heart to race at its sound.

Nova stood up quickly, Connor sitting up on the couch after her sudden movement before wincing in pain.

"Nova?" Connor asked curiously, grabbing her hand tightly. Nova pulled away and made for the backyard.

"Sorry, I have to go do something."

"First you want to take care of me then you leave me. Make up your mind!"

"It'll be really quick I promise!"

* * *

Nova stood over the large stone fountain nestled cozily in the corner of the yard, overturning a pebble in her hand anxiously.

Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe he wasn't the person to ask. She loved her uncle but maybe someone a little wiser would be better. Someone like Glossaryck or her grandparents.

Nova shook her head, dropping the pebble into the fountain, quietly waiting with held breath.

Bubbles began breaking the still surface, a shadowy figure rising from the depths, his yellow eyes staring at her curiously. He rose up, standing on the water like it was a platform, saluting the young princess before giving her a friendly hug.

"Nova!" cried Yvgeny Bulgoyaboff, or as he was once known as, Buff Frog

"Uncle Yvgeny! You got me wet!"

Buff Frog chuckled quietly "I'm sorry, is good to see you. But why are you here? Do you not have school?"

Nova nodded "yeah, Connor hurt himself and dad decided to let me take care of him here."

"You are not doing a very good job if you are out here talking to your uncle. Oh, how is Viktor? You father says he is doing very well at school, gets along with everyone but I think he simply saying that so I do not...what you call...hover parent."

Nova laughed "Viktor is great. He's really fitting in."

"That is good. I am happy. Now why are you here?"

Nova fidgeted "Uncle Yvgeny, you've known my parents since they were my age right?"

Buff Frog shifted guiltily "Yes, that is correct."

"And you've seen them grow up together, right?"

"Yes? Nova, I am not sure..."

"When did they _know_?" Nova cut to the point "When did they know that...well that they loved each other?"

Buff Frog frowned, caught unaware by Nova's question.

"I do not understand."

"I...I'm pretty sure I like this one guy. Really cute greaser that's just" Nova sighed "but...there's another guy. I...I'm not sure if I really like him...I mean. He's cool and he's a blast to tease but I feel like everyone keeps pushing us because it's expected. You know?"

Buff Frog nodded "I see what you are saying and now you asking about your parents."

Nova agreed

"You're parents did not start off in love. They were simply best friends. Their bond was clear to everyone."

"Okay but they ended up living up the cliché." Nova replied

"You're parents were thick and very oblivious to the obvious. They did not realize the truth until they were 17 years of age though I suspected your mother came to the idea first before your father."

"Really?" Nova leaned in

"Yes. They were sitting up on the roof, staring at the stars when your mother decided to ask your father what he thought about her."

"And?"

"Your father was an idiot"

Nova giggled "That's something I never thought I'd hear"

Buff Frog grinned "He told her she was his best friend. That...was not the answer your mother was looking for."

"I bet"

"So she repeated the question. Marco replied that she was the closest person to him."

"But still not the answer she wanted" Nova filled in.

"She asked him a third time. This time Marco took a little longer before replying that she was the most important person in his entire life. He then kissed her."

"Aww" Nova cooed

"He panicked afterward, spouting out nonsense how he was sorry, how he couldn't resist anymore, how he was sorry. Did he mention he was sorry"

"What did mom do?"

"Told him to shut up and do it again."

Nova laughed "Sounds like mom."

"The point I'm trying to make Nova is that your parents realized the truth. It matters not if it is a cliché or if you are fulfilling others exceptions, what matters is who you love and who loves you in return."

Nova nodded, freezing up when Connor called out to her.

"Hey there you are, oh hello Mr. Burgauyoff?"

Buff Frog waved to him, sinking beneath the surface of the pond, giving Nova a knowing look.

"You okay?"

Nova nodded, pivoting on her feet to face her best friend "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you look serious."

Nova stuck her tongue out at him.

"Feeling better?" Nova asked, unable to keep the concern out of her voice.

Connor nodded "Yeah, did you want to go back inside?"

Nova pursed her lips, thinking about it before shaking her head "Nah, let's stay out here."

Connor nodded in agreement.

* * *

The night sky twinkled with the brightness of countless stars, the moon hanging silently over Echo Creek.

"I'm bored" Nova said out of nowhere, long hair flowing over the grassy backyard

"So? What do you want me to do about it?" Connor replied, glad he was feeling much better in case Nova decided on an impromptu trip now that she was temporarily in possession of her father's dimensional scissors.

"Entertain me mortal!" She shouted, lifting up her hair before letting it fall to the ground once more.

"Why don't you practice your spells?"

Nova's eyes lit up like she had the best idea in the world "And I know which one."

She held up the scissors gingerly, carefully aiming her wand towards the magical object.

"Nova?"

"My told me about this really cool spell! It can supercharge any magical object"

"That doesn't sound very safe."

Nova rolled her eyes "C'mon, let's use it! What's the worst that can happen?"

"Didn't your mother say she knows when you use a spell?"

"Psst" Nova rolled her eyes "She's just trying to scare me. C'mon, it's not as fun if you don't come along."

Connor flushed when Nova shot him a sincere smile, voice nearly cracking as he whispered "alright but let's make it quick."

Nova couldn't contain her excitement, shouting with a reckless glee "Magic supercharge blast!"

there was a blinding of light

"That's it?" Nova looked unimpressed at the small V8 engine that now was attached to the scissors "I was expecting something with more...I dunno...coolness."

"Well" Connor chimed in "Try it and let's find out."

Nova nodded in agreement, lifting the scissors to the air and...

* * *

Yvgeny came to the backyard when he heard the children screaming but there was no sign of them, nothing but Connor's lucky pen he must've dropped.

Yvgeny looked around before leaving the pen where it had fallen, retreating back into his pond, prepared to tell his family they were going to move. Assuming Star and Marco didn't kill him first.


	52. This is not how this goes 1 (Holiday AU

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here! thank you for ever single review, favorite, and follow, they make me so happy and they mean so much to me. all of you mean so much to me.

A very special thank you to Finn- I'm glad you enjoyed the story!

Rayfe- well to each their own though the pyromancer is sounding reeeeally familiar. Yep, his name his walter the walrus. as much as i wanted more, it wasn their story. Yes ludo has learned you do not mess with Marco's child. ever. he tried when she was a baby. I think after his services in storm the castle, Star and Marco would've warmed up to Buff Frog. I'm glad you enjoyed the spin off.

Lupus- haha awesome! i'm really glad that i managed to capture star and marco inside nova. I wanted a good reason for nova to actively fight her feelings for connor and since starco is a ship that sails itself especially right now when they are still best friends, i figured that would be a good reason. im really glad. lots and lots of great stories here.

deadshoot- thank you, it was easy to do since the previous chapter told me where i was going.

chipman- thank you. you have no idea how often that's happened to me. its 11 at night, im like one more story and ive found out ive been up for 3 hours reading.

Arsenal- every time i read your name, i think of the new name of speedy, green arrow's sidekick (Who is now named arsenal and teaming up with red hood) Im really glad you enjoyed their humor. it was a blast to write. Honestly thanks to your fan responses, nova is getting another 3 chapters, including dad talk marco. so thank you!

starbutterfly- thank you. Star did it in freeze day so i figured maybe Nova should follow in her mother's footsteps a little.

IDC1314- i am so happy you enjoyed the chapter. i cannot wait to see your awesome drawings though i will wait. good luck on your history final. its important.

princessxgilex- well there was the winning vote.

smitty theories- thank you for your kind words. Ludo is trying to steal the wand more out of habit than actual chance of success. he's been doing it for so long he kinda doesn't know what else to do. haha that sounds awesome and it is an idea ive been playing with. Army of stars and marcos. ill add it to the list but your gonna have to wait a long time for that story. you've already requested one i was not hit by a bus today. yay! Ah well Pony head met and married a horse named Henry Stallion and have a beautiful but meek, shy daughter named Uni (She is a full bodied Unicorn who can set fires with her mind.)

thewookie- time, time is the next place my dear reader. and im glad i was able to fit 51 into 50.

Fabio- thank you so much! Marco likes marking star on her neck, especially when she has public functions though a good chunk of his marks are in more...private areas. im glad you enjoyed nova and connor. and no or else needed, you are getting 3! keep being awesome too! good luck on finals.

cupcakecats- Well after Marco befriended him and with his help, Oskar became a real musician, actually learning how to create music though the universe is getting back at him for all the times he tormented others by giving him beginning band for first period.

grim- haha im glad you liked it. dont worry our starco insurance covers that.

lost thank you and it wasn't as confusing!

blu mist potato- you should see his interviews, he is very charming and that is probably the only time i've heard someone beat chewie. congrats!

and finally misspineapples- i love star wars! how much? there's another starco wars chapter coming out next week in honor of the movie.

Thank you all, i am really glad you enjoyed the adventures of connor and nova. it makes me happy. so happy that nova is getting 3 more chapters. a back to the future style adventure where she accidentally messes with the past (present day) a older one where connor creates a steam powered suit and fights crime but it strains his friendship with nova since he doesnt tell her and thanks to arsenal's great idea, yes Marco will be giving Connor the dad talk.

I really really want to personally thank Fabio, H mae and Flowersforfanfics who told me how much they really really enjoyed nova in the 50th chapter. that really help shaped my choice about making the nova chapter.

So not much an update on starco corner and ive got to get going so ill be sure to really, really update it next time.

Okay this story. its the season of christmas and what better way than to plug in starco to a classic story. What happens when a narrator wants to do his own starco christmas special only for the story and himself to be disconnected from one another.

So the idea behind this is someone (the narrator) is telling a starco story but as story is narrated, the characters start becoming aware of the narrator's existence and the story begins becoming disconnected. taking turns no one could see coming.

I dunno i was feeling silly when i wrote this and it was christmas. anyway treat this like an episode of star. _This is the narrator telling the story as he knows it or plans it_ and this is the characters actual reactions and actions.

if it gets too confusing or you dont like it, leave a helpful review giving me constructive criticism on how to fix it. if you do like please let me know. it really helps. Also Great uncle nugget is not an OC, he is actually a character who is going to show up in the first episode of season 2. I just played with his character here. thank you for sara for putting up that news on her instagram.

And the last thing on our list is the winner of our poll is the bad boy au which will be soonishly.

thank you so much for all the time you take to read, follow and leave a review. they mean so much to me and keep me more than happy to write for you wonderful people. to everyone with school and finals, keep it up! it's almost time for freedom! and i believe in you! Star demands victory! i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

 _T'was the night before Christmas and no this is not that story. That story has been done to death. Literally. I'm just waiting for Marco Claus to come down the chimney for Star's first Christmas on Earth...I'm gonna go write that down._

 _Anyway, this night before Christmas is a different story and a young girl named Star Butterfly was eagerly waiting the annual visit of her great uncle, Nugget._

 _Grunkle Nugget was a traveler of the world, seeking fame, fortune, treasure and occasional hooking up with the occasional femme fatale before their sudden but inevitable betrayal._

 _And each year, he would regale the family with stories of his exploits and brought Star the most amazing gifts._

 _This year, however, Star was a little concerned as Grunkle Nugget was not on time, something that's never happened before._

" _Mom?" Young Butterfly asked "Where's Grunkle Nugget? He isn't here yet."_

 _Moon Butterfly pursed her lips, she too was worried about Grunkle Nugget's late arrival "I'm sure the snow just kept him, it is unusually chilly this time of year."_

 _Star nodded. Though she was far from happy with the answer given, she knew better than pursue the subject._

 _She made her way over to a gigantic Christmas tree, one that was easily 20, no 30 feet tall! Ornaments of every shape and colors hung lazily on the branches, catching the light and reflecting it with the most beautiful shinning shimmering splendor. Also hanging off the branches were candy canes, mistletoe and the cute little Disney stockings and ornaments, you know like the little Stitch adorably dressed up like Santa Claus or Olaf dressed for summer weather. Silly sentient snowman. Someone should really tell him._

 _Where was I? Oh right!_

 _But the thing that really caught Star's eye were the Christmas presents._

 _Varying sizes, widths, and lengths of bright wrapping paper of every color imaginable (except yellow. Yellow wrapping paper is not a thing.) Some were plain, others were decorated with bells, trees, snowmen, umm there was one with a dragon, another with pumpkins, another had this really cool looking music pattern though I think the notes were the opening to Thriller._

 _Star was a seasoned veteran of the Butterfly annual Christmas party and could easily deduce what lay within in each mystery gift. That bright blue one? New clothes from mom. The hastily wrapped sword shaped present in the corner? Battle Ax from dad. Easy peasy time freezy._

 _Star smiled brightly, glad her skills were still sharp at the old age of 14. In a few more years, the amount of presents she would receive would dwindle and she will have to give out her own! But that wasn't for another 6 years or so. For now, she would be drowning in Christmas packages._

 _Star sighed dreamily when there was a loud cursing at the front door. Telling by the very colorful language aimed at a rock, it must've been Grunkle Nugget._

 _Star raced to meet him, opening the door as fast as she could before being buried under an avalanche of presents._

 _She poked her head from underneath the heap, spitting out a candy cane she nearly swallowed._

" _Is that little Star Butterfly?" A kindly voice called out to her from the front porch._

 _Star turned her head and found herself staring into the deep blue eyes of Grunkle Nugget._

 _Grunkle Nugget had thinning blackish gray hair with a long, thin gray beard on his chin, he hunched over purposely, leaning on his cane because it annoyed every person in the medical field he ever met. His face was smooth though Star knew how wrinkled it could be if he ever let the smile on his lips fall._

 _He wore a very distastefully reddish brown sweater with various Christmas symbols on its sleeves and a carefully knitted picture of himself in the middle, holding two sharpened candy canes in the air in triumph, his face yelling a battle cry with the words in an annoying bright yellow thread that read "20 time ugly sweater champion."_

" _Grunkle Nugget!" Star cried, straining to free her pinned body from the gifts._

 _Nugget chuckled, straightening his back as he rose to full height, putting his hands under Star's arms and effortlessly plucking the young girl free._

" _Oh. thank you Grunkle Nugget!" Star cheered, tightly hugging him._

" _You are very welcome Starshine. I see someone is extremely excited for Christmas"_

 _Star nodded joyfully "of course, I get to see you!"_

" _And rub in your super awesome present in your cousin's face."_

 _Star shifted guiltily "I know I shouldn't but..."_

" _Psst" Grunkle Nugget scoffed "Brittney is stuck up and spoiled. I say rub it in her face!"_

 _Star hugged her Grunkle even harder._

" _Now, now let us begin the face rubbing!" Nugget cried, pulling out a gift from behind his back._

" _How did you..?" Star began but was quickly hushed by Nugget._

" _I will never tell. So don't ask because I'll just have to lie to you and I don't like lying to you Star."_

 _Star agreed._

 _Star overturn the small gift in her hands, eyes brimming with wonder._

 _It was a small Nutcracker. He was dressed in a red military tunic with gold horizontal stripes and white gloves. The elegant saber sheath hung at his side. He wore black dress slacks with equally black loafers and marching band hat. You know which one's I'm talking about. This is the nutcracker, you know what he looks like!_

 _But the reason Star couldn't stop staring was at how cute the nutcracker was. He appeared to be about her age, with these lovely painted light brown eyes, light brown hair. The detail was amazing; Star felt like she was holding a real life person in her hands._

" _Oh Grunkle Nugget! I love him!"_

" _This is a very special Nutcracker. There is a legend behind his existence!"_

" _Really?" Star leaned forward, hands locking the nutcracker in a death vice._

" _They say this nutcracker is based off a real person and if he winks at you, you are destined to meet and fall in love with him"_

 _Star flushed uncontrollably "Grunkle, I'm only 14. and it's just a silly legend. What's with legends and love?"_

" _All legends are based off some truth and love is easier to relate to. Also it's cute! I never heard anyone say 'aww look how cute their hatred for one another is' cuz it's not! It's funny." Nugget replied before scooping the pile of presents in one hand and loudly proclaiming to the rest of the household he'd arrived._

 _Star stared into the nutcracker's pretty eyes, laughing to herself. A nutcracker foretelling her true love, that was just so..._

 _The nutcracker winked at her._

 _Star nearly dropped him in surprise, turning him over this way and that to make sure what she saw wasn't a trick of the light._

" _Did you just wink at me?" Star asked the nutcracker, peering at him accusingly._

 _The nutcracker made no movement, his eyes blank and staring into nothing._

 _Star frowned, wondering if she ate too many chocolates today._

" _Psst, you could never eat too many chocolates!" Star told herself._

 _Panic filled Star when the nutcracker was pried from her hands_

 _She whirled around to find herself staring at her cousin Brittney "I'm an up tight B*****" Wong. Sorry, no cussing in this story._

" _Eww, what's this?" Brittney eyed the toy as if it had been rolling around in the dumpster "What kind of silly little toy is this?"_

" _Hey! Give it back Brittney! It's mine! It's a gift from Grunkle Nugget!"_

" _Yawn, only Grunkle Nugget would think this...whatever this is would be a cool gift."_

" _It's a nutcracker!"_

 _Brittney's eyes shone mischievously, Star gulping at the ill intent within her irises._

 _Brittney took off, running through the house with Star trailing behind, too slow on the draw._

 _Brittney pulled the biggest walnut she could find from the bowl, roughly shoving into the nutcracker's jaw, malice driving her every action._

 _Star managed to find her cousin in time to see her roughly pull on the little lever on the back of her beloved toy, the nutcracker's jaw smashing into the food based item with such a force that there was no way it would break._

 _It didn't. Instead, the nutcracker's jaw cracked, wood splintering as one side of the jaw was broken off, hanging limp and useless, barely held on by the other side._

" _Whoops. Not much of a nutcracker" Brittney teased, dropping the toy to the floor like a discarded piece of trash._

 _Star raced over, clutching the toy gently, trying to keep her sobs quiet._

 _Brittney sneered at Star, taking pride at having made her bubbly cousin cry._

" _Geez Brittney. You are a bitch." Grunkle Nugget said as the adults made their way into the room to see what the commotion was about._

 _I guess I was wrong about the cussing._

" _Uncle Nugget!" Brittney's mother Tiffany shouted indignantly_

" _We're all thinking it, I'm just saying it. Bitch."_

" _That's quite enough Uncle Nugget" Moon told him, rushing forward to comfort her daughter "Nugget, is there anyway you can fix it?"_

" _Fix him? Sureeeee weeeeeell not until morning. I forgot my suit case with my repair tools in it and my friend is bringing it over first thing in the morning. I'll be able to fix him then but until the morning comes..."_

 _Nugget approached the sniffling Star quietly, reaching into his sleeves before pulling out_

 _a pink handkerchief from within, wrapping it around the broken toy's jaw before tightly tying it._

" _I didn't know your father was a magician." River Butterfly muttered, clearly impressed._

" _Neither did I" Moon replied in a deadpan tone that did not match the surprise in her eyes._

 _Nugget rose a single finger "A magician never reveals his secrets"_

" _Including the fact he's a magician?"_

" _Especially the fact he's a magician!" Nugget yelled "I don't want to be burned at the stake by Puritans!"_

 _Everyone shared a look but no one said anything._

" _Thank you Grunkle Nugget" Star whispered softly._

" _No problem sweetie but take it easy on him. He's a nutcracker, not a terminator."_

" _Right...Grunkle..."_

" _Now" Moon said, grabbing the toy from Star's protective grasp "I think it's time for us to get a move on with the ugly sweater contest."_

" _Mom!" Star cried but was stopped by her mother's outstretched hand, watching carefully as she gently placed the nutcracker on top of a red box in the direct center of the sea of presents._

" _It is not even Christmas eve and you're already opening presents. The nutcracker is under the tree and you can play with him in the morning, after Uncle Nugget has fixed him."_

 _Star pouted but glumly nodded in agreement. Mom was right, if she played the nutcracker now she would just probably break it._

" _And I trust Brittney will be properly punished?" Moon turned slowly towards her sister "After all she purposely broke my daughter's toy."_

" _Moon, I think we can all agree it was an accident."_

 _Moon's eyes were cold "Then I suppose I should take back my niece's gifts. I think we can all agree that giving her any would be a very tragic accident."_

 _Tiffany folded under Moon's gaze "Brittney, come here!"_

 _Star let her mother embrace her, the rare show of affection from the normally stoic woman._

 _But Star wasn't content, having spot Brittney eying the nutcracker angrily despite her mother's scolding her. Star did not doubt Brittney may try to finish what she started at some point in the night._

 _And she would be ready to stop her._

* * *

 _It was after midnight when Star snuck down the grand staircase, dressed in her blue sleep dress and devil horns._

 _She peered around the darkened home, no signs of life found on the bottom floor._

 _She quietly tip toed towards the Christmas tree, the pale moonlight pouring in through the massive window and granting the tree a heavenly glow that went well with the Christmas lights that snaked themselves around its trunk._

 _Star strained her eyes, the light from the sky still making it hard to find where exactly her beloved toy was. She swore her mother put it right on top of a red box in the middle but it was nowhere to be seen._

" _Funny I could've sworn it was here" Star told herself, a yawn escaping from her lips when she decided to lay her head against the soft carpet of the room "Maybe mom moved it. Just for safe keeping in case Brittney tried something. She is vindictive enough."_

 _Star let out another sleepy yawn, surprised at how tired she was all of the sudden. She was full of energy and wide awake just a few moments ago, what had changed?_

 _Star struggled to keep her eyes awake, her eyelids bouncing up and down, up and down, each movement becoming slower and slower as it became harder to stay conscious._

 _And without warning, she shut them and fell asleep._

* * *

" _Psst, hey" A voice called to her._

 _Star groggily moaned, her eyes slowly fluttering open, the blurry images of tall buildings with strange reflective surfaces filling her mind, familiar circular objects hanging high above her._

" _Hey, are you awake?" a voice asked, gently shaking her body._

" _M'up, I'm up!" Star told the voice, rising to a sitting position. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to get some saliva back into her dry mouth._

 _Star's heart frozen, unsure if she was seeing what she actually was seeing._

 _She rose to her feet, taking in her surroundings, trying to make sense of it all._

 _All around her were the presents she saw from earlier but instead of her being taller than them, they were now towering over her, giving the illusion of some sort of landscape. The tree filled the sky, like a mountain too large to even see the top of. The carpet felt like a grassy plain under her feet and the room had became entire world._

 _Needless to say she was freaking the heck out._

" _I'm freaking out here!" Star cried, gripping two long strains of hair in her fingers, pulling them and using them to cover herself in a curtain of hair "I...I can't believe what's going?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"_

" _If you stop shouting, I think I can explain" a voice called from behind her._

 _Star turned around, dropping into a fighting pose and preparing to strike before she went into a state of shock._

 _In front of her was the nutcracker, Star size and all! Or was she nutcracker size?_

 _His skin was no longer a detailed, painstakingly painted wood but rather real, living breathing skin tissue. His gorgeous brown eyes no longer stared at her blankly but rather were filled with humor and joy. His light brown hair looked soft and moved gently every time he breathed. He was dressed in that uniform and hat that looked amazing and his jaw was perfectly fine._

 _Star felt herself blush, completely caught off guard by this new revelation._

" _Sorry, sorry!" The nutcracker apologized sheepishly "I didn't mean to startle you. You were just sleeping on the floor and well...I...sorry."_

" _No, no!" Star quickly shook her hands "It's okay! I...I fell asleep and I think I shrunk?"_

 _She was frightened that the good looking, totally real boy would think she was crazy but he didn't seem to want to run away from her. Yet._

" _Oh, I don't know. Sounds like the Sugar Plum Fairy. She's a real trickster."_

" _really? Does this happen often?"_

 _The nutcracker shook his head "As far as I can tell, this is the first time ever. I've never been here before so this is all new to me."_

 _Star wanted to ask if the nutcracker came to life every night but decided somehow that sounded rude._

" _Are you alright miss...?" The nutcracker asked, leaning in, embarrassment in his eyes when he realized he did not know her name_

" _Star, Star Butterfly Mr...?"_

" _I'm Marco. The nutcracker? We don't really have last names."_

 _Star cutely giggled, Marco feeling his cheeks turn warm._

" _So" she said awkwardly._

" _So..." he replied, just as strained._

 _Star pushed back some of her loose hair behind her ear. She did not know why but she felt really nervous around this...umm boy?_

" _Is there anyway I can get back to normal?" Star asked quizzically._

 _Marco bit his lip, stroking his chin as he tried to think of a way to get the pretty girl back where she came from "I don't know. I guess the Sugar Plum Fairy might have a way."  
_

" _Can you take me to her?"_

" _Sure. On one condition!"_

 _Star frowned, scared what a teenager nutcracker boy would ask of her._

 _Marco snapped his fingers, plunging the world into darkness before a bright red spot light basked them in warm, peaceful light._

 _Marco was no longer dressed in the military uniform but rather the clothing of a matador Jet black jacket and slacks, beautiful golden lines creating a simple but beautiful design. White collared shirt lay underneath with bolo tie wrapped around his neck._

" _A dance." he said simply._

 _Star backed away, turning red at the idea "I..I'm not properly dressed."_

 _Marco gave her a questioning look, disbelief on his face._

" _I'm not!"_

" _Umm...Star?"_

 _Star looked down and let out silent gasp_

 _Star was wearing thigh high white boots, pink hearts on the bottom and red ribbons at the top. Her dress a wide with a wave of pink on the bottom while the rest was a lighter shade of red, a heart bow on her stomach. The dress was a single sleeved pinned with a pink heart at her shoulder. She had two long sleeved white gloves and her long hair had been done up in a beehive bun, two strains of the hair curled and hanging off the sides of her head._

" _I-if you don't want to" Marco quickly added shyly "I completely understand. You just met me and I just met you and this is weird and I'm not really sure what's going on and..."_

 _Star placed a finger on his lips, silencing Marco mid-sentence._

 _She gave him a soft smile, using one hand to grab one of his while the other made its way onto his shoulder._

 _Marco nodded, placing his free hand on her waist as a band tuned from the darkness._

" _I'm warning you" Star said in a quiet whisper "I've never danced before."_

 _Marco smiled at her "Follow my lead."_

 _The two began twirling slowly, moving in perfect sync, eyes never leaving each other while the music set the mode._

 _Star didn't know what came over her, she never did this type of stuff. She didn't even know how to dance! Sure she knew the concepts and the basic idea of waltzing but she never actually put them into practice! And now she was using them to dance with a toy turned boy she developed a crush on in less than 4 hours!_

" _Forward" Marco told her, taking a step back while she took one towards to cover the lost ground._

" _Back" Star retreated, the two strains of hair floating freely for a moment while Marco chased after her._

" _Forward" Star tried to stop her racing heart at the sight of a smiling Marco."_

" _Back, you got it. Now just go with the flow."_

 _Marco and Star became silent, taking steps forward and back, spinning and spinning around each other, hands firmly but gently holding to one another._

 _Everything was becoming a dizzying twist and Star couldn't focus on what was going on anymore. The music grew and grew, louder and louder._

 _And then silence, the fading of the beautiful music into the inky night_

 _Star's arm found themselves wrapped around Marco's neck and his hands were on her waist._

 _There was no noise, no movement, nothing that could ruin this moment._

 _The light disappeared and before the two knew it, color returned to the surrounding environment of Christmas._

 _The two were dressed back in their regular clothing: Marco's military uniform and Star's sleep dress._

" _Wow...I...that was..." Marco mumbled out "I..."_

 _"It was nice" Star shyly muttered._

 _Marco nodded in agreement "Right, nice"_

 _The two shared a nervous laugh, unable to look at each other in the face when they heard some scurrying._

 _Marco drew his sword, its steel shining brightly under the Christmas lights._

" _Come out or I'll cut you down!" Marco shouted, hovering close to Star._

 _He saw movement in the tree, a shadowy figure slowly lowering itself onto the top of a nearby present using its tail like a rope? Wait, whoa wait! That's not in the story. Mice do not have prehensile tails! I think._

"I am the opossum king!" A teen, bigger than Marco (though not taller) said. He wore an opossum mascot suit, swirling his blood red cape around dramatically, a crown on his orange hair, an opossum tail twitching nervously and a sword in his hands.

Star and Marco turned to each other, unsure what was going on.

 _HOLD UP! What the hell is this opossum king crap?_

"Umm...does anyone else hear the disembodied voice?" the opossum king asked, looking to the others in the room.

"Umm yeah." Marco answered, Star nodding letting him know she heard it too.

 _Ferguson! It's the mouse king, not the opossum king._

Ferguson scratched his cheek "Okay voice from nowhere that knows my name but mice are so traditional, so pointless _._ Besides, mice don't have prehensile tails! Opossums are much scarier! And cooler! And I already was wearing the suit."

 _You're stuck in the suit, aren't you?_

"Whaaaayes" Ferguson answered.

 _I am utterly confused what is going on_

"We are too, right Alfonso? I mean my henchossum!"

Alfonso took a step forward, wearing a matching suit to Ferguson's. He tried to hide away from everyone but couldn't find a good hiding spot.

 _There is no henchossum! What the heck is a henchossum?_

"Alfonso" Ferguson said simply.

Star and Marco looked at each other again before staring skyward "Sooo were you like watching us?"

 _No, I was telling your story!_

"Our story?" Marco repeated "So wait, we're characters in like a show or something?"

 _Show. I am literally just telling your story...and I'm talking to myself and responding to myself, I...I need a minute._

The group stayed still, the sounds of footsteps echoing far away from them.

"So..." Ferguson asked slowly "how are you guys?"

Star and Marco shared a blush, turning red at their moment earlier and at the idea someone may have been watching them.

Star opened her mouth to answer when someone grabbed her from behind, lifting her easily as they slid her in between their arms, trapping and pinning her effortlessly. Star turned to find a well dressed lizard in a suit holding onto her, his yellow eyes narrowing at the sight of her as he grinned a fangy grin.

"MARCO!" Star cried, the lizard bolting quickly away as the trio turned to see the retreating figure of the lizard and Star trapped in his clutches.

"STAR!" Marco shouted after her, chasing after the two quickly.

"HEY!" Ferguson yelled, waving his sword angrily "That's my prisoner! Henchossum, gather my men!"

"Ah, what men Ferguson? It's just us"

"Just us?" Ferguson smacked his head "What kind of second rate king am I?"

"I'm not sure. I'm just an indentured servant."

"After them henchossum!"

Alfonso let out an exhausted sigh, falling to the floor before running on all fours after Marco and the strange lizard man.

Ferguson belly flopped, bounce off the floor before he found himself catapulting onto an even higher present. "OH COME ON!"

Marco tried his hardest to catch up to the lizard man but he was too fast, too swift. Anything in his way he simply ran around or leapt over with a superhuman strength.

Marco was a simple nutcracker and he was not as graceful, nearly tripping over the obstacles in his way and slowly but surely, the lizard man was getting ahead of him and it took all Marco had just to keep him in his line of sight.

The lizard man turned backwards, grinning maniacally as one of the present hugging the wall suddenly dropped one of its sides, revealing that the present was actually a secret tunnel into the wall.

Marco's eyes widened when he saw a random assortment of monsters on the other side: A deer man with a beard, a two headed red colored devil thing, a giant giraffe, a lobster monster, even a bear with a unicorn horn.

"MARCO!" Star shouted, struggling to break free but it was pointless. The lizard and Star disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, vanishing from sight as the monsters began raising the wall once more.

"No! NO!" Marco screamed when the wall rose above him.

He lifted his sword and brought it down on the present, the blade cutting through the cardboard easily but was now stuck, wedged deep within the gift.

Marco punched the giant present, anger draining out of him as hopelessness began overwhelming him.

"Oh dear" Alfonso muttered softly, finally having caught up to Marco and noticing the sword embedded in the present.

"Wha...wha...wha is...the problem?" Ferguson huffed, falling to his knees and weakly breathing "I'm so not going to do that again."

"They took her beyond this fake present thing!"

"She's...my...prisoner...no one...oh god. Can't breath."

The trio shared a collective sigh of defeat.

 _Alright, I'm back. What did I miss?_


	53. This is not how this goes 2 (Holiday AU

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, wishing everyone a good day and hope you are all doing good. Thank you for every single review, favorite and follow.

A special thanks to Finn- thanks, i hope this part was just as interesting as the last.

Misspineapples- for chapter 18 haha it is really funny to write for Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. too much fun. you would love Marco haha Star is just too awesome and Jeremy is pretty fun to hate. probably because cuz he's young so its hard to really blame his jerk attitude. THank you, the idol one is a very popular. yeah the drama in the hero for hire part 1 pretty much caught everyone off guard. agreed best marriage ever! "I do what i want, i dont want to get married! Wait, i do what to get married, get back here priest and marry us!" the true marriage of teens. Starco smash jarco, jarco puny, janco not even a thing! haha yeah it felt like that movie moment when someone shouts something after intense silence. haha thats soos's job for starco academy. *when he finally introduced and i finish my spirit walk about that story's...umm story.*

Smitty theories- haha awesome. well in most universes Brittney is..well Brittney. well the narrator isn't very too good at improvisation. haha well it is a mysterious object. even for love, you might wanna question it a little. It will be so cute. New years starco! YES! can't wait for it. wait i have to write it. and thank you for your kind words and thank you readers for reading my work. that totally sounds like a star response for detention. No worries, i changed your name back. you are super cool too! and cool bathtub, mine's just a sled dog that is made out of lightning and plot twists.

guest from chapter 50: You did warn me and for cyber slapping me, you get a new chapter.

WhatIF: Actually was more like "Laser puppies?" "Yep, we got golden retrievers you?" "German Shepards." "Did you...umm...lose one?" "We...we don't talk about that one. besides Iactually created another one at a party." "I did too." "Monster wings?" "Actually monster arm. man marco went crazy Glossaryck?" "Yep, the same. umm Mewberty?" "Oh god i went boy crazy, you?" "umm...let's...not talk about that one. and dont ask star about it!" everything else is as you predicted.

princessxgilex- i will message you tomorrow if not today. my spanish helper is out of town for the moment and i suck at writing spanish.

guest: haha i honestly did not mention anything about the narrator because i figured you each have your own version of what you think the narrator sounds like. something to personalize your experience. and yes all british accents are cool. by default.

rayfe- of course i do, you readers are the best and nothing makes me happier than hearing from you. i would not be much a writer without you wonderful people and if you took the time to write something for me, it's only fair i reply. actually a friend of my mine mentioned it but that was a while ago. I'm glad you liked this idea. i wanted to try something new and viola here it is. im glad it came out better than i thought it would. Honestly whenever i write Ferguson, he has a funny habit of stealing the story. hopefully the narrator doesn't overstay the welcome here. Honestly i've been writing so long it is a second nature though i wont reveal exactly long it takes me to write mostly because i dont want to say.

some creature: You want more? MORE? okay, how's 3 more chapters with Nova and Connor? and im glad you enjoyed them. i get nervous whenever i make OC's well OC's that are the main focus. I'm glad reader response has been positive for them. Don't worry, we'll be heading back to the future soonishly and i am just a guy that loves writing :)

idc1314: awesome! I cannot wait to see it. i love your work and im really honored you would draw it though take your time, no rush. :)

guest: haha im glad you liked it. I realized while i had Brittney in the stories before, i never actually played around with her character and what better way then to make her torment Star as her cousin? Honestly there are so many versions of it so it's hard to really know the story. most of the time is girl meets nutcracker, girl gets kidnapped by mouse king, nutcracker kills mouse king, they party, girl wakes up. thank you so much and hopefully i can keep coming up with clever stuff. if not, you readers always have amazing ideas!

Misfortune- im glad you enjoyed it so much. it was so much fun to write though i was nervous given its experimental nature. here's the second part but the 3rd might be a liiiiitttle late because star wars is coming out this week for me and i am a mega nerd. Merry Christmas and its okay if you didnt find one, you did inspire a line in this story :)

Arsenal- thank you for your kind words. of course, you readers come up with some of my best works. thats pretty cool, if it makes you feel better, Arsenal the hero is a pretty new thing about a year or so. I actually have a villain name called not scott because i was playing dc universe online and wanted to be a hero called scott trained by batman. the name was taken so i made a villain trained by joker called not scott. that name was not taken. you are welcome! i too must go *flies into the sky only to come back down and start walking off.

Harutora- i wish i could put that picture of the girl that says "why not both?" haha don't worry all 3 are going to be a thing though admittedly the hero one might be 2nd.

skeptic potato- i love writing and i come up with a lot of my stuff on my down time at work. i always take some time to write and im very quick writer since ive been doing this for over 10 years. i guess it's really just practice. Thank you don't worry it is updated and you're cool too. all you readers are!

grim- starco insurance covers everything. i am happy you liked this version of the nutcracker. there's more narrator here and honestly it is whoever you want the narrator to be. that's why there's very little description about the narrator. yes due to fan response and because i go overboard with ideas when im happy, there are 3 more chapters of nova and connor. Connor the superhero, back to the future style adventure and Connor getting the dad talk from marco.

totallyobessedwithSVTFOE- haha im glad you laughed. I guess i did make nugget like stan. its probably the grunkle. i cant say great uncle anymore. Honestly i took a shot in the dark about her blood moon outfit. too in the mood to look it up. that totally makes sense. i got you. thats pretty awesome. the narrator is honestly whoever you want it to be. that's why there's no description of the voice. I'm weird too and proud of it! WEIRD PEOPLE FOREEEEVER! *air guitar* and thank you for the review.

deadshoot- you read the confusing writings of a mad man but im glad you found it funny.

seaschild- haha i now pronounce you married to starco. you may now go crazy. yes the priest is the unsung hero. and it was pretty cute.

forty-seven- the gotham academy story is now its own story labeled Starco academy.

Fabio- haha how cute was it? damn cute. now i am not the narrator, the narrator is who ever you want to narrate. i always talk to myself. it helps with dialogue and ideas. haha the narrator had to follow the rules of censorship. Nugget has no such limitation! i honestly like his christmas sweater best. actually grunkle is but nugget is actually a character in season 2 for star. well here is the next chapter and you keep up the awesome work too! happy early christmas!

flowersfanfics- im glad you liked the chapter and thank you for your help in helping decide to give them their own story. haha yes even i was choking on the fluffiness of the starco. haha i am really happy you enjoyed the nutcracker chapter. haha yes grunkle nugget is pretty much older star. Yes how dare Brittney do that to the nutcracker! CUT OFF ALL HER HAIR! thank you for your kind words and here's part 2.

the wookie- actually it isnt the narrator's fault. and altering time and space is never a good idea. unless you are the doctor. then yes, do it. haha i love that title. though it reminds me of dragon ball z or would it be nugget ball food?

a person- thank you, i shall because i love writing!

cookiemonster- dont starco insurance covers everything and thats really cool! i am a huuuuge fan of greek mythology so i hope i did a good job with it.

guest- ask and you shall receive. more nova and connor it is! (it would be my pleasure) wow i never thought id make to characters that could rival star and marco. this trips me out. you readers are getting 3 more chapters of them. thank you for your review and your kind words. i shall keep writing these stories! and ciao! take care!

and a guest reviewer i think i missed last round up; you wanted more nova and connor you shall have more umm Novnnor? Conva? help readers.

On starco corner. well our favorite artists are still struggling with school and i wish them good luck! actually sara over on idrawcartoons1314 has a few non starco drawings up, including expressing how she feels about school. good luck sara i believe in you! and spatziline has some janstar up which is pretty cute. on FF we have some more awesome stories. All sorts from nightmareking, star and the forces of evil vs the darkness from bigmike, nothing comes easy from axis24, a really awesome rendition of beauty and the beast in the star and the sun from flowersforfanfics, THE RETURN OF STARFALL from golfalphamike, another cute chapter from ripples and watermalone.

Here we are part 2 of the nutcracker experimental chapter. i hope you enjoy, please leave any comment if you feel it was too confusing or anything of the sort. _This is the narrator and their own narration!_ and this is what everyone else is doing of their own free will. treat this more like an episode than a story.

thank you all so much for everything. it means the world that some many people enjoy reading my stories. it makes me super happy and you are all the best. happy holidays! take care, have a great day, week, rest of the year! ill see you soon for a star wars au and the finale of this story and enjoy, i own nothing!

* * *

Marco, Opossum King Ferguson and henchossum Alfonso look at each other tentatively, unsure how to handle the current situation of fast enemies made into faster friends.

They could hear the disbelief in the voice above's tone, the building headache. They could even imagine the rubbing of the temples right now.

 _So...I leave for exactly 3 minutes and...what exactly happens again?_

The trio's voices rose as one, loudly overlapping each other as they tried to get their version of the events heard.

"Well this oddly..." "The crazy rat in the suit ordered me to chase after the nutcracker and the whatever it was..." "I bravely ordered my henchossum to chase after those that opposed me! And..." "..well dressed lizard man grabbed Star and I chased after him.." "...I was scurrying at them, really surprised how good I was at it...like I never scurried before in my life..." "..And then, with a might leap I jumped from the presents! And bounced off the floor to a higher vantage point! Willingly of course..." "...trying to catch up but he was so fast and seemed to know where he was going and..." "..and the nutcracker stabbed this present for some reason..." "And I easily caught up to them, ready to fight to the death..."

 _OKAY! OKAY! STOP! Just...okay...so...the story kinda happened like it was supposed too._

Marco glared upwards "What do you mean kinda happened?"

 _Well Ferguson, the **mouse** king was supposed to kidnap Star_

"Yes! The Ferg always win!" Ferguson began laughing cheerfully, caught up in his pre-assured victory.

 _You, Mr. nutcracker, were supposed to chase after him with your wooden toy army and in a glorious battle, slay the **mouse** king dead. _

Ferguson stopped laughing, unable to believe what he just heard "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I did not agree to that! The Ferg does not die."

 _You do in this one buddy. Er were supposed to._

Marco rubbed his eyes "So Star was supposed to get kidnapped? Just by mice, not these funny looking monsters?"

 _Monsters? Wait, there's no monsters in the Nutcracker_

"What!?" Ferguson shouted indignantly "No, no I believe you're not focusing on the real main character. You should call this production The Opossum King.

 _What is your obsession with that animal?! And what would your story even be about?_

Ferguson beamed proudly "Obviously my life story about how my life of leisure was cut short when my evil uncle murdered my father and chased me away only for me to return years later to challenge and win back my birthright! This whole getting a cute blonde girl as queen and defeating this lowly nutcracker would be part 2."

"Defeating me?" Marco growled angrily, making his way towards the Opossum King.

Ferguson let out a cry of panic, racing behind Alfonso and pointing at the approaching Marco fearfully, loudly ordering "Stop him my henchossum! STOP HIM!"

Alfonso sighed in defeat, reluctantly raising his claws against Marco.

 _STOP! Everyone just stop! Ferguson, you just told me the plot to...never mind, whatever. All I know is this story is getting out of control and not proceeding how it was planned._

Marco backed away slowly, eying Ferguson distastefully before sighing, turning skyward once more and completely missing Ferguson's outstretched tongue as he asked "So is there anyway you can bring back Star here? Just free her from the monsters?"

 _I can't. I didn't create the actual story, that was E.T.A Hoffman like a million and a half years ago. Then they made a play about it and now it's like a Christmas special with a dozen versions of it. Where was I? Oh right, I'm just telling my version of it. I mean I changed the basic structure of the story but that was already decided before I began. And at this point I don't even think I'm in control of this interpretation anymore._

Marco asked another question "Can you just at least, I dunno, take us to Star? Just drop us off where she is so we can save her? Skip us ahead?"

 _What? No! What do you think this is? Pulp Fiction? The Last Five Years? The episode of Futurama where everything just skips ahead wildly. Who do you think I am? I'm Quentin Tarantino? Telling a story out of order for the sake of artistic flair? Do you know how confusing that would be? Very if you aren't paying attention. Plus I am not sure how such a thing would affect you. Altering time and space is never a good idea._

Ferguson let out a furious moan "Then what can you do!?"

 _Heck if I know!_

Marco bit his lip in concentration, trying to figure out what to do next when his eyes landed on the giant present.

"Hey, is there anyway you could get rid of the giant gift in our way?" Marco asked curiously.

"YEAH!" Alfonso cheered "make it explode!"

The other two shared a concerned look about the manic gaze in Alfonso's eyes but didn't say anything aloud.

 _Umm...okay. How do I? Umm...then, out of nowhere, the present barring their path exploded._

The three boys flinched, covering faces, waiting for the eruption of fire and shockwaves.

But nothing came.

"Nothing happened!" Ferguson complained "What kind of super powerful being are you? And it wasn't barring, it was blocking our path!"

 _I am not narrator ex-machina! And barring means blocking! Pick up a thesaurus sometime will you?_

"As much I was would love a robotic dinosaur, this is not the time for it. Later" Ferguson gave the sky a conspiratorial wink.

 _Robotic dinosaur? What the...man I wish a tree branch broke off and knocked some sense into you._

Marco heard a loud crack far above him, the wooshing of air as some massive thing fell to the ground. He looked to see a giant ornament orb barely miss Ferguson and, rolling safely away from the group.

Ferguson pointed upwards mockingly "HA! You missed!"

 _Missed? What are you babbling on about?_

Marco heard the whistling of rushing air. Something else was on its way down.

Marco looked up once again and realized it was a branch from the Christmas tree, as tall as him and it was directly heading towards Ferguson.

"FERGUSON!" Marco shouted "MOVE!"

Ferguson glanced skyward, eyes popping when he realized he was about to be crushed.

He tried to sprint forward but a cramp raced up his leg, immobilizing him for a crucial second.

Alfonso leapt for Ferguson, tackling him mid-air and managed to cause the two to roll out of the way of the falling branch just in time.

"Henchossum! You saved me!" Ferguson embraced Alfonso in a bone crushing hug.

Alfonso tried to pry himself free from the Opossum king only to be met with some fierce resistance "W-where did al...all these muscles come f-f-f-from?!"

"I'm like a hutt, we're slow but this ain't fat!"

Marco chuckled lightly before deciding to let the narrator know what just happened "So you did that."

 _Did what? I didn't do anything, I don't even know what happened._

"A branch just fell, almost hitting Ferguson er...opossum king."

 _Oh geesh, I'm sorry. I mean I wanted to hurt the guy but I didn't want to kill him. I didn't kill him right? I don't think I can be charged for murdering a character in a story but still like to cover my bases._

"No, Alfonso saved him but it got me thinking. Maybe you can't alter the story itself but I'm willing to bet you can affect it in smaller ways. I mean the present isn't anywhere near something that would cause it to explode but I did cut a hole in it, my sword is still stuck in it. Any way you use that?"

 _Worth a shot, umm with the sword firmly embedded in its side, the present's er...cardboard interior became flimsy, weakened by the hole caused by the sword. How was that?_

Marco turned in time to see his sword fall through the empty box, the walls bending and twisting inward, opening a makeshift entrance into the tunnel.

"It worked!" Marco said blissfully, his heart soaring "Come on!"

He didn't wait, rushing into the darkness and picking up his weapon before anyone else could even respond, his eagerness to find Star increasing each passing moment.

Alfonso and Ferguson shared a look before chasing after the nutcracker.

The tunnel, unsurprisingly, lead them directly into the wall of the house, pass the drywall and into a maze of wood frames and cobwebs.

Marco looked all around, layers and layers of wooden beams rising and falling in all sorts of directions with countless mouse holes everywhere making it very confusing where they were supposed to go.

"We'll never find them at this rate!" Marco let out a frustrated growl

"Oh that's easy, they went up!" Ferguson exclaimed, taking a deep whiff of the air.

"How do you...?"

"I can smell them. They climbed upwards and we're not too, too far behind."

"Ferguson, I thought you said it was a suit..."

"Well yeah, how else people are suppose to know I'm part of opossum!"

Marco questioned the implications of what the opossum king meant before deciding perhaps it was best to simply let it be.

"Okay, can you lead us to where the monsters are?" Marco asked

"Yep! They went that way!" Ferguson excitedly exclaiming, pointing high into the air.

Marco frowned when he realized that Ferguson pointed to the very top of the ceiling, an entrance hole barely able to be seen from down so low.

"And how exactly do we get up there?" Alfonso asked, looking around for any sign or clue as to how the monsters managed to reach such a height.

Ferguson scoffed "Please, I got this"

Marco and Alfonso shared a disbelieving look.

 _I somehow doubt that._

 _You've got to be kidding me..._

"Nope, it's a thing!" Ferguson replied, smiling brightly as he sunk his claws into the wall, slowly making his way onto the monsters trail, Marco and Alfonso hung onto his neck for dear life, their legs dangling freely against the pull of gravity.

"You can barely run!" Marco stated, still not exactly sure how the opossum king was able to pull this off.

"Well yeah, opossums don't run on 2 legs you nutcracker, we use all four! Our front legs are much stronger than our hind legs because that's how we propel ourselves forward!"

"Ferguson, you have arms. You're a human. Your claws are from the suit."

"Don't be jealous human" Ferguson went on, completely ignoring Marco "That's why opossums rule."

Alfonso whispered to Marco softly "Just let him be. If we keep fighting him on it, he might decide to make a detour to prove his point."

Marco frowned but stopped trying to convince the delusional boy about the truth. It was just better that way.

Ferguson didn't even break a sweat, climbing effortlessly towards their goal but the progress was slow and Marco could feel the anticipation getting to him. He didn't know why the monsters wanted Star but he knew he couldn't let their plan succeed. Whatever it was.

 _So how's the climb with the delusional rodent wonder?_

Marco opened his mouth to reply but was surprised when Ferguson cut in "You forgot already narrator? Marco's a nutcracker, a piece of wood! Not a rodent."

Marco facepalmed himself and he had the sneaking suspicion that the narrator was doing the same.

 _I guess that answers my question. Ugh I wish I could speed this up...wait. Maybe I can!_

"Really? How?" Marco asked

 _Well in story telling there's something called a montage._

"a what tage?"

 _MONtage. It lets the story teller speed up time. Well not speed up time but condense events for the sake of time. Though I don't think it's called a montage for auditory storytelling. Would it be a summary or..._

"Narrator, buddy? Focus"

 _Right, right. It works like this. Marco, Alfonso and Ferguson..._

"The opossum king!" Ferguson complained, trying his hardest not to shake his embedded claws at the voice in the sky. Falling was not on his to do list. Not today.

 _And the...opossum king began their treacherous journey, climbing high up the walls in their search for Star. They faced many trials: exhaustion, distrust, something about one of them being whacked out nutjob! But each challenge brought them closer together. The monsters trail was still warm and despite their slow start, the group was surely catching up, eager to rescue Star and show those monsters what happens when they pick with the wrong...er nutcracker, opossum king and his loyal hench...ossum. Finally, after much journeying, the trio arrived at the monsters hideout._

 _Did it work?_

Ferguson let out a panicked cry, holding onto Alfonso in fear "Dude, what the hell!?"

 _What do you mean what the hell?_

"You stay silent for like the whole trip and now you decide to show the hell up when we finally arrive at the place?! Some help you turned out to be"

Marco peered up, rubbing his cold hands together "Are you okay narrator? You were awfully quiet for the last 3 hours."

 _Umm...yeah...just talking myself...apparently._

Ferguson huffed at the narrator's words "Talking to yourself? I think you need to get some help."

"Anyway!" Marco quickly jumped in "We can spot the monsters flying airship."

Marco peered across the icy, snow cover hills and plains, the sun bright and high in the sky but failing to break the land from the grip of the chilly winter. Marco was trying his hardest to keep warm as he spotted the vessel from a far.

It was an old fashion pirate ship, lazily floating around being held up by a single propeller, just circling and circling like it had been for the last few minutes.

 _Flying...air...what the hell? That is definitely not in the nutcracker. Wait, where are you?_

"Snowy, icy plains and hills."

 _Are you outside?_

"No" Marco answered simply.

 _Then where the hell are...?_

"Hush narrator" Ferguson scolded "Real heroes are heroing now."

 _I've just been hushed by a fictional boy who thinks he's a rodent. I can't even..._

"I said hush!" Ferguson shouted, glaring skyward.

"Umm guys, do you hear that?" Alfonso asked timidly, the light sound of humming filling the air.

The trio looked around. The source of the sound was close but not visible to any of them.

Marco turned to Ferguson who shrugged, equally confused. Alfonso stared at the two of them and they blankly return his gaze as their response.

"Awesome weather for a cookie" A lazily drawl said from just behind a frozen hill, the happy chewing of a jaw in motion easily heard "Seriously like this is the best weather ever."

Marco drew his sword, raising a finger to his lips. He took slow, quiet steps around the hill, inching along carefully as not to alert whoever stood on the other side.

The trio tipped toed in the snow, wincing every time the crunching of ice broke the near silence of the plains.

But whoever it was just kept on loudly chewing, blissful moans echoing all around.

Marco held up his hand to stop the others, spotting an olive green something simply floating in the air.

Marco held his sword close, his body tensing to strike.

"one...two..." Marco whispered before shouting at the top of his lungs, charging with full speed and reckless abandon "THREE! AHHHH!"

Marco lifted his sword high into the air

"Oh, it's the nutcracker. Hey buddy, how you doing?"

Marco felt the blade slacken in his grip, confusion all over his face as he stared into the light brown eyes of...

"Janna?!" Marco cried, tightening his grip on his sword once more.

"Heeey nutty, how are you?"

Janna looked like Marco remembered: Dark blue hair tucked under an olive green beanie. She wore a forest green dress with some heavy combat boots, a thin glass like wand in her hands with two clear fairy wings on her back.

"My name's Marco."

"That's what I said" Janna said with a mischievous smile "Nutty."

Marco rubbed his face with his hand while he kept one eye on Janna. She liked to rob him of his stuff.

"So..." Janna began, taking a bite of the chocolate chip cookie in her free hand "Wha ar you doing ere?"

"Ugh, Janna that's disgusting!" Marco covered his mouth, trying to keep his stomach from tossing itself out of his throat "You're the Sugar Plum Fairy, aren't you supposed to act more dignified? And eat sugar plums?"

Janna looked appalled "Eat sugar plums? You monster! You dare encourage cannibalism among my people?"

Marco's eyes popped out of his head, shaking his hands wildly to calm the fairy down "I-I thought you were a fairy! I...sugar plum make fairies but..I...don't..."

Janna's serious face was broken with a sly grin and an uncontrollable giggle "omg, Marco seriously? I'm just messing with you. Fairies are not made from sugar plums. Have you tasted sugar plums? Nothing sugary about them."

Marco stared at Janna with a deadpanned look, debating if he could get away with it when the sugar plum fairy was found with a sword ran through her.

"And don't you think about killing me" Janna went on, pulling another cookie from thin air

Marco pouted but slowly put his sword away.

Janna happily munched on the new cookie, face morphing into pure joy at the taste of it.

"Man that hits the spot. So what did you do Marco?" Janna leaned closer to him, one eye closed while the other stared at him accusingly.

"What do you mean what did I do? I didn't do anything!"

Janna looked like she didn't believe him "Ah huh. Sure you didn't Nutty. Then why the heck is the story out of control?"

"Story? out of control?" Marco repeated

Janna poked him roughly in the chest "Yes that's right. The story is out of whack and the narrator lost all control of it."

 _Wait, you know about me?_

"Of course I do" Janna stated matter of fact "I'm magic."

 _But you're a character in the story! You can't be magic!_

Janna scoffed, pointing to herself proudly "I can be whatever I want, I'm the sugar plum fairy."

 _But...but...You are a fictional character!_

Janna eyed the sky carefully "Did it ever occur to you that _you_ might be the fictional character?"

 _I..well...that's...wow...that's heavy._

Janna nodded, pulling out another cookie from nowhere.

"Narrator? You okay? Narrator?"

No response.

Marco glared Janna "Great, you broke the narrator!"

Janna shrugged nonchalantly "I'm sure we can fix that later. Sides, we got other problems nutty."

"Ugh, don't..."

"The spell I put on Star is going to wear off soon" Janna explained "And when that happens, we're going to have some monstrous problems. And I'm not just saying that to be punny. I mean we're really going to have a big problem."

Marco rubbed his eyes "Janna, what are you talking about?"

"The spell on Star, the one that shrinks her down? Yeah that thing. Gonna run out soon and anything holding on to her is going to get big sized along with her."

"Why would your spell do that?!"

"My magic does not discriminate"

"And why did you put that spell on her!?"

Janna snickered "Because it was funny. I mean did you see her face?" Janna began mocking Star's initial reaction upon realizing she was tiny

"That's not funny!"

Janna laughed "It's a little funny"

"Janna..."

"And it's not like you're complaining" Janna nudged him playfully "Heard around the tree that _somebody_ shared a preeeetty romantic dance with her."

Marco turned bright red "I...well you see..."

"So don't give me that high and self righteous crap okay? Still we have to get your girlfriend..."

"S-she's not my..." Marco began but Janna just kept on rolling over him.

"...before the spell wears off. And I don't think you want giant size monsters running around."

Marco let out an irritated moan "Well what are we waiting for? We need to save Star."

"Agreed Nutty! Though I am still confused how the story got disconnected from the narrator."

"Is that really important right now?"

Janna shook her head "Right now? No. Near the end of the story when Star's spell runs out? Yes."

Marco stared at her, not completely sure if he wanted to hear the reason why "And that's because?"

Janna stared at him, mockery written all over her face "Seriously nutty? You're supposed to be a smart one. The only reason this whole thing isn't ripping at the seams is because the magic. It's holding this convoluted mess together. Like glue! But what happens when you run out of glue? Blam! Whole thing comes apart which in this case is us."

"and how do we fix it?"

Janna shrugged "Unno, I wasn't even aware it could happen. I mean the only reason a story can, and I use this word loosely given the creative nature story telling inherently has, 'derail' is because something happen. Something fundamental was changed, something so blasphemous, so utterly and horrifying pointless that it literally broke the story."

"Hey, hey guys I made a snowman, wanna see?" Ferguson said with an odd mix of pride and wonder. In his hand was a misshapen ball of snow that was melting in his hands, resembling a snow brick rather than a snowman.

Janna click her tongue in understanding "That's it, that'll do it."

Marco stared at her "The snowman?"

"What? No! Not the snowman, the giant rodent."

"The opossum king?" Marco questioned "He's weird but he's an alright guy."

"If he's an alright guy doesn't matter, it's the fact he changed the main villain is why the story is going all free form, modern avant garde. I hate avant garde, none of it makes sense!"

"Janna?"

"I mean seriously some people literally throw freaking paint at a wall. Paint at a wall!"

"Umm, Janna? Focus please?"

"And it just droops down randomly due to the gravitational pull and people pay for that crap! If you're going to pay anyone, it should be the earth itself! It's doing all the actual painting"

"JANNA!" Marco yelled, snapping a finger in front of her face "Spell, running out?"

"Oh right." Janna shook her head "I'm betting if we get possum boy over there into a mouse outfit, the story will get right back on track. Or at least not be destroyed and take us all with it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Ferguson dropped his snowman to the ground "I'm sorry but the opossum king is too cool to change. I'm not becoming the rat king or something"

"Ferguson, you're going to destroy everything, please just change the...wait I don't have to kill him, do I?"

Janna shook her head "I don't know but at this point I think it's more about what animal he is since the original story had a mouse, not possum! Though if it comes down to it, I will be more than happy to gut him."

"Opossum! Not the same thing!"

Marco paused "isn't it? I've never really been clear about that."

"Don't care, see ya!" Ferguson stuck out his tongue before darting away on all fours, moving far faster than Marco could ever guess, especially after that run in with the carnivorous otters.

"Oh now he's able to out run us!" Marco complained taking a step forward before being stopped by Janna.

"Whoa Romero, you still got to get Star."

"But...'

"No buts, you and Alfonso get the girl, I'll get the rodent." Janna told him with a smile

"Opossum!" Ferguson's voice called from afar.

Janna rolled eyes before launching into the air, kicking up snow and burying Alfonso and Marco neck deep in it.

"HEY!" Marco shouted, straining to free himself from the snow pile when he heard someone shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Do you hear cannon fire?" Alfonso asked fearfully, twisting around to see if he could hear it was coming from.

Marco managed to turn his body enough to see the airship barreling straight towards the trapped heroes, large columns of snow and ice rising and falling when cannon balls collided with the hills and plains.

"Great. Ferguson's going to destroy us all because he's obsessed with animal, the narrator is having an existential crisis and a warship full of monsters is heading right this way, apparently with guns blazing, too eager to kill us. How could this get worse?"

"Umm I don't know how" Alfonso told him "But I know how it could get better"

Alfonso motioned with his head as much as he could, pointing with his chin towards a rapidly approaching figure.

It turns out airship was trying to stop someone, not caught up in some nutcracker bloodlust.

Marco narrowed his eyes, trying his hardest to make out who were the monsters chasing.

And the moment he did, he couldn't help but smile at her.

It was Star running in their direction at full speed, blonde hair tumbling freely behind her. She was still dressed in her sleep dress and despite the fact it must've been freezing, she seemed unaffected by the chilly weather. She had two black stripe lines on her cheeks like war paint, a piece of the lizard monster's tie wrapped around her forehead, her face set in a furious determination despite the hopelessness of the situation.

She didn't wait for someone to save her, she saved herself.

Marco grinned happily at the sight of her. Star was one amazing girl.

Star kept running even if her legs begged her to stop, the icy chill of the snow starting to affect her movement. She had no idea what she was going to do next, planning had never been her speciality, but she knew it was better than just sitting there like a good little captive. Admittedly, she was a little surprised how easy it was to escape. Scary and fearsome monsters, sure but smart? Not really.

"STAR!" she nearly stopped running upon hearing her voice, having not expected somebody to be out here, especially anyone who knew her.

"STAR OVER HERE!"

Star looked ahead and couldn't stop the smile on her face.

Buried in a pile of snow and looking like a human..er nutcracker snowman was Marco grinning like an idiot at her.

"MARCO!" Star cried out, pushing her legs even faster.

Star collided with the snowbound Marco at full speed, wrapping her arms around his head, pressing her cold cheek to his warm one.

"Star, you're okay!" Marco let out a sigh of relief

"Marco, you came for me!"

"Of course!" Marco beamed "though it looks like you did good on your own."

Star shrugged "Well a little back up never hurts."

The two shared a smile.

Then a cannonball exploded near them, showering them in loose snow and icy debris.

"Right the...umm sky snow...monster pirates." Star said slowly.

"So how about you dig me out and we kick some monster ass!" Marco asked Star

Star nodded, quickly clawing at Marco's frozen prison as the airship quickly caught up to them.


	54. Rebels Rebelling (Star wars AU Part 2)

Hello fanfiction! hope you are all doing good, surviving school and life in general. thank you for every single favorite, follow and review. they make me so happy.

A special thanks to princessxgilex- I am happy you understand :)

bigmike- honestly, i love reading, i know a lot of stories and I am crazy haha though admittedly i dont know how i came up with this one. It kinda just happened. I was like i want to make a narrator as a character, its christmas time and viola, nutcracker.

finn- awesome, the story is going according to plan. or is it?! yes, yes it is.

Fabio- thank you so much kind sir. i think i kinda went crazy with this one. haha yes the poor narrator, it's just...it's not a good day for the narrator with the questioning existence and such. there will be much smooching! haha i figured from the story point of view, time was a snap but since the characters are living it out, they would live out the actual time lapse. thank you so much i shall try!

Misfortune- i think this is the first time where nothing bad actually happened when someone said those words. in fact, something good happened instead! haha i love playing around with Janna's character.I am super excited for the new movies. I spent the last few fridays watching all 6 movies in order *Which is why i was usually in a rush if i updated on fridays* we even played a stars rpg that...that got pretty weird *My friend was an assassin droid that thought he was human. he even started dancing on a bar to distract two stormtroopers. it worked too* honestly i think the sith guy is just a new guy. or jar jar. haha I actually did a star wars au *chapter six* and this is the continuation of that one. but if you would like your own version of a star wars au, i am more than happy to put it on the list.

harutora- dont be silly. it's obviously the plot to the great movie The Opossum king: Ferguson rising. thank you so much for your kind words. haha sounds like it but the narrator is who ever you want it to be. that's why there's very little description of the narrator. sometimes i like to think its the Stanley Parable narrator other times i like to think it's morgan freeman or Mabel.

Arsenal- thank you. hopefully i can stick the landing for part 3. haha i wanted to do a story where a narrator was a part of the story and its christmas time so they fused and i chose the nutcracker because how easy it would be to slip in a narrator. i wanted to try something new and here is the end result. haha well the sugar plum fairy is supposed to be this kind, almost motherly figure in the story. and since i'm already playing with troupes and ideas, i messed with the character too. Janna is not responsible with her power. She buried marco and alfonso in the snow chasing after Ferguson, she shrunk Star because she thought it would be funny to see how she reacted and she is literally just chilling out in the snow, eating a cookie when she is aware of the problem. Well surprisingly Ferguson actually did help a little, before threatening to destroy the world because he won't be a mouse. Marco Diaz never gives up! even if it's impossible, Diaz's never give up! they also dance very well but that's not useful right now. Star is naturally a badass, she just got caught off guard. im glad and hopefully the next part shall fill your christmas meter even more! thank you for your support, your kind words and your review. they mean a lot to me.

rayfe- i think i made it clear that i am crazy! BWAHAH glad you liked it. yeah Ferguson really doesn't understand the true depth of what he's about to do. I personally think the monsters are just too inept at keeping hostages since they just like to play around most of the time. I know right? everything is different yet the same.

agentl3: hello reader! i ironically do have a doctor who au in the works where star is either 11th doctor or marco is the 10th. however having the actual doctor meet them and have them on an adventure sounds pretty awesomne. I'll put the request in the vault but i warn you there's quite a few people ahead of you, so it might take a while. thanks for the request though! it's a great idea. :)

Lupus- haha everything is falling apart at the seams, what do we do? stick glue on it. of course. I always try to keep in line with their core personalities and star is a badass warrior. her capture was only for plot reasons.

Smitty theories- you knew what i did?! tell me because i'm not sure what i did. haha awesome, congrats on getting an account! everything is confusing if you try hard enough. story with a story while reading a story about a story someone heard from someone else. Rythming would be good but hard. we will see though. maybe not in this au but in another, Dr. Seus style. you do that, i'm gonna stare at a wall until it becomes the new star wars movie! haha that sounds like the gravity falls episode with ghost eyes. you should write. random starco chaos! all reviews have a good point. they make me smile like this :D

whatif: haha nice story, you should write or give it a shot. that was a pretty awesome short story and i am honored you used my characters.

Grim- yeeeeah i think when the narrator stole the story from me, well...they didn't realize the true depth of such power. the narrator will be enlightened. but in what way? hopefully the story shall be fixed in time to save it. i honestly don't know what to call the ship for Nova and Connor. seriously, readers a little help here?

On Starco corner we have sara over on idrawcartoons1314 on instagram and some pretty awesome drawings including celebrating 5,000 followers, AWESOME CONGRATS SARA! she also has a cute snoppy christmas picture and a book written by Doctor Soos. it made me laugh soooo freaking hard. I can't believe i forgot to mention fabio also drew something based on my story. he drew a pretty cool and creepy picture based on the five night at freddy's story i did. and my answer for that question you asked fabio is I dunno. check his work out at ffismyname on tumblr and im sorry i forgot to mention to you. Here on FF we have several works Starfall from golfalphamike, magical disruptur from fabioferrario, all sorts from nightmareking. there's more but i really need to start crusing through them. oh! there was a really cute story from totallyobsessedwithSVTFOE called, give me a sec Star X marco highschool AU oh and a new chapter from PFTones's the princess and the safe kid. i really need to update my phone more often.

So this chapter is in honor that where i live, Star wars episode 7 is out *CHEERS* i am a huuuuuge fan star wars, from its video games, to its very excellent *and still canon in my mind* books and of course the amazing 4 through 6 movies and the okay but my god why episode 1 through 3. And if you are a fan of the series and haven't seen the movie yet, hopefully this could help with that itch.

So if you remember from like ever and half ago, i wrote a star wars au, i believe it is chapter six. This is the next part to that story. so as a quick summary Star is a padawan *in training* jedi who stumbles onto Marco Diaz, a han solo smuggler who is really a rebel. they manage to escape from Lord Ludo *Sith Lord* and star now lives with Marco and the rebels but since Marco's cover is blown, he lost his freedom and now must perform rebellion missions.

I really hope you like this chapter. I was practicing really hard on certain descriptions i need to work on for my other stories. also, as a friendly warning, if anyone spoilers episode 7 for me, i will permanently retire from writing starco. You have been warned. thank you for all the support, all the reviews, the follows the favorites, everything you readers are amazing and you encourage me to do what i love and i thank you all a million times over for that. Enjoy and i own nothing

*Hums star wars fanfare*

* * *

"Where is Marco?"

Amber Skullnick was a seasoned veteran of the rebellion, having been with the uprising against the tyrannical Empire since the very beginning when she hung up her cushy senator job to fight for the freedom of all sentient beings.

Of course being a part of a species affectionately referred to as "Space Trolls" helped immensely as she not only had the physical endurance to steamroll the imperial war machine, she also had the strength and bloodlust to match.

She was so renowned at taking out minions of the Empire that she found she unwillingly set herself up to be promoted to the rank of General and now forced to send others to fight in her place. Something she vastly disliked.

General Skullnick was 7 feet tall, with pale green skin and a bright red hair, two sharp fangs protruding from her jawline. She could lift 400 pounds without little effort and took blaster fire like it was water. Her mind was sharp, even if her attitude leaned heavily on the explosive side and commanded the respect of all rebels without a single word.

Amber Skullnick had lived through countless suicidal odds: Took on a rancor with her bare hands, held off an imperial invasion of a vital outpost with little supplies for weeks, took 3 poison darts to the chest and even survived a brush with Ludo, the evil sith lord.

She feared nothing.

Except the pint sized 20 something year old Jedi narrowing her eyes towards her.

Star let the impatience she was feeling spill onto her face in the form of a frown.

She knew as one of the last Jedi in existence she needed to be peaceful, tranquil, serene.

The calm in a center of a raging storm.

The problem was she wasn't a Jedi. Not a real one anyway. She had barely constructed her lightsaber when the Empire invaded her home of Mewni, forcing her to flee with her father before escape was rendered impossible. Her mother, Queen Moon Butterfly, refused to leave her people and Star's twin brother Sky, the dutiful prince, remained by her side.

And since Sky was her Jedi Master, she became a wandering padawan without a master.

A few days later an imperial ambush took her father from her and she had been on her own ever since. 6 long months of hiding, evading the Empire's attempt to find and destroy her, living in the outskirts of society just to get by all while hiding her Jedi nature. Alfonso the droid tagged along but it was more out of mutual survival than anything else.

Until just a few weeks ago when she enlisted the help of a rouge (and dashingly handsome if she was going to be honest. Which she wasn't going to be) smuggler.

Marco Diaz, probably one of her closest allies, a member of those she could trust completely and her only real friend. Her best friend.

The smuggler turned out to be a member of the rebel alliance, taking illegal and dangerous jobs to help keep the struggling spark of hope burning bright while also stealing the occasional imperial secret or 12.

Through chance or perhaps through the will of the force itself, the two were forced into a situation that required total cooperation and trust from one another. And as it turns out they were an amazing team. Even eluding the most dangerous agent of the Emperor, Lord Ludo himself.

Admittedly Star held her own fairly well against the dark lord but the difference in their skill was soon made apparently and it was only due to Marco's clever and timely intervention did she escape Ludo's grasp.

Meeting Marco turned out to be the best thing that could've happened to Star. True while his cover was blown and he was no longer able to freely move about on his own without high command's knowledge and approval, Star found a safe haven with the rebellion, one where she was free to practice her burgeoning force powers without fear. Who better to hide with than the very people who evaded the Empire for a living?

In fact the rebels seemed to overjoyed at Star's presence, the knowledge that there were Jedi still alive and the rebellion now had one among them invigorated the war weary freedom fighters.

There was only one downside to this. Separation from Marco.

As one of their most talented field operatives and with his cover now blown, Marco was regularly sent out into the field to perform dangerous missions, spending many days away from the secret rebel base that housed Star and unable to yet fulfill his promise to Star that they would return to Mewni to search for Sky.

Star wasn't sure why she took Marco's disappearances so hard. They barely knew each other, friendship forged in the heat of battle. There was no reason to worry about him, to miss him, to perk up happily at the sound of a new arrival only for her joy to be deflated upon realizing it wasn't Marco. No reason whatsoever.

"Miss Butterfly" Skullnick warned with a sharp tone, a tone softening when she caught sight of intense worry hidden beneath indignant rage.

"I know he missed his check in."

"Miss Butterfly, that information is classified."

"You can't lie to me!" Star shouted, mentally scolding herself for losing her cool.

Skullnick glared at Star "You and your Jedi powers are very annoying to military secrets and protocol"

"Riiiight, Jedi Powers." Star coughed awkwardly, glad no one discovered the little vent that led directly into the meeting room she had been using.

Skullnick sighed in defeat "Yes. It is true."

Skullnick motioned for Star to follow her into the briefing room, waving the guards that barred their path.

"We sent Marco to a planet where imperial control was very lax. We were hoping to see how much rebel support we could gather and if we could free the sector of imperial control. Marco was sent on a scouting mission but as you already know, he missed in his check in. It's only been a few hours but he's never done this before, even during his smuggler days. This...is very concerning."

"Well, let's go get him!"

"Slow down blondie. We can't simply jump into an unknown situation."

"Sure we can" Star shrugged "We get our fleet and pop in, kick their butts. Problem solved."

"Miss Butterfly, we cannot risk the entire fleet for one agent, no matter how talented they are and may I remind you he is undercover."

Star huffed, not at all liking what she was hearing "Then I'm going! By myself if I have to."

"Miss Butterfly you will do no such thing! You are among the last Jedi, you cannot just head into battle whenever you feel like it!"

"The Jedi are suppose to protect people!" Star argued, slamming her hands on the table, a shockwave stupefying everyone in the room "What is the point of being a Jedi if I don't do my job?"

"Right now the Jedi are a symbol of hope, you are a living monument that the impossible can be done. The Empire destroyed every last Jedi they could find and yet they remain, you remain and if you were to be captured or worse, killed...such an effect on the people would be devastating."

"But..." Star weakly countered "But I have to help Marco. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be here."

"I'm sure Captain Diaz is just fine. He is a very capable solider. I am sure he is simply forgot or was held up."

* * *

"HEADS DOWN!" Marco shouted to the others, barely ducking in time to avoid the next volley of blaster fire that broke through the walls, a red laser light show filling the darkened building for a moment before smashing against various fixtures. Plasteel bits and chunks flew throughout the air, raining down on everyone trapped inside, dust quietly blanketing the entire building as a new set of scorch marks painted the walls.

Marco cringed when he heard several bodies hit the floor with a deep thud, a sound he knew far too well and that often meant one thing.

Marco turned to see a dozen or so men, women and children huddled around the various booths and overturned tables of the drinking establishment. 4 bodies remained face down on the floor, the smell of burning flesh confirming Marco's fear.

"Return fire!" Marco ordered, popping out of his window cover and opening fire into the deserted street. the defenders poured as much firepower as they could, the sun glaring off the stormtroopers sleek, plastic-like white armor while they scattered like rats, kicking up dirt and dust while taking cover behind walls, buildings, even barrels barely their size.

The small desert town had once been a part of a large mining operation. A lucky accident led to the discovery of a rare and powerful crystal that functioned as a superior processing chip, far more advanced than anything that was produced by any company. The Orion Corporation poured the barest amount resources into this town: A handful of scientists, their families and well trained bodyguards. The settlers turned a pretty credit despite the little they were forced to work with and for half a year, things were great.

Then the Empire caught wind of the business activity and Orion Corp abandoned the entire project to protect itself: Settlers included. With no support from the outside world, the townspeople were forced to pledge their services to the Empire who turned out to be even worse than their former employer. At least with Orion Corp they were given some sort of supplies but now with the Empire as their boss, they were doing the providing.

The small mining town turned out to be a figurative gold mine: Heavy dislike of the Empire, several well trained war veterans, brilliant and talented engineers. In short, critically vital people.

Despite the original purpose of the mission being just to scout and get a feel of the place, Marco elected to take the next step on his own.

He spent the last few days convincing any and everyone who would listen about leaving off planet with him and his ship the Red Hood. The small town agreed to listen to his proposal and before he knew it, Marco soon had the entire populous in one room, ready to hear his pitch and see if joining the rebellion would be the wisest course of action.

It was a few minutes in and Marco admitted he was losing them: They didn't want to leave their home on this dust ball of a planet, they didn't want to go to war with no real promise of victory, they didn't want to bet on the wrong bantha.

If the Empire was good for only one thing, it was an ironic sense of timing.

Just as Marco was about to find himself surround by empty chairs and empty tables, an imperial patrol strode into town. They had been walking through the desert and their supplies were depleted. They demanded the citizens hand over all their goods and credits in support of their occupying overlords.

This set the townsfolk off, who finally had enough of the bullying and decided to stand up for themselves. They promptly refused the troopers.

The stormtroopers then promptly opened fire and now Marco caught up in a massive firefight, trying to evacuate 20 or so people with no real exit strategy.

"Marco!" Ferguson, his loyal Possokie (Possum/human hybrid) co-pilot shouted from the other window, firing his massive crossbow-like blaster, knocking a stormtrooper right off his feet "We need to finish this quick! They probably called for backup already"

Marco nodded, aiming down the sights of his pistol and firing, his bolt catching an unlucky trooper in the shoulder despite his cover.

"I know but right now they're not exactly opened to negotiation right now!" Marco replied, narrowly avoiding a blaster bolt that lightly singed his brown poncho he had draped over his standard white long sleeved shirt and black vest attire.

The rhythmic sounds of blaster fire filled Marco's ears as he began searching for a way out. There was a back entrance that led into the alleyways and the stormtroopers numbers outside were dwindling but with reinforcements on the way and only himself, Ferguson and 8 trained warriors guarding 12 noncombatants, this was not a favorable situation to be in.

Marco raised his pistol again, his shot hitting a charging stormtrooper in between his helmet and the body armor where his exposed neck lay.

Marco almost let out a cheer when a sudden burst of pain overwhelmed him from nowhere, his arm felt like it was on fire, the smell of sizzling skin filling his nose as he tumbled weakly onto the floor.

* * *

Star's eyes shot open, her breathing becoming heavy at what she just witnessed.

"Marco." she whispered fearfully as she rose from her bed. She quickly put on a random cloak that the rebels gave her, more out of habit than anything else, as she ran as fast as she could towards the briefing room.

Skullnick let out an exasperated groan when Star slammed open the doors to the briefing room, huffing and puffing like she just ran a marathon.

"Miss Butterfly, I believe I told you..."

"Marco's in trouble!" Star cut off, racing into the room "I saw it!"

"You...saw it?"

"Yes in my head! With the force I mean! Oh whatever, I saw him. Marco's in trouble. He needs help now!"

"That...is unfortunate."

Star frowned "Those are really funny words for let's go save Marco!"

Skullnick shifted uneasily "It's because that's not what I'm saying."

"Now I _know_ I misheard you."

"Star..."

"No!" Star cut off the fearsome general, her voice racked with grief and fear "Don't you dare tell me we're just leaving him on his own...I...I can't leave hm on his own..."

Star could feel the tears building in her eyes, the idea of losing Marco just too much to handle. She didn't want to think of the possibility but it was too frightening to simply ignore.

"Officially I cannot condone such action nor can I assign anyone to perform such a rescue mission."

Star let out a defeated sigh.

"But since I currently going to be locked up in my room for the next few hours, pouring over some boring reports that would probably make me fall asleep, I guess I won't be able to tell if anyone left."

Star eyed Skullnick carefully, making sure she was understanding the general loud and clear.

Skullnick brushed past Star, trying her hardest not to make eye contact "And I can't really stop anyone from volunteering for patrol duty either, no matter how excessive the amount. Sigh. I am sorry Miss Butterfly but there is nothing _I,_ a high ranking military leader, can do for you."

Skullnick calmly walked out of the room, hoping the clueless girl figured out what she was trying to say.

Star nodded, trying to stamp out the grin on her face. Yes Skullnick couldn't help her but she could think of a few reckless, cocky fighter pilots that could.

* * *

"Come on Marco buddy" Ferguson softly told Marco.

Marco gritted his teeth, ignoring the irritating sensation caused by the air gently brushing against the burn mark.

Marco had his good arm that held his blaster wrapped around Ferguson's neck, letting his co-pilot support him but not carry his full weight. Marco hated feeling helpless and refused to simply be dead weight though right now the pain from the wound made it hard to walk.

The group managed to fend off the stormtroopers but those were weak, weary scouts caught off guard. Fresh, well rested and well armored enemies were no doubt on their way and force only knows how long they had to escape before they arrived.

The group staggered along the shadows of the building, their movements concealed and subtle in the cover of the shade but time was running out, the sun was rising into the sky and the shadows started to dissipate under its rays.

"Everyone keep moving!" Marco called to the townspeople "Our ship is just a few blocks, we'll be out of here soon enough."

Marco stifled a pained groan when a harsh, humid gust of air rapidly pass through the urban canyon unexpectedly.

"FREEZE!" a distorted voice shouted, breaking the silence of the town.

Marco pulled away from Ferguson, swaying back and forth unsteadily on his feet.

The thud, thud, thud of combat boots echoed loudly all around them, the howling of the grayish blue Tie Fighter engines roared from the silence of the land, overtaking all noise as a trio of the H shaped starcrafts flew into the sky, hovering above everything and everyone with their guns pointing menacingly at Marco and the others.

Marco glanced around and gulped nervously: Stormtroopers littered the low, knee high walls, rooftops and covered the alleyways. There was only a handful of them but they had them in a crossfire with air superiority. There was no way out of this one. Not alive at least.

"Surrender" A particularly battle scarred trooper with an orange shoulder pad ordered "or we will open fire."

"Psst, you're probably going to open fire anyway" Ferguson scoffed, gripping his bowcaster even tighter.

"Surrender. This is your last warning."

Marco took a deep breath. If he was going to go out, he wanted to go out taking as many imperial dogs as he could.

He shared a knowing look with Ferguson who shrugged

"Eh, never wanted to live to be an old rodent anyway" Ferguson said, watching carefully for Marco's signal.

Marco could feel his body tensing, preparing for one final battle before he shut his eyes for good.

"FOR THE REBELLION!" Marco shouted at the top of his lungs, lifting his pistol as quick as he could.

Marco could hear the Tie Fighters weapons charging up, a blast that would probably melt the flesh right off his skin with ease.

"Kill them all!" The battled scarred trooper commanded.

Suddenly, something collided with one of the Tie Fighters with a loud whistle. Whatever it was sunk deeply into the hull of the ship before exploding in fantastical splash of white flames.

The shockwave knocked everything off balance: Stormtroopers staggered, trying to keep their footing while the remaining Tie Fighters swayed uneasily, trying to keep from spinning out of control. Bits and pieces flew everywhere, showering area in warm debris.

Marco flinched when the shockwave passed through him but unlike everyone else, he wasn't surprised for long.

Marco opened fire, taking out two troopers in front of him in rapid succession before they even figured out what hit them.

Ferguson roared loudly, leading the second volley as the townsfolk fighters began taking potshots at anyone wearing bright white.

Marco paused for a moment when the 2 surviving Tie fighters took off, flying low and using the buildings as cover as they began taking some heavy fire from an unknown source.

Marco looked skyward to and let out a sigh of relief he was holding in.

Rocketing straight for them were 5 light gray long nosed starfighters, their wings locked in the X-shaped combat positions. The most iconic ship whose name was long since synonymous with the rebels.

"X-wing support!" Ferguson shouted, waving happily at the pilots "and you told me you didn't have a back up plan."

"I didn't" Marco admitted, taking a moment to bask in how lucky he really was "Come on, press forward!"

* * *

"Whew. That was a close one huh Star?" Captain of the illustrious and slightly suicidal Rouge Squadron Jackie Lynn Thomas asked, peering backwards and trying not to laugh at the sight of the all powerful Jedi warrior wedged in tightly in the small space just behind her cockpit.

"I wouldn't know, I can't see anything besides the back of your head!"

Jackie shrugged noncommittally "This is a one man fighter ship. I'm surprised anyone could fit back there but then again I suppose that's all because of your voodoo force powers."

"Hey! There is no such thing as force contortion. That is not a thing."

Jackie let out a hearty life "Next you're gonna tell me Jedi can't fly!"

Star opened her mouth to scold Jackie for coming up with such a ridiculous idea when her comlink crackled to life.

"Jackie, just got a read on the enemy." Janna, Jackie's second in command and wingmate reported with a whine.

Jackie rolled her eyes "I'm _Captain_ Red 12, remember Red 3?"

"Psst, like I care."

Jackie shook her head, trying to suppress the grin on her face "How many do you count Janna?"

"I see two of the losers" Janna replied, tapping the radar on her dashboard to make sure it was working properly "But my scanners are picking up a lot more heading straight for us. If we gonna go home in one piece, Marco better start hauling ass."

"Let's buy them as much time as we can, I'm going to drop off Star. Engage the enemy" Jackie replied, pushing down on the throttle, her fighter speeding straight for the ground.

"You heard the lady gents, form up and let's kill us some imperials! Least kill count buys lunch!"

Jackie bit her lips, squeezing the firing trigger lightly. The pew, pew, pew of the laser cannons was the most beautiful thing she heard while the troopers were hit by her attacks, other trooper's bodies or pieces of the building itself.

She pulled out of the dive at the last second, easing up on the throttle as the ship landed on an unoccupied rooftop.

"You sure you don't need a ride back Star?" Jackie called behind her, the cockpit shield lifting up and allowing Star to stretch her cramped legs.

"No, I'll catch one with Marco."

"Well hurry up, we don't have forever."

Star nodded before leaping out of the ship, her cloak fluttering freely in the wind while she began free falling towards the ground, silent chanting to herself "Don't let me hit the ground force, don't let me hit the ground. Force, be cool!"

* * *

"Don't you feel like a space cowboy Marco?"

"No"

"But you look like one"

"Umm...okay..."

"And you're using a pistol"

"I always use a pistol"

"I know, even when it is better to use a rifle, you use a pistol."

"So?"

"You are a space cowboy!"

"Ferguson!" Marco shouted, firing directly into the visor of a nearby trooper "This is not the time!"

"I think so!" Ferguson replied, lifting a solider off his feet, roaring at the top of his lungs as he tossed him into a group of retreating figures.

Marco ducked at incoming blaster fire, covering his eyes when a wayward bolt smashed into the ground, kicking up dust and sand that blinded him for a second

Marco rose to his feet only to be tackled sideways by a charging stormtrooper.

Marco winced in pain when his back collided with one of the low angled walls, trying his hardest to hold onto his gun when the trooper flung the two of them over the obstacle.

"Marco!" Ferguson shouted, turning to chase after his friend before crouching low as a bolt nearly clipped the side of his head.

"RAWWWARGH!" Ferguson let out a fierce battle cry, slinging his weapon across his back as he began a berserker rush towards a nearby group of troopers.

The troopers raised their blasters but it was far too late. They could see the enraged Possokie's face and the sheer madness it possessed made them wish they chose another line of work.

Ferguson back handed one unfortunate solider, his entire being lifted effortlessly into the air, his body twisting and turning midair before slamming painfully into the side of a building.

The group opened fire, the sight of their comrade tumbling through the air haunting them and shaking their very core. Their shots missed, mostly due to hesitation with a hint of fear thrown in for good measure.

Ferguson gripped one tightly by the throat, lifting him up before smashing his head into the sandy floor below. There was a loud crunch and crack, the helmet splintering into a dozen of pieces under the weight of an unrestrained Possokie. The trooper was either dead or knocked out cold but Ferguson wasn't done yet.

With another animistic yell, Ferguson gripped the back plate of the fallen trooper's armor, swiping with his razor sharp claws to keep the others away while he span around in a circle. Before anyone could realize what was going on, the troopers found themselves bowled over and sent sprawling to the floor as Ferguson used their 250 pound squad mate as a makeshift wrecking ball.

The groaning of the fallen squad filled Ferguson's ears and he causally tossed his makeshift weapon several feet away from him, not at all caring at the sound of more of the plastic-like armor cracking.

Still caught up in his furious rage, Ferguson let out another "RRRAAAWGH" the very air seeming to shake at the sound of his voice.

A stormtrooper wandered just in front of Ferguson, his body jumping in surprise. He bolted down a side alleyway but Ferguson was right behind him, racing on all fours.

* * *

Over the size of the wall was a 10 foot drop onto a slanted slope of sand. Marco's back hit the soft texture of the sand hill but the gun slipped away from him, lost from the sudden impact of his body hitting a surface. Marco reached out blindly for his weapon but between the increasing momentum of his rolling and struggling to fight off the trooper that latched onto him, Marco had no luck finding the pistol.

The two slowed and slowed as the hill leveled out. Marco pressed his feet against the trooper's chest plate and with all his strength, kicked his opponent as far away as he could.

Marco finally stopped, head face down against the desert floor, covered head to toe with sand. He spit out the dry substance from his mouth, trying his hardest to ignore how much the sand began burning against his wound

Marco looked up and realized the trooper who had tackled him was the orange shoulder plated captain.

The captain rose to his feet, reaching for something on his belt.

"You know" Marco murmured weakly, slowly getting to his feet "You're just living up to the imperial stereotype when you pick on the injured."

The captain tilted his head, the sound of all the bones in his neck cracking echoed loudly from the encased space. He pulled out a small, thick staff roughly the size of his hand.

"We punish the weak" The distorted, inhuman voice of the captain answered "Only the strong survive"

Marco eyed the captain carefully, the staff extended to its full length.

"Well" Marco let out a deep breath "Luckily I'm the strongest there is."

The captain lashed out at him, swinging the staff at Marco's side.

Marco tried to lift his arm to block the blow but the stinging of the burn mark reminded him about his injury.

The top of the staff caught Marco in the side, knocking all the wind out of him and knocking him off balance, his feet wildly trying to steady himself.

The captain pulled back his weapon, twirling it expertly in one hand before he thrusting forward with it. Marco sidestepped the attack in time, catching the staff in his good hand. The captain tried to pull away but Marco held on tightly. Marco pulled the staff forward, dragging the captain towards his waiting foot.

Marco's boot caught the captain right in the face, knocking loose his helmet as the captain fell to the floor.

The captain shot a look at Marco that screamed bloody murder, his piercing gray eyes showing no mercy.

"You're bald" Marco joked, genuinely caught off guard by the lack of hair on the captain's head "I...I don't know how to feel about that. "

"How about you feel this!" The captain shouted, wrapping his gloved hand around Marco's ankle.

Before Marco could respond with a witty retort about personal space, a jolt of electricity left the captain's glove and surged into Marco leg, sending agonizing and paralyzing shock throughout his body.

The attack was so powerful and quick Marco couldn't even let out pained grunt. He just stood there, slumped over, when the electricity finally stopped, only standing due to the fact his legs were too numb to realize he should be falling down.

The staff fell to the floor with a soft plop, Marco sinking to his knees as the captain bent over to pick up his weapon.

"Only the strong survive" the captain repeated, lifting the staff high into the air. One end crackled to life, blue electrical sparks covering the tip.

"Great" Marco murmured "More sparks..."

The captain brought it down with as much force as he could, determined to make this punk pay one and for all.

There was a loud hum and the crackling of energy meeting energy.

The captain could not believe what he was seeing: A bright blue blade of a lightsaber intercepting his staff at the last second. He turned to find the offender to be a young adult female with long blonde hair and blue eyes that matched her blade.

"Hey" Star said with a smile "I'm not late to the party, am I?"

* * *

A bright green light streaked passed Janna's side, the laser nearly clipping one of her wings.

"Hey!" Janna shouted "You do _not_ blast my ship. I love my ship!"

The pursuing Tie Fighter opened fire once more, more shots narrowly missing the vital components of the x-wing.

"Son of a..." Janna muttered, twisting the flight control in a tight turn. The x-wing began spinning around, twisting and twisting in a barrel roll as the Tie Fighter tried shooting off the rotating wings.

Janna straightened her ship, catching her bearing for a moment before lifting up on the throttle.

The tie pilot narrowed his eyes at the sight of the X-wing lifting upwards before plummeting downward towards the desert, the S-foils closing indicting the ship was now in speed mode. Confused, the Tie pilot quickly followed suite, resuming his concentrated fire on the escaping X-wing.

Janna gave herself a little grin, the Tie Fighters cannon fire missing her X-wing by mere inches and distributing the sand below.

Tie Fighter pilot bit his lip, eyes narrowed in focus. His shots kept nearly hitting the X-wing but in aerial combat, nearly meant nothing and without its wings in the X formation and its powerful shielding, the ship was just a harder target to hit.

Janna grinned at the increasingly frenzied attack from the Tie, humming happily to herself while the cloud of displaced sand became bigger, and bigger.

The Tie pilot nearly let out a cheer of relief when his targeting system finally locked onto the elusive X-wing. He let himself have a sadistic grin, the idea of seeing that stupid ship explode in a ball of fire bringing him too much joy to be considered healthy.

He leaned forward in anticipation, licking his lips as his fingers slowly descended on the trigger.

"Got you" he whispered

"Gotcha" Janna said smugly, toggling a switch.

The X-wing switched back into combat mode, its wings resuming their iconic X position. The fighter slowed dramatically and Janna cringed at the sound of the metal groaning unhappily at the sudden shift in velocity.

"Ugh, more bitching from the mechanics" Janna told herself, gripping the controls tightly.

The X-wing pulled out of its dive, flying into the dust cloud and skimming just a few feet above the desert plain before launching skyward once more.

The Tie Fighter was not so lucky, too caught up in trying to destroy the x-wing to realize what he was doing. He hadn't seen the giant cloud of sand before and now he had no idea where the ground was. He tried to pull up but barely had time to mutter a curse before he hit the ground at full speed, exploding in the traditional white flash of flames associated with Tie Fighters.

Janna nodded to herself in approval "This is why I'm the best."

Janna eyes widened, Jackie's X-wing zooming passed her with two Tie Fighters in pursuit. Jackie's X-wing climbed high, twisting and turning as the Ties rained laser fire on her, flying around each other like a D.N.A helix.

Janna was ready to jump in to save her captain when Jackie pulled a sharp corkscrew, flying in a random direction with the Ties trying to match her movements. The Ties succeed at copying Jackie's maneuver but were unaware doing so led the two ships to crash against the other, twin white explosions filling the sunny skyline.

"I'm sorry" Jackie's voice asked, a playful self-satisfied tease in her tone "Did you say something Janna?"

Janna pouted, watching the skies for more Ties to kill "I'm just warming up"

"Really?" Jackie replied "I guess I should start warming up too"

Janna stuck her tongue out at her captain's ship.

* * *

Star ducked under the captain's attack, the electrical edge singeing her hair.

She gasped angrily, swing her blade at the captain's side.

The captain brought his staff around, stopping the blade before it could cut him in half.

"How is your stupid stick holding up?" Star asked, breaking away from the captain, gripping her lightsaber with two hands while she waited for an opening.

"Not everything can be destroyed by your fancy laser sword" the captain taunted, twirling the staff like a dangerous baton "And when I bring you in, the Emperor himself will reward me."

"Yeah, that's not a thing"

"It totally is a thing!" The captain shouted, leaping forward and swing the staff like a baseball bat.

Star caught blow with her blade easily but didn't account for momentum. She was pushed back, losing her footing in the loose sand.

The captain rolled onto the ground, sliding into a standing position as he rushed the distracted princess.

Star thrust towards the rushing captain, forcing him to twist his body in an unnatural angle. Before Star could press the attack however, the captain dug his heels into the ground, stopping completely as he pushed the electrified end of the staff into Star's stomach.

Star let out a pained moan, the electricity making everything ache dully. She pulled away from the staff, ceasing the electrical current but she felt drained, her muscles stiff.

The captain grinned evilly, playing with his staff now that it seemed the fight had been shocked out of Star.

"Give up princess, there's no way you can win"

There was a loud whistle that caught both of them off guard.

They turned to see Marco leaning against the sand hill, pistol in his hand.

The captain took a step forward but Marco's shot caught him in the shoulder, sending spinning like a top.

Star shut off her lightsaber, holding onto it firmly as she called upon the force. She focused and saw what she was trying to achieve in her mind's eye. Sky once told her to use the force she must believe she could. She must will her intentions into reality and the force would comply.

She pushed forward, a rush of energy filling her body before escaping through her palms.

The captain's eyes popped out of his head as he was catapulted into the air, sailing majestically for a moment before rolling down a steep incline.

"Well" Marco said feebly "That was interesting."

"Marco!" Star cried, rushing to the aid of the smuggler. Marco wrapped his arm around Star's neck while Star wrapped her arms around his hip.

"You okay Marco?" Star asked, worry evident in her voice.

"I'm fine, minor blaster burn. Mostly tired. Ass had a shock glove. Caught me off guard."

Star nodded "Thanks for the save."

Marco gave her a dopey grin, motioning towards a passing x-wing "Likewise."

"You guys are alive!" a familiar voice called from above.

The duo turned to see the grinning face of Ferguson, lifting the flailing body of trooper up and down like he was pressing weights.

"There's some stairs over here!" Ferguson told them, throwing the helpless trooper down the sandy slope.

The two chuckled lightly together as they began making their way to the Red Hood.

* * *

Marco slid into the co-pilot seat, fuming that Ferguson and Star refused to let him drive. He suppose he was lucky he was even allowed up here instead out back with the townsfolk that managed to survive the deadly ambush.

He took a deep, calming breath when the ship rocked and roared to life, trying not to let his pilot instincts take over when Ferguson forgot to pull up the landing ramp. As luck would have it, Star pointed out the beeping red light and all was well.

The Red Hood, with its 5 X-wing escort, made for the atmosphere, a dozen Tie Fighters trailing behind in the chase but it was far too late. The rebels made it into space and with a flick of a switch, the stars blurred into lines that led them home.

* * *

Skullnick was nowhere to be found when they returned to the base, apparently having fallen asleep while reading some mission reports. If they were going to be reprimanded for performing an unauthorized mission, it would be tomorrow. Assuming Skullnick remembered at all. She had a funny habit of forgetting what missions she cleared and which she didn't.

Star was all smiles and fun times, hovering close to Marco. Ferguson managed to patch him up with the first aid kit in the ship but Marco would still need to be looked over by the medical team.

"Star Butterfly?"

Star stopped dead in her tracks, confused why a technician had sought her out.

"Miss Butterfly, we have a message for you. It's...it's from your brother."

Marco and Star shared a disquieted look, unsure how to take this piece of news.

"How did he..."

"No idea miss" The technician answered "It was written to one of our spies in the field with specific instructions to be delivered to you, unread."

Star nodded "T-thank you, Marco, go on ahead I'll..."

Marco shook his head "My treatment can wait. U-unless you want to hear the message by yourself...which I mean of course you..."

Star shook her head, too frightened to face Sky's message alone "No, could you watch it with me please?"

Star turned to the technician "Is...is there somewhere private we can watch it?"

The technician nodded "of course."

Marco and Star moved along, turning back when Ferguson made no motion to follow them.

"That means you too Ferguson" Star told him with a smile.

* * *

The trio were huddled in Star's room, quietly taking in Sky's message.

Sky might've been Star's twin brother, something you could tell by their appearance but Sky gave the impression of someone older, wiser.

Even pale blue tint of the holo-message, Sky looked refined and poised. He had short, blonde hair with striking eyes though due to the nature of the message, Marco couldn't tell what color they were supposed to be.

He was draped in the traditional Jedi robe and tunic, looking every bit as the Jedi master Star claimed he was.

"My dearest sister" He began, his tone formal and elegant "I regret to inform you that all resistance on Mewni has been defeated. We tried our best but alas, it was not enough."

Star held in a gasp, unsure what Sky was trying to tell her.

"I have no idea if this message will reach you or father though I suspect father is no longer...with us."

Star shred a single tear, trying not let her emotions overwhelm her. Jedi are not emotional beings.

Marco glanced at Star, sorrow and pain written all over her face. Marco wrapped his good arm around her, holding her tightly in a one armed hug.

She smiled at him sadly, grateful for the gesture.

"Mother and I have escaped. For obvious reasons, I cannot tell you where we are. I hope to reunite with you one day soon and I hope you are well. Do not search for us. Not yet at least. Continue your training, keep safe and remember I love you. One day we will meet again."

The message stopped, Sky's features frozen in a quiet, peaceful gaze.

Star buried herself into Marco's shoulder, weeping freely at the loss of her home, her father and her family.

Marco held onto Star as tight as he could, Ferguson embracing the two as Star's sobs were muffled by her two best friends.


	55. Star Butterfly and Marco Claus (holiday)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here hope every single one of you is doing great! thank you forever every favorite, review and follow. they are the best gifts i could ever ask for.

A special thanks to H mae- Nova really likes connor but ever since they were small, everyone has been pushing the two together so she really doesn't know if she wants to live up the cliche or not. Ludo has nothing better to do than go after the wand. haha i'd like think Star and Marco warmed up to Buff Frog after storm the castle. so much so that he's considered family. Nova knows she shouldn't have but she couldn't help it. shes very protective of her best friend even if she isn't sure how she feels about him. Missy however has no such problem and knows she likes Connor and if Nova doesn't step up, she might lose Connor. yay cute characters! still need a shipping name for them. and for the other chapter, yes i decided to hire a narrator while i finished up the stories but it seems the story has spiraled out of control. this is what happens when i'm gone! wait, wait Toffee is in the story?! What is going on?! thank you, I'm happy how it's coming out so far and I might do another story like this again. Nugget has lived to be the age where he doesn't care what he says and nobody can stop him. If death doesn't come for him yet, what makes you think nugget will be convinced by mere mortals? Oh i think Brittney isn't going to have a great christmas. I am glad you enjoyed it so.

Finn- i was aiming for the feel of the books than the movies. the star wars books paint a real picture how hard the war is to win for the rebels.

princessxgilex- thank you for the review. it means a lot :)

Project K- you know i completely forgot that Marco is a huge Star wars fan in guardians haha living out the dream in some universe. no worries, Novoner is coming soon. still need a better shipping name. did not think this through when i named them.

Lupus- honestly i was working with an old star wars chapter i wrote and i was more focused on the dog fighting than anything else. I left it in there as a placeholder and i guess i just forgot to change it. though he does have a ship name red hood so. As for a solo series, i dont know. i already have a few and i dont want to start too many. I think for now it will be random oneshots and maybe later ill flesh it out to its own story. I mean i just saw force awakens and accidentally created some perfect things for that. After the holidays i have the finale of steampunk, requests, frozen au, bad boy, nova and connor and role reversal au with a star in wonderland maybe in between all that. for the star wars au, Marco doesn't like to talk about his past but it likes to catch up to him. good question, place your bets on whose first to say i love you and the other replying with I know. Ludo is more serious this time but does have humorous moments and his 501st monster legion is ready for action. thanks im glad you enjoyed it.

guest- SPOILER! UGGGGGH NOOOO! MELTING

Rayfe- given the cocky nature of the pilots of the movie, i figured Janna and Jackie would be perfect for the pilots. plus i wanted to add some ship to ship combat so it all worked out. Honestly i wrote the au before Star fan's appearance on the show so by the time she rolled around, the job was already given to Alfonso. Seriously hope they flesh out some of those secondary characters. may the force be with you. Ill need it when im game master for age of rebellion.

Smitty theories- Have a merry sithmas to you too good sir. likewise and i shall, we will be trying to kill each other in a board game because i am not fighting Cthulhu again. he's just to damn hard. haha i remember how much i hated when my professors did that to me. its my break, leave me alone. NOT THE Marshmallows! NOOO ANYTHING BUT THEM! and you have my permission. really? i can't believe i didn't know that. To Australia

whatif: you are very welcome and thank you for your kind words. i gave him the okay and left a review on your work. Merry christmas, happy new year and may you bath in the blood of your enemies. Right now i have. hmm. 4 planned to the new year and a new year AU on new years. peace and may the force be with you. always. (disappears)

Arsneal- thanks, this was a blast to write especially the x wing fight. I always planned to write this the week when the new movie came out (Which is amazing) i am very glad you enjoyed and thank you for taking the time for reading and an extra thank you for leaving me a review. it means a lot to me.

Grim- im glad you liked it. I honestly almost forgot about that AU too. I was waiting for the new movie.

forty-seven- sorry i ran into some snags with the main story but Im almost done with my spirit quest and in January it shall return.

and of course my guest reviewer- hiya cyberslapper. you are very welcome, i hope you enjoyed the story. no go ahead you may consume it.

so we have some artwork posted up yay! H mae has posted some awesome undertale work on her blog after a hectic few days of uni, check her out on hains-mae on tumblr. Sara over on idrawcartoons1314 has some cute doodles of baby star, mabel and bill, cat scarf wearing star and snoopy! check her work out on instagram. spatziline has some awesome work up including some insanely cute miraculous ladybug that i love too much. shes at spatziline on tumblr. Fabio on ffismyname on tumblr has a cute starco drawing and some funny reblogs. here on FF we have some awesome updates from flowersforfanfics The Star and the Sun involving cute ice skating. Star and the forces of evil vs the darkness from bigmike33221, all sorts from nightmareking, the premiere of Dimension of infinite tales from smitty theroies involving a certain daughter of our favorite pairing, after the blood moon ball from thecirdck, a huge awesome sweet mushy chapter of nothing comes easy from Axis24. There's a lot of holiday ones floating around so hopefully next chapter ill be adding them onto here. So many stories, so little time.

So as a quick update, I have finally have a tumblr. honestly its mostly going to be reblogs and some previews of things i have planned. things of the sort. right now there's only a preview of my Star in wonderland Au and a hello were pretty explain what i am about. check it out at mrevaunit42 on tumblr *i decided to keep my brand name because why not*

So this holiday special was actually hinted in the first chapter of the nutcracker au. Marco wants to make Star's first Christmas special but he's going a little overboard with it. However, it might be Star that makes this Christmas one to remember.

I am so happy and in such a happy mode *from the holiday, you readers and seeing the new star wars movie which is amazing* that i am going to write a secret au for you. hopefully done tonight, posted tomorrow at the latest. and for those poking around in the review section, there be star wars spoliers so when someone says spoiler alert, they are serious.

Thank you for every single review, follow and favorite, hope you enjoy the story, what else mentioned some amazing writers and artists, shameless plug of my tumblr, i am taking suggestions for naming the Nova and Connor ship and i really hope you enjoy this story. Merry Christmas and happy holidays! thank you readers for making these last few months just an awesome blast. I own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

It was the 24th of December, 9 at night and the Diaz household was prepared to celebrate the next day. Stockings were hung with care, seasonal lights crisscrossed all over the home, the tree was trimmed, decorated and waited patiently for presents to be placed under it.

All was peaceful, all was right.

Well except a certain safe kid.

"No, no, no! This is not how we hang ornaments! Did we not go to a proper placement of ornaments on a Christmas tree group meeting about this people?!"

Rafael Diaz stood in the doorway of kitchen, quietly eating a bag of chips, watching with great amusement and curiosity as Marco began pulling at his hair, madness in his eyes while he began circling the 9 foot tall Christmas Tree like some sort of predator on the hunt for his prey.

"Marco, son, I think you are getting a little overboard with this."

Marco turned around, facing his father with a determined look "No dad, this has to be perfect!"

Marco began carefully organizing the hanging ornaments, moving and shifting them subtly here and there, eying each one warily as if he expected the inanimate object to leap off the tree and foil his goal.

Angie Diaz walked into the room, standing next to her husband, watching the manic, obsessive motions of Marco rearranging everything on the Christmas tree with great interest.

"So, what is he overcomplicating now?" Mrs. Diaz asked her husband, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Christmas. I think it has something to do with a certain princesa"

Marco's ears perked up at the his father's words. He turned around, bright red and stammering uncontrollably

"T-this i-is because I love Christmas soooo much that I wa...I..wa...want it to be perfect! Because I have insanely high standards!"

Marco glared at a nearby candy cane, taking it into his hands "Like this candy cane. It is not candy caney enough!"

Marco snapped sugary treat in half, tossing both ends into his mouth, his chewing overly aggressive. It was clear that he was hiding something.

"Sooo" Mrs. Diaz began with a teasing tone "The fact that this is Star's first Christmas here has absolutely nothing to do with you erratic behavior?"

Marco could fight off monsters, stare death in the face dozens of times over, leap into danger without a second thought but he could not lie to his mother.

"I..I..." Marco could feel his ears turning red, his body twitching against his will as he struggled to keep up his facade.

"Ah yes" Mr. Diaz cut in "Star's first Christmas. She has been very excited about it, hasn't she?"

"H-has she? I hadn't noticed."

Suddenly the house shook violently, the smell of peppermint and hot chocolate wafted through the halls, a cloud of red and green swirling colors came floating down the stairway.

The green and red cloud covered the entirety of the living room, blinding and choking everyone for a moment before fading away into thin air.

"W-what was that?" Marco choked out, pounding on his chest to clear his airway of any obscuration. With a mighty cough, Marco expelled several pieces of gumdrops and gingerbread crumbs that were clogging up his throat onto the wall.

Marco shook his head, taking large gulps of air to refill his starved lungs.

"It's CHRISTMAS!" A cheerful voice yelled from the top of the staircase.

Marco turned to see Star happily waving to him, the bright and joyful smile she was sending his way making his heart beat wildly.

Instead of her usual attire, Star was dressed for the season. She wore a long sleeveless red dress with a white, fluffy trim at the bottom. A black belt with a gold square buckle wrapped around her stomach while the black leggings and boots covered her legs. Atop her head, replacing her iconic devil headband, was a Santa hat with several Christmas pins attached to the front though instead of a fluffy white ball at the tip, there hung a bright yellow star and finishing off the outfit, she had changed her wand into a giant candy cane, more cane than candy.

Marco bit his lip, trying to slow his racing heart at the sight of the pretty princess.

"WEE!" Star shouted, sliding down the railing before she went flying into the air, twirling gracefully, eyes closed and not at all watching where she was going to land.

"STAR!" Marco yelled, realizing that Star was about to hit the ground.

He rushed forward, trying his hardest to guess where Star was going to end up. He stood in the spot (He couldn't tell for sure but he had a gut feeling) and waited for her with open arms.

Marco shut his eyes, not wanting to see when Star collided with him. Star sailed into Marco's waiting arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as he caught her bridal style.

Marco opened his eyes to see Star's bright blue orbs staring right at him, the bright, big smile on her face making his heart race even faster at such close range.

"Thanks Marco!" Star said, patting his chest gratefully before leaping out of his arms.

Marco clenched his hands into a fist, trying his hardest not to take Star in his arms once more.

"So Star, all ready for your first Christmas?" Mr. Diaz asked, a knowing twinkle shot in Marco's direction.

Marco coughed awkwardly, moving to the chimney to fix the already perfect stockings (that he already previously spent 30 minutes angling just right.)

"Yep! I can't wait to meet this Santa Claws."

Mrs. Diaz laughed at Star's unnecessary but adorable twirling, her rawrs as she scratched the air just too much for the older woman.

"His name is Santa Claus, not Claws."

"Oh" Star said simply "Well anyway, I hope to see him tonight!"

"And why is that?"

"To scold him!" Star pouted "He is clearly magic, able to deliver all those gifts around the world in one day and he hasn't taught me how to do it! I am a fellow magical being. We got to stick together!"

Marco made his way over to the princess, finally managing to get his heart back under control "So is that what you're wishing for? His trademark secret to fast travel?"

Star laughed, shaking her head in disagreement at Marco's probing "Marco, Marco, Marco. You don't ask another magical being for their secrets." she leaned in close, rubbing her cheek against him and sending his heart into a spluttering mess once more "You lure them into a false sense of security by _not_ bringing it up for a few years then sideline them with the request and hopefully whatever amount of blackmail you managed to dig up on them."

Marco stared in disbelief at his best friend but Star was already skipping away from him.

"Wait, Star!"

Star stopped dead in her tracks, twisting her body to face Marco

"What did you ask for then?" Marco asked, already knowing the answer.

Star shot him a mischievous smile, her eyes glimmering with secrecy "I am not telling."

Marco frowned, playing the nosy friend role "Come on Star, just tell me."

Star bit her lip cutely, resting her finger against her chin while she looked towards the ceiling.

"Hmm no!"

Star sent another grin his way, clapping her hand excitedly when Mrs. Diaz asked if anyone wanted hot chocolate.

Marco stared at Star's retreating figure, a sly smile forming on his lips as he muttered softly "Luckily I know who you will tell when he pays you a visit later on tonight."

* * *

Star looked at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. It was only 11 P.M! Instead of staying up with her to catch this Santa Claus in the act, Marco opted to sleep early for some reason and Star was already missing his company. She could never stand being apart from him for too long.

She let out a sigh, wishing she knew how to fast forward time. Father Time said not to stop time again, he never said anything about speeding it up. Maybe, probably. Star wasn't really paying attention to his warning. Those hamsters were just so cute she wanted to hug one.

"I'll never get to sleep now!" Star whined, covering her face with a pillow.

* * *

"Wha, huh?" Star awoke with a start.

Groggily, she slowly rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, trying to get much needed saliva into her dry mouth. She sleepily glanced at the clock only for the realization that it was after midnight to hit her like a ton of bricks.

She leapt from her bed, still dressed in her pretty Christmas outfit and rushed towards the door. She gripped her candy cane wand tightly, slowly creeping her way to through the hallway to see if Santa had already came and went.

As she stepped ever closer to the living room, the rustling of movement from downstairs caught her attention.

She looked across the hallway to the lightly ajar door of Mr. and Mrs. Diaz that showed the two sleeping cozily in their beds.

She tiptoed slowly, each step bringing her closer to the intruder in the house. She wanted to wake up Marco but decided that she should let her best friend sleep. She could handle this by herself, she was Star Butterfly!

Star peered carefully into the darkness and noticed a silhouette bending over and poking around their beloved tree that Marco and Star worked so hard to decorate.

A righteous fury surged through Star, a fierce protective urge overcoming her cautious mind set. How dare someone ruin their tree! Star loved that tree! She worked with Marco on that tree! No one messed with their tree!

Before she could utter a single spell and blasted the mysterious person, the figure rose, wiping his brow with his long coat sleeve before reaching into some crumpled sack that lay beside him.

Star looked closer, eyes full of wonder when the person out a brightly wrapped gift and began carefully placing it around any free space they could find at the base of the tree.

"Santa" she whispered softly, excitement and bliss coursing through her veins "SANTA!"

She hadn't meant to shout but this was Star Butterfly. Shouting was probably her main form of communication .

'Santa' jumped almost 10 feet, arms flailing in a familiar fashion before landing on his butt with a muted and nearly silent thump.

"Oww..." 'Santa' muttered, rubbing his backside from the fall in hopes to get rid of the pain.

Star stared fearfully at the fallen man, rushing over to help him to his feet "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean to..."

Star offered her hand, giving the fellow magical being a nervous smile in hopes to pacify him.

Marco's heart stopped at the sound of Star's voice, caught off guard at her appearance. Of course the curious magical princess would come downstairs, the sounds of Marco's preparations catching her ear and triggering her curiosity.

So much for Marco's plan to set up the tree and wake up Star, surprising her with an actual visit from Santa Claus himself to really make her first Christmas special. He knew he shouldn't have taken so long but the more he squeezed into his Santa suit, the more he began to doubt he could fool Star. He didn't look like how Santa was depicted in the media. He looked like Marco Diaz in a Santa suit.

And now, with Star staring directly into his eyes, leaning over him with her outstretched hand, her blonde hair swaying slightly back and forth in a hypnotizing way, the jig had to be up. There was no way Star didn't recognize him as her best friend.

"Santa, are you okay? You're kinda just staring at me."

Marco couldn't believe what he was hearing. How in the world did Star think he was Santa?

Marco finally caught on, the pale light from the full moon basked Star in a heavenly glow, making her look incredible while he remained a shadow in the dark, known but not really seen.

Marco stood up on his own, taking a few more steps into the shadows to better blanket himself in the cover of night.

"Ho, ho, ho don't worry Star I'm quite all right" Marco said in his best Santa voice.

Star pursued her lips, the light shining off her eyes in the most beautiful way "I'm sorry Santa, I didn't mean to startle you."

Marco let out a cheerful laugh "It's okay Star, even Santa gets a little caught off guard from time to time."

Star smiled brightly, an image that seared itself into Marco's brain, forever haunting him from here on out.

"Wow" Star exclaimed with hush wonder "You really do know everything."

"Of course, I'm Santa!"

Star grinned at him, shaking her head in disagreement "No you're not."

Marco could feel the fake beard loosen, worry beginning to fill his body. Had she figured it out? Did she know this whole time? He was in the shadows, a silhouette in the dark, how could she see...

"You look nothing like Santa" Star revealed, staring directly into his eyes.

"How do you...?"

"Weeeell if you ever visited Mewni, you would know Mewmans can see in the dark preeeeetty decently"

Marco slouched in defeat, his plan was ruin and now he couldn't give Star a special first Christmas.

"I mean I can't completely see in the dark" Star admitted "But you are much skinner than Santa, not the same skin color either. Nice beard though. Hey, why don't you deliver to Mewni?"

Marco looked at her in disbelief. She could see him but couldn't make out who he really was.

"Yes, well I am Santa, but I'm not _the_ Santa. He's getting pretty old you know? And it's hard enough to deliver to one planet. Santa isn't exactly up for a few more."

Star nodded, completely satisfied by his response "I kinda figured. You're like the mall Santa's. They work for him but they aren't him."

Star giggled, remembering when she thought she saw Santa at the mall, cheering loudly while dragging Marco to go see him. She stood at his side, whispering into the old man's ear about trading his teleportation secrets for some reeeeeally cute puppies.

When 'Santa' looked at her in confusion, Marco explained because Santa had to be everywhere, he hires various Santi's to gather information and report back to him so he could see his energy for the big run.

This made sense to Star. Information was key in battle and traveling the world in a single night to every single house must expend a lot of strength, even if you could travel incredibly fast. It made sense he would hire help to get the lowdown on the present scene and even outsource his job to a few Santi's to help lessen the load.

"So I take it you are delivering the gifts for Echo Creek on his behalf?" Star asked, curious how exactly did the hierarchy of Santi's work. Was this man ranked higher than the mall Santa or lower?

"Yep, that's what I am doing." Marco replied, keeping his distance and making extra sure to stay hidden while he began putting the rest of the presents under the tree.

"Is that why your identity is a secret? Why you're hidden in the shadows?"

Leave it to Star to force him to improv on the stop.

"Y-yes" he answered, his brain beginning to hurt not only from the rapid fire lies he was creating but also from Star's presence, the beautiful princess was giving him every single ounce of her attention and Marco loved it.

"Why?"

"Because I get docked pay if anyone figures out who I am. This is a secretive business and it would be bad if anyone discovers there's more than one Santa. You are very understanding but not everyone is."

"Oh, that makes sense. Yay! I'm understanding"

"Yep" trying his hardest to figure out a way to get Star to go back to her room. He was sure this was special enough for her.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Marco choked at Star's question, unsure what was going on through her head.

"W-why would you ask that?"

"I am curious. I mean is this just a regular job to you or what? Because why would you take a job that would separate you from someone you love on a big night?"

This situation was getting more and more surreal.

"I don't have a girlfriend and even if I did, her house would be the first stop. I would wake her up and spend a few moments with her after I finished setting up the house and before I had to go."

"Aww that's sweet"

Marco was sure he was going to die from all the blood pooled in his face

"So, can I tell you what I want for Christmas?"

Marco turned to Star, smiling at the princess shyly swaying back and forth, her hands clasped behind her back while giving him the smallest, cutest grin.

"Miss Butterfly, I already got your list. Your friend Marco..."

"Best friend" Star interrupted with a scowl on her face.

Marco just soaked in the happiness that was enveloping him, Star's words touching his heart. She wanted everyone to know Marco was her best friend.

"Your best friend Marco" Marco corrected, chuckling at the nod of approval Star gave him "sent in the list. And we got everything."

And Marco had indeed gotten everything on Star's list, having snuck a peek when he was going to put it into the mailbox. Most of the list wasn't too difficult: Marco's nachos for Christmas, a new winter coat she could change up her style once in a while. What else was there...hanging out with Marco for Christmas, some movie tickets to see the new Star Wars movie with Marco and his parents, a cute picture frame so she could put in a new photo the pair of them had taken at an ice rink a few days ago, ice skates so Star didn't have to rent a pair when she wanted to skate with Marco. The only thing that was remotely difficult was a specialty dish Star wanted from Mewni, something she always ate on the 1st of Agnar, the Mewnian new year which ironically fell on Christmas day

For such a treat, Marco contacted Star's parents and after performing a few errands for them (none of which he was allowed to disclose) they agreed to send him the dish on the 24th, the same dish that was now secretly rotating in the stove in insanely hot temperatures. Mewni dishes were weird.

"Actually, I didn't write one down."

Marco raised an eyebrow. Star keeping a present for Christmas a secret? This was the same girl that took two months to convince shortening her list because the present list that was composed of 12 feet of several scrolls was not going to happen.

"I knew Marco would read my list" Star explained "And I didn't want him to know about it."

Marco felt a little hurt that Star kept something from him though he was mostly curious. Star knew he would read the list and thus kept gift secret from him. What big thing could Star want that she didn't want him knowing about?

Marco began to panic, the idea he was missing a gift for Star gnawing at him. How on Earth was he supposed to get Star's last gift?! The store's were closed, everyone was asleep and he didn't have much money left. What giant, huge, expensive thing did Star want now?!

"I want Jackie to go on a date with Marco."

All Marco's thoughts stopped, his train of thought derailing and crashing in a magnificent, figurative explosion.

Marco stared at Star, an anxious grin on her face. She looked back, staring up the staircase and watched Marco's door carefully in case he was going to come running in at the sound of Star's confession.

Star faced the shadowy Marco once again, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Marco is my best friend." She started, her fingers playing with a loose strain of hair "He's...just..." She let out a longing sigh "He's the best you know?"

"Star..." Marco murmured but Star wasn't done.

"He's smart, kind, funny. Cute.." she whispered the last word before resuming her normal volume "So much fun to hang around with" Star continued, her cheeks turning as pink as her hearts which began to glow softly in the pale moonlight "He's always been there for me, helping me. I mean we fight, we disagree but in the end he's still my best friend...and...I just love hanging out with him. I...I'd do anything for him."

Marco took a step forward "Star..."

"I mean I gave up my wand for him...the idea that he...almost..."

Star shed a tear, quickly wiping it away with the back of her hand, giving Marco a shaky smile.

"And I see him struggling with Jackie...and...I want him to be happy. I mean he just needs a bit more confidence in himself and he could have any girl he wanted. Any girl would be lucky to have him. But he's scared and we're young, I get it. It isn't easy especially with someone you really care about, really like. You want it to work out but sometimes it just doesn't"

Marco had the sneaking suspicion she wasn't talking about him anymore.

"So maybe if Jackie asked him first, it could work out for him. Th...that's what I really want for Christmas. For Marco to be happy. I didn't write it down because I knew Marco would get annoyed. Probably because it's not according to his plan or that I'm wasting my Christmas gift on him."

She glanced at the floor, lost in her thoughts.

"Star"

Star glanced up, the shadowy Santa figure looking right at her.

"What do you really want?"

"W-what do you mean?" Star coughed, trying to avoid the figure's eye.

"That's what you like to give him...but that's not really what you want, is it?"

Star fidgeted nervously, looking uncomfortable at the question.

"What do _you_ want?"

"I am not going to say!" Star huffed

"I know what it is."

Star stuck out her tongue "You didn't even know about the Jackie one! There is no way you know about this one."

Marco shrugged "Fine, I guess I'm asking the big guy himself. He'll know."

Marco pulled out his cell phone, clicking the button to light up the front to let Star know what exactly he had in his hand. He was slow in opening it in case the phone allowed Star to get a good luck at him.

"No! Not Santa!" Star cried, pulling at her hair in a panic.

Marco put the cell phone away while Star took a deep breath, fingers twiddling with anxiety.

Star whispered soft and low, inaudible to Marco's ears. He would've never guess there was a day that he didn't hear what Star had to say. She was always so confident, even when she was super nervous she just went for it. Whatever this was meant more to her than Oskar himself.

"I'm sorry" Marco teased, tugging at his ear for emphasis "I can't hear you."

Star glared at him, mumbling under her breath.

"Stiiiiiill can't hear you."

She gave a great big huff, quietly muttering "I want to kiss Marco..."

"What?" Marco felt the ground slip under him.

"Ugh" Star cried, gripping her hair tightly with her hands "I know, I know I...just..."

Marco shook his head "whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait. You...want to kiss..."

"Yes and if you tell anyone I will narwhal blast you!" Star threatened, her candy cane wand glowing evilly.

"Wait" Marco ignored Star's threat "You want to kiss Marco?! Since when?"

"Weeeell since the Blood Moon Ball"

"Blood Moon Ball?"

"Yes, I mean he was just so...so charming and smooth and...just a great dancer" She said with a dreamy sigh "I...I couldn't even stand next to him! Do you know how hard it was to even look at Marco in the face?! It took everything I had not to... Still hard to not...umm..."

"Star...do you like Marco?"

Star rubbed her arm, her blush getting worse and worse

"I think I can get your wish to come true" Marco told Star, trying to keep the cockiness out of his voice.

"Wait, wait, wait" Star quickly jumped in "No weird Christmas magic! I don't want to force Marco into it! It's not fair to him if he doesn't...No, just get him a date with Jackie!"

"Sorry, this is your gift and now that I know what you want" Marco caught Star's angry face "Don't worry Star. I won't do anything to Marco but if you look carefully, maybe you'll find an opportunity to get what you really want"

"But..."

"No buts" Marco interrupted "Go to sleep."

Star huffed "No, I want to see you go up the chimney"

The silence was awkward as Star remembered who she was talking to.

"Right, sorry not Santa."

"Sorry Star, maybe next year."

Star began making her way back up the stairs towards her room. She wasn't scared the Santa would reveal her secret. He seemed like a nice guy, very trustworthy but still she felt very raw, exposed after revealing her deepest secret. She spent so long keeping it bottled in she didn't know if she could lock it away in her heart again or if she even wanted to.

Marco watched Star's figure slink away, making sure she made it back to her room before he returned to his.

Star's confession made him feel giddy, on top of the world, like he could do anything. Maybe it was the knowledge that his best friend might, well probably felt the same way. Maybe it was because he heard it directly from Star herself that _she_ wanted to kiss _him._ For sure it was the fact that he wasn't the only one that felt the spark between them from the dance at the Blood Moon Ball, it wasn't just in his head. She felt it too.

It was getting pretty late, the moon was waning and Marco needed his sleep to handle an excited Star later today.

But first there was an an opportunity he had to create

* * *

Star's eyes shot open when she heard Marco cheerfully calling her name, telling her to get up and see all the gifts.

She giggled to herself, equal parts due to Marco's voice calling her name and the fact that no one knew what transpired the night before.

"I'm coming!" She replied, springing to her feet despite it being early in the morning, lightly smoothing out her outfit.

She came bouncing down the stairs with more energy than any of the Diaz's had ever seen out of her though no one was surprised when she stopped halfway on the steps, simply staring at Marco in surprise.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz shared a knowing look towards one another, having guessed that Star must've ran into Marco Claus last night given the children's current attitude.

They couldn't help but smiling, finding the two fledgling teens too cute for words

"Merry Christmas mi amor" Rafael told his wife, lightly kissing her nose with his.

"Merry Christmas my love" Angie replied, kissing him full on the lips and losing themselves in the moment.

"Marco..." Star muttered, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Merry Christmas Star!" Marco cheerfully replied, giving her the biggest smile he could.

He finally dressed up for the holiday. He wore a red Christmas pattern sweater with countless snowflakes, pinetrees, ornaments scattered all over it. His black slacks were well pressed as ever and his sneakers were cleaned and shined. On top of his head was a Santa hat though like Star, he added something to it.

Placed directly above his forehead, in the center of the fluffy fabric of the hat, was a small piece of mistletoe.

Star flushed, silently thanking the Santa from last night. She remembered seeing the plant all over the school and Marco had explain what it meant and rules that applied to it. She had been trying all month to catch Marco under one but something always came up.

She quickly made her way to Marco, trying not to look too eager when she closed the distance between them.

"So..." she started

"So" he replied with a smile that warmed her cheeks and heart.

"Is that...?"

"Maybe. Is it?"

Star nodded "It is."

"I made this hat for you. Whatcha think?"

Star eyed the hat happily "It looks great. Why did you make it?"

"I figured you want it to get Oskar to kiss you. Those are the rules you know."

"Right...Oskar..."

Marco took a step forward, concern in his eyes "Star, are you okay?"

"Mhm" She nodded "You know Marco...you're wearing the hat."

"Huh? oh...I guess I am."

"and you're under the mistletoe."

Marco's cheeks flushed. Star thought it was because he failed to realize such a detail while Marco knew it was because what was going to happen next.

"Y-yeah, I guess I am" Marco replied anxiously, the big moment he prepared all night finally arriving though admittedly he was a lot calmer when the moment seemed much further away.

"You know the rules Marco"

"Yeah...I know."

Star wrapped her arms around Marco's neck.

"Merry Christmas Marco" Star said softly, catching his lips with her own.

Marco's eyes widen before he managed enough brain power to close them. He placed his hands on her hips, too caught up in the moment to realize his parents were taking a large amount of embarrassing pictures of the kissing couple, cooing silently at their little boy growing up and their future daughter-in-law.

Star and Marco pulled each other closer, deepening the kiss while the gentle chiming of sleigh bells rang outside, a quiet "Ho, ho, ho" heard to those who were listening for it.


	56. All I want for Christmas (Future AU)

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E with a holiday surprise for you. A very, very grateful thank you for every single favorite, follow and review you wonderful people give to me. You are the best and make me so happy.

a special thanks to finn- haha i thought it would be in character for him to go crazy trying to make Star's first christmas special. Such a thing doesn't happen often and she is his favorite foreign exchange student. Merry Christmas/happy holidays

TotallyobsessedwithSVTFOE- haha awesome. this one is not quite starco but i hope you enjoy it nevertheless. Merry Christmas/happy holidays

princessxgilex- thank you for your review :)

ProjectK- it's just his way of calling out to his war buddies, reminding them they still owe him money. thank you so much Merry Christmas/happy holidays *you are going to have a great day*

Thewookie- i was planning on breaking the fourth wall once i first started writing. I wanted to experiment with something and i decided to play around with the nutcracker story. it's not from round here, it's from a narrator. haha yes the rebels chapter was very dark because the books are. trust me the rebels get lucky a lot bu they lose alot too. its like doctor who, if a character shows up in a book, they are probably going to die. merry christmas/ happy holidays.

Arsenal- i just called cause i have to say, happy birthday on your birthday day! haha happy birthday! i am happy you enjoyed it and that i had decent timing. every time i hear you outdone yourself, that means i have to do it again. haha i always liked a challenge. Merry Christmas/ Happy holidays.

deadshoot- too cute even!

SMitty- nope, i live in California and the only snow here is in the mountains and desert where i do not live. seriously? Canada without snow? we must fix this! to the north pole, we need to meet with Santos. It was dark and cold and Star was too excited to focus and Marco was using a different voice. for the most part. or maybe she knew all along. me? for every one of you readers to be happy. Also a x wing figure from the new movie. haha So far we have Covy and Cova as the best ones. cova sounds like a drink though. skittles...but skittles. merry christmas/ happy holidays.

IDC1314- thank you so much sara, that is very kind of you to say and it means alot. i can't wait to see your drawings and hope you have fun skiing. Merry Christmas and i too found the panda in 2 seconds.

Grim- haha i dont think he'd ever tell star the truth. His parents on the other hand. haha merry christmas!

Misfortune- the best ones we got are smitty and you saying Cova and Mae saying Covy. Star is always trying to help everyone, its in her nature and she thought that's what marco wanted most. after all Star loved him enough to give up the wand, knowing full well what could've happened if it fell into evil hands. Jackie would've approved. janna would've been jealous. I hope you enjoy the star wars chapter! merry christmas.

Guest- i am happy you enjoyed both stories and left a review. i hope the other stories you find enjoyable as well. Merry Christmas/ Happy holiday

Cartoonlover- i won't lie, nova and connor? extreeemely tempted to make into its own spin off series. but for now we have 3 oneshots. so. we'll see. merry christmas/happy holidays.

I running out of time so i am sadly going to have to skip Starco corner today. i am so so sorry but i will make it up to you. all of you, how? by giving you a secret chapter that i never mentioned i was doing! YAY!

so we are returning, much sooner than you thought, to Nova and Connor. Nova mentioned how Connor wasn't going to be here for Christmas in her debut story and turns out she was right, now how will the 14 year old young magical princess deal with Christmas without her best friend and maybe sorta crush for the first time since they met.

This has background on the two characters, light starco and such. I wanted to give all you amazing readers a special gift and based on the reviews, it seems like a lot of you wanted to visit nova and connor soon so here we are and tis the season.

So far the best names you readers have came up with for the pair are Cova and Covy. pretty cute i'd say. So i hate to rush but i have to go but i want to wish you all reading merry christmas and/or happy holidays, have an amazing day and i hope you enjoy the story! I own nothing but Nova and Connor which is odd for me to admit. ENJOY AND HAVE AN AMAZING DAY! WEEK! REST OF THE YEAR!

* * *

Nova stared outside her bedroom window, the powdery white snow falling gently onto the outside world.

It didn't snow in California, well at least bot in the valley but with a little wand magic and agreeing to help the mayor keep a promise to his kids, such a feat was allowed.

She let out a heavy, depressed sigh. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way, lonely and sad on Christmas Eve but this was the first time in 7 years that Connor wouldn't be here.

Ever since the two met in second grade, they had practically been inseparable. Every day they were together in some way. Talking, texting, fighting monsters, getting into trouble then clawing their way out of it without their parents knowledge. Together.

Connor's family moved to Echo Creek from Canada 7 years ago. Connor never really talked about it but Nova got the feeling that his family simply wanted a change of scenery. She also suspected that Connor and his family were the black sheep of the Sinclair clan and distanced themselves from the other Sinclairs.

Nova couldn't tell you when she began hanging out with Connor or even why. Connor was a shy, quiet kid that would stare at his shoes when he was talking to anyone though the mere presence of a girl would render him mute.

He would sit away from anyone at the far edges of the playground, silently playing with random bits and pieces of junk, tinkering away until the bell signaled him to come back to class.

Nova was amazed by his inventions at a young age. To the young princess, Connor appeared magical. A mere boy able to create little flying bugs, a small metallic bird that sang, even a solar powered battery just blew little Nova's mind. True they would always broke down sooner or later (more often than not it was sooner rather than later) but it was still amazing to her. Even her daddy and mama couldn't do what Connor could, not without assistance from the wand at least.

She suspected he was from Mewni after watching him work on his creations, hiding behind the bushes as not to startle the poor boy. He had to have been from somewhere else given how he was able to random pieces of things together into so many wonderful inventions. She didn't know anyone who could do that.

She watched him for days but there was no sign of his magical ability, of his connection to magic. He simply built those marvelous toys with his bare hands.

Nova eventually got fed up, angrily stomping into his safe haven and demanding he share his secret with her.

Connor would stare at her, words disappearing into thin air while Nova waited for an answer.

For the first couple of days, this would be the extent of their interaction with one another: Nova walk over to him and would stare, waiting for a response and Connor would blankly look at her, unable to speak.

When it was clear Nova wasn't going to stop invading his sanctuary, Connor continued his work. Nova would sit next to him, peering over his shoulder and his hands would tremble, shaking violently but still steady enough to work on whatever he was building.

Soon, Connor's hand would level out and Nova began talking at the young boy, not to since he never spoke in her presence.

Nova would talk about all sorts of things: Her parents, the future and how she would receive her mother's magical wand when she turned 14, how much she disliked school because she found it pointless (She was tied for highest grade in the class alongside Connor). She would talk about her favorite animals (a bat given that they could turn into vampires and fly around even if they were nearly blind). All manner of things.

She would tease him, calling him four eyes because of his glasses, dolt when she was feeling particularly frustrated with him and Connie when he seemed to ignore her.

She knew she just wanted to get a reaction out of the boy, to hear him say something outside the class room but silent he remained.

Nova would never forget the first time he spoke to her though. She plopped down next to him at the far edges of the playground, talking about unfair it was for her to get in trouble because she decided to play a little prank on Viktor especially since it was her birthday.

She remembered how surprised she was when Connor handed a small little black box towards her, shyly not meeting her gaze.

Nova turned the box this way and that, unsure what exactly it was. Connor motioned for her to shake it and she did so with aggressive eagerness.

A tune began to sing from within the box, a chiming, peaceful melody that calmed her and sent her into a syrupy relaxation. Connor had made her a music box and Nova couldn't help but smile at him.

But he wasn't done yet. He still had one last gift for the young princess.

He turned to her, those forest green eyes peering into her electric blue ones and whispered softly "Happy birthday Nova."

Nova didn't know why she kissed his cheek but she did it and she was sure she broke Connor that day given how he seemed to freeze up. She even thought he stopped breathing for a while.

Nova overturned the aged music box in her hands, smiling at the memory of when she first heard Connor speak, warming her heart and making her feel giddy.

"Of course nowadays" she told herself, letting the music calm her down as it had countless times over the years "I can't get him to shut up..."

She let out another sigh. She wished she could've used the dimensional scissors visit him but Connor forgot this little detail called the address of the place he was staying during the trip and with him not responding to her texts, there was no way to see him because she had no idea where he was aside a giant land mass called Canada.

Connor and his parents didn't know anyone the first year they lived in Echo Creek, so when Nova suggested Connor spend Christmas with her family, Marco and Star jumped at the chance to invite Connor's parents, quickly becoming fast friends with them.

And thus the annual Sinclair/Diaz get together was born. Every year during Christmas, one family would go to the other family's house and they would celebrate the season together. Great friends having a great time.

Henry Sinclair was tall with dirty blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. His wife Rachel was short with straight, long black hair and the trademark green eyes her and her son were well known for. They were as crazy and as loving as Marco and Star and while everyone on the block eventually became friends with them, they were only best friends with the Diaz's.

This year, however, something had changed. Apparently they were heading back to Canada to visit their relatives, something that had never happened before. It wasn't even discussed the few times Connor would bring it up, too curious as to why they never went. Maybe it was time to heal the rift that had torn the family apart and while Nova was happy for Connor, she was also frightened.

What if they mended too well, what if they bonded and became a family once more...what if they decided to move back to Canada?

Nova shook her head, an intense feeling of sorrow and loss washing over her.

"It's his life" she muttered weakly to herself, the tone more dull than sharp and clearly for show though for who she couldn't tell "What do I care if he leaves."

"NOVA!" Marco's voice called from downstairs "The party is starting, come down and have some fun."

"Easy for you to say" She murmured under her breath "You're best friend is always with you."

Nova looked herself over in the mirror, making sure she was properly stylish and cute for tonight's activity.

Tonight she put on a Santa hat with two holes in it so her devil horns from the headband would stick out, a bright yellow star replacing the fluffy white ball at the tip. She wore a blue Christmas sweater with snowflakes and snowmen covering every inch of its surface, a red scarf from her father wrapped around her neck. Her trademark knee length black skirt with black leggings and shark teeth boots completed the look.

She knew she would have fun, just...not as much fun.

Nova raced down stairs, sliding her wand into her pocket for safe keeping. She doubt Ludo would attack tonight. Even if she didn't have Connor, she had her parents and that alone was enough of a threat to deter Ludo.

Nova barely reached the ground floor when a chorus of people shouted her name at the top of their lungs.

" HI NOVA!"

Nova flushed, unsure how to handle so much attention.

First to reach her were her grandparents River and Moon.

Nova hugged each of them tightly.

"I say you are getting quite strong, been working out Nova?" River beamed with pride, roughly patting Nova's shoulder.

River hadn't changed much. He traded his crown for a hunter's cap, his throne for the wild. His blonde hair had a small solitary streak of gray but over all he appeared as he did all those years ago when Star met Marco. He was dressed in a simple cloak and tunic, having always disliked those stuffy royal outfits he was forced to wear.

"You mustn't be too rough with Nova dear" Moon gently chastised "She is a princess after all."

Moon aged perfectly which is to say not at all. Her heart shape hair style was no longer. Instead, her blue hair was straightened to perfection and unlike her husband, her crown rested comfortably on her head, a symbol of her authority still present as ever. Unlike her husband, she wore an elegant aquatic blue dress fitting of a royal of her stature.

"Yes Grandmother Moon" Nova replied dutifully, having since mastered the passive aggressive tone necessary to deal with the no nonsense former queen.

"And you must really straighten your back, bad posture is unfitting for a royal."

"Yes Grandmother Moon" Nova repeated dully.

"And those horns? Are you sure..."

"Honey" River interjected calmly "I am sure Nova is well aware of such things but today is a holiday festival on Earth and we do not see her often. It is really wise to be so...forceful tonight?"

Moon pursed her lips "Well I suppose not."

"Besides, Nova is still young and she has just gotten the wand! "

"Ah yes" Moon said, glancing curiously at her granddaughter "and how is your magic training coming along?"

Nova gave a polite smile "Good, I think. I mean I'm trying out new spells. And it seems to be getting easier every time I cast one so...yeah."

"Well you seem to be a more reserved than your mother. I remember all the wild creations she came up with during her time here on Earth."

Nova shrugged "If I want anything, I usually ask Connor to make it for me."

"Ah yes, where is the young lad? I was hoping to tussle with him to see if he had gotten any soft of muscle this year."

Nova chuckled softly when Moon gently held onto her husband's ear and gave it a light twist.

"By which OWW I mean OWW OWW a friendly chat of course"

"Naturally, well dear we shall leave you to it and hopefully you can give us a demonstration later on tonight."

"Of course Grandmother Moon" Nova replied with a tight smile, trying her hardest not to show how nervous she was about such a display.

"We'll be looking forward to it!" River shouted, staring in an amazement when he spotting the basket of tamales on the table, seemingly untouched by anyone "My word, is that those Tamoley things Marco makes?"

"I believe s..."

Moon didn't get to finish as River took off in a wild sprint, bowling over anyone that stood in his way with Moon trailing after him, alternating between scolding her husband and apologizing to those unfortunate to not have cleared the way fast enough.

Nova chuckled at her grandparents antics, using her sleeve to cover her mouth in case grandma decided to glance her way.

"NOVY!" A familiar accented voice called from the front door.

Nova turned just in time to be swarmed by two people, trapped firmly in their embrace as they lifted her into the air together.

"G-Grandma help! Grandpa won't let me go!" Nova cried, laughing when Angie Diaz began tickling her stomach "GRANDMA STOP IT!"

Rafael and Angie Diaz gently placed their granddaughter back onto solid ground, smiling brightly at her as the three shared a proper hug.

Rafael looked as he always had: a Christmas theme Hawaiian shirt, slacks and flipflops with socks. The gray in his dark brown hair may have told everyone his age but it gave him a refined, mature look that his personality did not match.

Angie smiled at Nova "aren't we looking cute?"

Angie aged gracefully, her long, puffy auburn hair showing no sign of any gray hairs, her bright green eyes still lively as ever. She wore a holiday sweater and skirt. And mittens. And a green scarf and a really thick snow jacket.

"Cold grandma?" Nova asked, snickering at Angie's attempts to get warm

"A little. I'm not used to snow in California"

"It is okay honey" Rafael lovingly told his wife, holding her tighter and nuzzling his nose against hers "I shall keep you warm."

"ugh" Nova muttered, quickly covering her eyes when her grandparents began sharing a loving kiss "PDA guys, PDA!"

"What was that Nova? Kiss your grandma even more? If you insist."

"GUYS!" Nova exclaimed, the embarrassed tone in her voice as fake as the loud muah, muah sounds coming from the older couple.

"Haha okay" Angie said, bright faced but smiling as she pushed her husband away "We'll stop for now."

Rafael beamed happily "I make no such promises."

"Grandpa" Nova said with a whine, shaking her head as they strode passed her and began greeting the other guests.

Nova shut the front door only for a rapid fire knock to catch her attention. She opened it to come face to face with a familiar face.

"Oh." Nova said softly, her tone polite, trying not to let her annoyance show. If her mother was here, that meant _she_ would be close behind "Hello Miss Thomas."

Jackie Lynn Thomas grinned cheerfully at Nova, her laid back "Hey Nova" not at all matching her black business attire. Her hair was much longer than it had been when she was a teenager (currently wrapped up in a bun) though she kept the streak of blue dyed hair she was fond of. No one knew why Jackie traded in her skateboard for the study of law but as a defense attorney, she loved her job and did it well.

"Hey Jackie" Marco shouted from behind, fixing his Santa hat that was slipping off his head. He was wearing dark red sweater that was adorned with various colored stars with a decorated pine tree in the center and with Black slacks and sneakers per the usual.

"Maaarco" Jackie replied, a little too cheerful to someone's listening ears.

Marco gave Jackie a friendly wave when he felt someone wrapped their arms around his stomach, holding on firmly and possessively, Star's voice clear in his ear as he heard the words "Hey Jackie!"

Marco turned to see the beautiful face of Star, her head placed on his shoulder, a bright red ribbon tied in her hair. Her normally straight blonde hair was currently tied in two braided pony tails and she wore a long sleeveless red dress with a white, fluffy trim at the bottom. A black belt with a gold square buckle wrapped around her stomach while the black leggings and boots covered her legs.

"Hey Star, how are you doing?" Jackie replied, trying her hardest not laugh at Star's unfounded jealousy.

Star nodded joyfully, her grip on Marco tightening "Greeeat. It's been a fun year, hey Marco can you help me with something?"

Star kissed Marco's cheek, taking a quiet pride at his blush and his rapidly pulsing heartbeat underneath her fingers.

"S-sure honey." Marco stammered, allowing Star to take his hand in hers and lead him towards the kitchen.

Jackie shook her head, thinking how some things never changed while walking into the house and saying hello the rest of the party goers.

Nova tried to keep her face straight when Missy came into view. Pale met electric blue and for a tense moment Missy thought Nova was going to shut the door in her face, knowing full well Nova's dislike for the girl.

Nova looked over Missy, trying not to feel self-aware how much prettier the other girl looked. Her medium length hair with red streaks perfect as usual. Her blue summer dress and white blouse well pressed as usual. She even rocked the black leggings and boots better than Nova. As usual.

"Come on in Missy" Nova's tone was friendly

Missy nodded in surprise but thanked Nova regardless.

The two girls stood awkwardly by the front door, trying their hardest to figure out what to say next.

"So..." Missy began

"So" Nova replied.

"Why do you hate me?"

Nova's face fell into surprise, unable to believe the question Missy just asked.

"W-wha? I don't..."

Missy's eyes were firm, determined to get a straight answer out of the magical princess "Yes you do."

Nova rubbed her arm nervously "I don't hate you per say...I..."

"Oh. You're jealous of me."

Nova scoffed "Psst, why would I be jealous? I am a magical princess with the coolest parents in the world and a magic wand, what would I have to be jealous of?"

"Because Connor might like me."

Nova could stare blankly at Missy, her brains scrambling to come up with a response, any response.

"And I get why."

Nova could feel her heart racing, her hand trembling, fearing the next words out of the other girl's mouth.

"W-why is that?" Nova nervously asked, wondering if there was away to blast Missy without looking like it was an unprovoked attack.

"You..."

"I DON'T LIKE HIM!" Nova shouted at the top of her lungs, quickly covering her mouth when the rest of the room glanced quizzically towards the two girls.

Missy raised her eyebrow at Nova's response.

"Are just protective of him" Missy finished, eying Nova with great interest.

Nova could feel her cheeks warming up, completely embarrassed at what just occurred.

"Y-yeah" Nova coughed out, wishing she could make everyone forget what just transpired. There _was_ a memory loss spell but her mom said it was a little on the...doesn't want to do what you actually want it to do side.

"Why are you so protective of him?" Missy asked

Nova peered at Missy, confused by this newest question.

"Why? Because he's Connor. That's why."

Missy gave a shy smile at the mention of his name.

"Missy, why do you like Connor?"

It was Missy turn to become embarrassed, looking around like she was caught doing something she hadn't suppose to.

"Well..." she began, anxiously playing with her hair "Like you said, he's Connor."

"Yeeeees" Nova nodded slowly "But that explains nothing."

"Just like your answer. Fine" Missy countered "Why are you friends with him? So protective?"

Nova was confused, unsure how the two questions were related but decided to play along.

"Well he's funny, so much fun to tease, he is pretty good in a fight when his inventions don't explode on him. I've known him forever and a half. I mean he's my best friend, of course I'm gonna be a tad protective of him."

"A tad?" Missy argued "Nova, you ripped off the fur of Bearicorn when he charged into Connor and sent him crashing against the lockers."

Nova didn't have a response, remembering the pure, unfiltered white hot rage she felt towards the bear unicorn hybrid.

"Nova, do you like Connor?"

Nova let out an annoyed grunt "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Well, because everyone wants to know if he's available."

Nova stared at Missy in disbelief, unable to process the words coming out of her mouth,

"Excuse me?"

Missy gave Nova smug look "You heard me, everyone wants to know if you two are dating to see if he's off the market."

"Hey, hey we...aren't...w...we...He's my best friend! Why would we be...?"

"Because" Missy explained "isn't your best friend the person that knows you best? That you chose above every other friend you have to be the one that has your back through thick and thin? The one you chose to stand by you when times get tough? Through the good, the horrible and everyday times?"

There was a charged silence as Missy's words sunk into deep into Nova's mind, nestling itself into her thoughts and refusing to be ignored.

"Do you like Connor?" Missy repeated.

"I..." Nova said after a few moments "don't know."

Missy nodded, holding out her hand towards Nova.

Nova eyed it warily, unsure what Missy was doing.

"Friends" Missy said simply "Regardless of what happens."

Nova smiled at her, nodding in agreement as she shook Missy's hand "Friends, regardless what happens."

"But" Missy quickly added "I'm still going to get a date with Connor."

Nova's narrowed her eyes "Over my dead body."

Missy gave her a good nature laugh "Well not over your actual dead body but we'll see Nova."

The two parted, Missy making her way to her mother's side to make sure Jackie stayed out of trouble. Janna was somewhere nearby and rumor had it she spiked something with something else.

Nova was confused. Were Missy and her friends or rivals now?

Nova shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of any distractions. Confusion ran rampant through her mind and the last thing she needed was to be...

"Hey Nova."

Nova leapt out of her skin, pulling out her wand and prepared to fire at the smooth voice that came from nowhere only to realize it was Roman Greason who was the owner of the voice.

He looked like he always had. Dreamy gray eyes, his black hair slicked back in agreement with his wardrobe of a 1950's leather greaser jacket and jeans he loved so much. The only difference now was a headband of silly elf ears resting on his head.

"H-hi Roman" Nova gulped out shyly, playing with her hair like a school girl with a crush.

"Fun party huh?"

"Mhm!" Nova quickly agreed, watching her father hold Star from behind, hands on her hips and drawing her into a loving embrace as the two talked to Roman's father Oskar.

"Where's your friend?" Roman asked curiously

"Connor? H-he's out of town. With family. Visiting them. Out of town."

Roman laughed, giving her a brain numbing smile.

"Cool. I'm going to go get something to drink. See ya"

Nova waved mindlessly towards Roman, just standing there, waving and waving and waving.

She shook herself out of her stupor, letting out another dreamy sigh at the thought of talking to Roman.

"See, I totally could hold a full conversation with him Con...nor..." Nova paused, instinctively teasing Connor only to remember he wasn't there

He missed step 5 of her 30 point plan to marry Roman. He never missed any of her steps...he didn't miss any of their holidays together.

He didn't miss anything but now...

She let out a depressed sigh, the lonely feeling from before hitting her at full force. The room felt too crowd for her, too stuffy. She needed some air and she needed it now.

Nova pushed her way pass the various people in the house, saying hello to each and everyone like she was raised to do, catching snippets of how those who were not in attendance doing.

Uncle Buff Frog, Viktor and the rest of the family were hibernating in the back yard, the season too cold for them to enjoy with the others.

Pony Head, her husband Stal and their daughter Uni would be visiting tomorrow to celebrate the Mewnian New Year.

Uncle Alfonso was too busy preparing the pixie's for war against the cookie gnomes but promised to stop by sometime in the next week.

Air Force one had just landed and Uncle Ferguson would be arriving at the party shortly though he couldn't stay long.

Nova opened the door to the backyard, taking a deep breath in, the chilly air felt good despite its icy touch as she bundled herself deeper in her father's scarf.

She sat down on the pouch before staring up at the clear night sky, wondering what was Connor doing, if he even missed her. He must be having the time of his life if he wasn't even responding to her texts. Something unheard.

"He's moving back to Canada, isn't he?" Nova asked, trying her hardest not to let the sadness she was feeling seep into her voice.

Two pairs of footsteps approached her slowly, probably stalling for time as Marco and Star took a seat next to their daughter.

Star wrapped her arm around Nova, placing her head against Nova's. Marco held the two most important people in his life in a loving grasp, the family staring together into the inkiness of the shimmering night.

"You know" Star said "We know what you're going through."

Nova shook her head.

"We do." Marco added "You forget that your mother was from another dimension."

Nova stared at her parents, lost but curious at this story.

"I had to go back to Mewni when high school ended." Star explained "I had to leave your father behind and rule over my dimension without him."

"It hurt" Marco admitted "To be separated. To be apart. But we did everything we could to see each other. I used to ditch college classes to sneak off and see Star."

Star giggled "I used to fake sicknesses to surprise Marco at school."

Marco chuckled "Remember when I showed up in the middle of a treaty meeting and we had to pretend I was a servant."

Star snorted "Haha would've been a scandal if anyone saw us, royal queen caught kissing a lowly servant boy! Oh oh, or the time I faked being student just so I could be your lab partner and sit by you during one of your classes all semester long?"

"The time I snuck into your bedroom and we talked all night."

"I thought dad was going to kill you when we heard him coming up the steps. How about the time I kissed you at the masquerade ball and you were freaking out because you thought you cheated on me."

"That was not funny! I was so scared that I kissed another girl."

"it was a little funny."

Marco gave a small smile "Okay, a little funny."

"Guys?" Nova cut in "What is the point of this story?"

Star held Nova's cheek in her hand "Did you know we were supposed to remain parted forever?"

Nova shook her head, the idea of her parents...well...separated was too much for her to comprehend. She looked to her father for conformation and was shocked to see him nodding in agreement.

"Star was supposed stay in Mewni and I was supposed to remain on Earth."

"What did you guys do?"

The couple shared a loving smile with one another "We fought it."

"Huh?"

"I changed all the laws I could" Star explained "I did everything in my power to get back to Marco."

"And I rallied everyone I knew, trading favors, making deals to show that the people of Earth were ready for interdimensional travel.

The two shared a knowing look, remembering the few yet seemingly long lonely years spent away from one another. Many dimensions thought lowly of Earth, thinking the people were not ready to join the others that discovered interdimensional travel and the idea of that the queen of Mewni had taken on a suitor from the dimension appalled many. It was a long hard fought battle on both sides but Marco and Star would not be deterred, would not be stopped. They wanted to be together and nothing in the entire universe was going to stop them.

But Nova didn't need to know that, how miraculous her birth truly was. She would never experience that injustice and Star and Marco were grateful for that, among countless other things.

"What we're trying to say is even when we were apart, we weren't really apart. We thought of each other and we did everything we could to enjoy those little moments until we could be together again."

"Y-you know he's just my friend right" Nova murmured awkwardly, trying to hide the truth from her parents.

"We know Novy."

They weren't fool but better to pretend. Nova would realize soon enough, however long it took.

"Come on" Marco told them, helping the two loves of his life to their feet "It's almost midnight. Time kick everyone out and open presents."

"Awesome" Nova said but she knew she wasn't getting what she wanted.

The party died down after some convincing from a flame guitar wielding Star (Courtesy of Nova) and soon only the Butterflies and the Diaz's remained with Ferguson on route.

Nova looked around and gave a strained smile. Everyone had someone but her.

Moon sat stiffly with River taking up the entire couch, his head on her lap. Her grandfather's drunken ramblings brought a rare and uncharacteristic blush to Moon's face. Moon simply kept nodding at all the praise River was showering on her while trying to find a way to shut him up. She finally opted just to kiss him.

Rafael and Angie sat on the loveseat across from the Butterflies, laughing and teasing Star and Marco about how much better they were at singing than the younger couple. Rafael's arm was wrapped around his wife, her hand on his chest as they snuggled close together, talking about all the kisses they shared and where.

Marco looked like he wanted to crawl somewhere and die, his parents embarrassing him to no end. He sat on the couch he used to watch tv or read, Star sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, her cheek pressed against his as she laughed loudly, teasing Marco about being more romantic. Marco scolded Star before lifting her off of him, Star's face turning bright red as she remembered how strong her husband really was. Marco turned Star so she was facing him, placing her back on his lap while bringing her close for kiss.

Nova covered her eyes, trying to ignore the fact her mother was straddling her father in his chair, sharing a deeply passionate kiss. It was cute if it had been anyone else but them.

The clock chimed 12 times, telling everyone it was midnight.

"Merry Christmas" Everyone called out, rising to their feet to give seasonal hugs to one another. Nova was practically sandwiched in between her entire family as they gave her one giant squeeze.

Maybe Connor wasn't here now. But he'd be home. Soon enough. Nova could wait and her family would help her.

"I think" Marco said with a smile "Nova should open her gift first."

"Agreed."

"Princesas first!"

"Nova deserves it after watching us all get mushy, mushy."

"Come on my Super Nova, go first."

"I say capital idea old boy. Wait, did you just make out with my daughter?"

"Uh..." Marco dumbly replied as a perfectly timed knock at the door echoed through the house "Nova, why don't you go get it?"

"You didn't answer my question Diaz."

Nova rolled her eyes, snickering while making her way towards the door. At least Uncle Ferguson made it despite his...elected duties to the country.

Nova pulled open the door and felt her heart stop, the smile on her face the brightest it had been all day. Maybe even all week.

"Were you expecting someone else Novy?" Connor said, returning her smile as his forest green eyes twinkled happily, his body bundled up tightly in a snow jacket, the black beanie Nova gave him for his birthday sitting comfortably on his head.

"Connor!" Nova exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the young teen.

Connor flushed but returned the gesture, holding Nova snugly in his arms.

"Missed me much Novy?" Connor whispered into her ear, accidently sending her heart racing against her will.

Nova pulled away, huffing while twirling a strain of her hair between her fingers "Only a little."

"Wait, you admitted it?"

"Yeah, it's Christmas so I guess you are entitled to it."

"This is never going to happen again is it?"

"Nope, not in your life four..." Nova realized something that had been missing from Connor's attire "Wait, where are your glasses?"

Connor opened his mouth to speak only for his parents to appear behind, waving happily to everyone in the house.

After many hellos, Merry Christmases and how are yous, everyone was situated around the Christmas tree, chattering happily and having a good time.

Nova and Connor sat cross legged next to each other.

Nova nudged Connor to get his attention "So why didn't you answer my texts you dolt?"

Connor shifted guilty "Oh, I'm sorry Nova. I wanted to but my phone got destroyed."

"Destroyed? What did you use it for now four eyes?"

"Nothing, my cousins took it from me and tossed it into the river. I couldn't even find it."

Nova clenched her hand over the wand angrily "So what I'm hearing is I am totally going to blast your cousins"

"Be my guest."

Nova stared at her best friend with skepticism, unable to believe he was okay with Nova using magic on his family.

He looked at the floor, obviously distressed "They aren't great people. That whole family was just...horrible. They treated me and my parents like everything we did was wrong or unacceptable. That we were weird and we should be shamed of it. We went back to make amends but it was the wrong move. I get why my parents left now."

"I'm sorry"

Connor shrugged "It's whatever. I'm back home where I belong."

Nova nodded, putting one arm around Connor's shoulder "You know it..but...one more question"

"Huh?"

Nova motioned to his face, making round circles with her hands placing them over her eyes.

"O-oh. My cousins, they...'

"They did _not_ break your glasses! Oh I am so going to..." She liked those glasses, they were very cute on Connor, extremely cute! And they gave her an excuse to stare into his eyes, what with smudges she would purposely leave on them.

"Nova" Connor held onto her wrists gently when the young princess rose to her feet. Nova felt very warm and quickly settled down, too paralyzed from Connor's touch to do anything, she didn't even resist when Connor guided her back down to the floor.

"They said I looked better with contacts. So I tried it."

"Are you wearing them now?" Nova asked, leaning closer to see if she could see the little reflective lens and not to stare at his pretty shade of green eyes. Nope, not at all.

Connor shook his head "No, they are hard to put in and itch. I...I just didn't..."

Connor stopped when Nova reached into his jacket, her hand brushing against his chest for a moment before reaching into the interior pocket.

He tried to cool his flaming cheeks but Nova wasn't done yet.

She pulled out his glasses case and flipped it open, gingerly and lovingly taking his wire frame glasses and carefully putting them on his face.

Both teens tried to ignore how nice Nova's fingers felt against Connor's cheeks as they pulled away from each other, coughing and shifting uneasily.

"There we go" Nova said with a nod "You look much better with those things on and if anyone else tells you otherwise, I'll blast them."

"Nova..." Connor muttered softly

"Sides" Nova went on, turning her head away from Connor, all the blood pooling into her cheeks as her voice mumbled quietly "I like them...and that's all that matters right?"

Connor smiled happily "Right Novy."

"Good, don't forget it four eyes."

"Wouldn't dream of it"

The two nudged each other cheerfully, easily sharing the brightest smiles of any couple in the room.

"They are too cute" Star whispered Marco, placing her head on his chest.

Marco nodded in agreement "Yeah, it's going to be so much fun scaring the crap out of him when they start dating."

Star giggled, a sound that just made Marco's heart beat like a drum "Totally."

"Hey Star?"

"Yes Marco?"

"This was basically a Christmas miracle right? Because Connor and his family got back so quickly, on Christmas Eve with no flight delays from Canada just in time to celebrate Christmas with us."

"Yeah, pretty lucky."

"Does this mean we owe Santa a favor?"

"I think this is him returning the favor from the last time we saved him."

"You sure? I could've sworn we owed him for helping us stop the old gypsy woman's curse. I lost track who owes who a favor"

Star shrugged nonchalantly "I'm sure he'll let us know when he comes for New Year's"


	57. A new start (New Years AU)

Hellloooo fanfiction! Mr.E here, wishing you a happy new year and many thank yous for every single review, follow and favorite! they make me so happy.

A special thanks to h mae- I am so glad you enjoyed marco claus's visit and i am happy you ship covy, cova? so much haha that is very impressive when an oc couple makes you melt like the canon couple. i feel such pride. haha Nova would've burned it out of fear.

misfortune- haha im a very good at writing stories quickly. but sometimes life likes to chokehold me. thank you i am happy you enjoying the holiday au's and im really happy you enjoyed Nova and Connor. not bad for OC's huh? hmm i wonder who coughstarcocough. There are few theories about Miss heinous (The head mistress of Saint o's) but it universally agree that she is from mewni. I personally believe she is Moon Butterfly's sister and that Moon was like star until something horrible happened, something involving toffee that caused her sister to be all about the perfect princess and Moon to be cold and distant. I also think the wand is from earth but i made that theory clear in if i miss you. Right now i am strongly leaning towards giving Nova her own story but i want to see what reader response is for that. for now you are getting another chapter of nova because i thought of the perfect idea. The stories will switch between the two, depending on which character will be affected most. connor will have more development and his own chapters it was just these last two it was more Nova centered. so no worries about that. so at the very minimum you will have 4 more Covy chapters or a Nova solo story. Merry Christmas! and happy new year and i hope you are doing good with your story!

Finn- i am very happy you liked it. whenever i do a spinoff series, i try to treat it exactly like the series it came from with its own identity too. I am heavily considering giving Nova her own Story. happy new year!

princessxgilex- im glad you liked the chapter and thank you for your review.

bigmike- what? you didn't know? Santa is an old family friend since when Marco and Star saved christmas when they were 15. happy new year!

rayfe- only slightly, it happens. haha that line came into my head and i laughed so hard when i wrote it. I was thinking of doing a ladybug Au though a field trip to paris is a pretty good idea too. NOT SANTA! Merry christmas. Yep, old family friend from when they were teens. President Ferguson, ah yes. Turns out Mewnians really liked the idea Ferguson as a leader and the american population was curious what he meant by prehensile tails, thinking it was code for something. of course Ferguson delivered what he promised and he is the most honest president there is. I am glad you liked Nova and Connor. I am a huge romantic and i love writing dialogue for any types of characters. poor cookies. i love and hate them too. I try my hardest to make oc's their own characters rather than carbon copies. Yes i will do force awakens but much later so people have a chance to watch the movie and i know what your talking about. i saw that once. it was so cute. toothless! happy new year!

Fabio- you are making me turn all kinds of red. I am just a guy that likes to write and really loves star vs. Haha i hope Covy is a thing, they were made for each other. i should know, i made them haha. Missy is being rad but dont mistake her politeness, she's in it to win. Happy new year! and i hope you are having a well deserved vacation my friend.

grim- haha i wanted to keep it a surprise for you wonder readers as my gift to you all. yeah i didnt think that far ahead when i named them. I actually wasn't expecting such a favorable response to them so i am pleasantly surprised. Happy new year!

Lupus- talk to your heart's content and i shall answer. i am glad you liked marco claus and Covy. thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot to me and it makes me happy when you readers tell me how much you enjoy the chapters. makes me wanna try even harder for you wonderful people. I always try to take every into account. you should see some of the huge backgrounds some of these stories have. Merry whateveryouceleberate and happy new year!

starcolover- chapter 4 is a different universe, more like a concept idea of Nova before i fleshed her out. think of it as a different path as chapter 51 similar but different. happy new year.

unluckywrites- i know all about late reviewing, no worries. I am so happy you enjoyed it so much and thank you for the review. yes i figured that's how Marco would react. happy new year!

guest- haha sounds good to me but it's actually 993 years of darkness but a thousand sounds more ominous. happy new year!

sughman- nice to hear from you again! hope you're doing well and you had a great holiday. I don't mind, the average word count depends on the story type and if its a finale. most oneshots are 3 to 5 thousand words with finales reaching 6 to 8 thousand. happy new year!

and finally but not at all least, smittytheroies- I dont usually get snow but at least you have snow now. happy new year! and i am glad you liked it. did you see h mae's fanart of this? it's awesome. Janna has a son named Toby who is a sweet kid but is a Kleptomaniac like his mother. though his are more accidentally. though when someone needs something stolen back from the teacher's they hit him up. haha Connor approves of you as his brother from another mutliverse

on starco corner we have some amazing artwork from h mae over on hains-mae on tumblr. she gave me one purely amazing gift ever, seriously it made me so happy. she did a rough sketch of Nova and Connor (with rocky the divine diva raccoon) and it is perfect. she captured the feel of the characters and it is just amazing. idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has some awesome pictures up to, including reverse gravity au where Soos and wendy are small and the pines twins are the teenagers. there's some of the another Au where the pine twins are pretty much gideon. Spatziline on tumblr has some more cute art work of Marco, tom, Star and very cute mircalous ladybug artwork. there are soooo many great artists i wish i could name them all but hains-mae and svtfoeheadcnons on tumblr have so many great links to them. on FF we have some more work from nightmareking all sorts, princess and the safe kid from PFtones, starco in 100 nutshells from skepic potato, a cute and total sitcom chapter from the diaz family road trip by unluckywrites, magical disruptur from fabio and ripples from my good friend watermalone. check out all those amazing people and more because this fandom is growing so much!

okay a couple of quick notes. I am currently debating giving nova her own series called Nova vs the forces of adolescence, dont worry i got a few forces of evil planned for that one but i wanted to see if you readers were interested in a nova solo story. if not, i have one more oneshot plan where it's nova's turn to go through Mewberty so we'll have 4 chapters for the covy-verse. so let me know what you think of the idea.

for anyone missing starco academy, there is a preview of what i have planned when it returns in a little bit on my tumblr mrevaunit42.

so here we go, the new year's AU Star met Marco 3 years ago during the first day of college and has been chasing him ever since but with 3 years gone and past and the fourth looking no better, Star wonders if she can ever talk to Marco Diaz.

I hope you enjoy this one, it is a little on the short side. i will be finishing the nutcracker finale soon then the steampunk and then onto requests i have with bad boy au, frozen, role reversal and some novy chapters mixed in. Happy new years everyone! let's get ready for a great year! i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

Star sat quietly at the little corner table of the coffee shop, staring at the window dejectedly, wondering exactly how did another year go so fast? How could it be 2016 in a matter of mere moments? And how did she fail at her New Year's resolution again!

She had one goal this year. One very, super important, I cannot live without goal this year and just like the year before and the year previous to that, she failed at it once again. Once more she got to chuckle jokingly with her friends that the curse of failing to keep your New Year's resolution happened again when all she wanted was for it to come true.

All she wanted to do was talk to her fellow college student Marco Diaz.

N-not that she had a crush on the young Latino American. Nope that would be completely crazy, how could you have a crush on someone who you have never said more than a few words too?...even if he had really cute light brown eyes...and the most adorable mole on his cheek, looking sharp as always with his light brown hair and just having the most breathtaking smile.

Annnnnd that wasn't helping convince her like at all.

 _Who_ was she even lying to? She knew she had a girly, school yard level crush on the young man, that these were her own personal thoughts and even if they somehow tumbled free of her mouth, _nobody_ was here. The little ma and pa coffee shop was totally deserted or might as well be with the one or two lone people sitting around the place, contently sipping their drinks and eating their food while patiently waiting for New Year to sweep over them like a metaphysical wave. Nobody here would even care how she felt about Marco.

Star could feel her cheeks redden at the sight of Marco's trademark spikes as he helped another customer with their order at the cashier stand, small smile on his face as he calmly waited for the nervous girl to order something.

God she was an idiot. Only Star Butterfly could forget that she was stalking the very place her crush worked, having decided to ditch her friends and their amazing, mega, ultra, I am not going to remember the next day party in favor of sitting here, like a pathetic loser, stealing glances at a boy she so desperately wanted to talk to properly but failing to do so for the third consecutive year in a row.

Star met Marco the very first day of college 3 or so years ago when a bright, bubbly Miss Butterfly woke up late after an all nighter of stress partying and failed to set her alarm clock for the next day.

She roughly shoved the day's lessons and her overly expensive books into her star shaped backpack and bolted out the door, racing out of the campus dorms, rushing as fast as she could through the increasingly thinning crowd of students to ensure she wasn't late for the first class.

She remembered turning around a corner near the Psych building at full speed only to collide with a solid mass of a person which sent her skidding to the floor, popping open her star backpack and scattering everything.

"HEY!" She cried out indignantly, rubbing her head in an effort to try to rid herself of the dull ache "Watch where you're going, people are running here!"

"S-sorry" a timid voice replied, a hand appearing before her very eyes.

Star took the helping gesture angrily, giving it a good squeeze as a small payback while the person assisted her back to her feet.

"Seriously" She scoffed, rubbing off the possible dust and grime off her pajamas.

Star's heart stopped cold dead, unable to believe she failed to change out of her pink tank top and light blue sweats with cute heart and stars and that she had been running around like a manic wearing _that_.

"Ugh! This day cannot get any worse!" She yelled while she began to picking up her wayward school supplies.

She almost rolled her eyes at the other person awkwardly helping her in her attempts to beat the clock but at this point, any little leeway for her was greatly needed (if not quite appreciated.)

"Thanks" She muttered, annoyed and already wishing this day was over "I mean it was your fault but at least you weren't a total jerk and left me."

"Yeah, sorry about that." the guy replied sheepishly, handing her the last of her books.

"Well I..." Star really regretted looking up for that was a moment she began her chase for the man behind those caramel covered eyes.

That was the first time she caught sight of Marco Diaz and her foolish quest to talk to him formed.

She was so awestruck by the handsome young man with doleful, sorry eyes that looked genuinely apologetic that she instantly fell silent, a feat never thought possible, the feeling that she just kicked a really cute puppy churning unhappily in her stomach.

She could feel her cheeks burning brighter than the fall weather sunlight, her childish words and bitchy tone coming back to remind her how she acted.

"I am sorry about that" The man rubbed his cheek anxiously "I really didn't mean to knock you over like that..."

"I...it's okay" Star mumbled shyly, wishing she could just die on the spot "I was running too fast and I should've..."

"Cute pj's."

That was it, that was too much for Star who nodded, quickly wishing goodbye to the young man and ran as fast as her legs could take her, trying to figure out why Marco was causing her heart to beat wildly. Sure she could be a bit boy crazy but she never experienced anything like this before.

She would encounter Marco several more times throughout the years, often encountering him while running from class to class, sharing small talks and trading information for information. Like his name and his major (Psychology), how he was totally smart, was a black belt in karate, little bits and pieces here and there.

When she discovered through her best friend Patrica "Pony Head" Harrison that Marco worked in his parents coffee shop, Star would find any excuse to visit the establishment, usually by holding studying sessions there or just going when the weather became too hot or cold or was just being weather.

And every New Year's eve, alone and watching the ball drop from the comfort of her dorm room, she would swear she would properly talk to Marco as her New Year's resolution.

And for the 3rd year in a row, she completely failed with year number 4 looking no different though admittedly she did a little better, actually being in the same place as her crush rather than locked up in her room.

She let out another sigh as the clock read 11:50 P.M. 10 more minutes before utter failure.

She took a sip of her now ice cold coffee, staring out the window and trying not let her sadness overwhelm her.

* * *

"Thank you, come again!" Marco cheerfully told the departing college girl, letting out a sigh of relief at her retreating figure. He didn't want to sound too mean but he could barely understand a single word she was trying to get out and she kept glaring at him like it was his fault he couldn't understand her. If she removed her scarf, just maybe he could properly hear the words she was trying to get out of her mouth.

Marco let out a tired sigh, ruffling his hair into an even more untamed mess while his eyes wandered around the near empty shop, his sight finally falling upon the one person he wanted to talk to most: Star Butterfly.

He felt like a complete fool, having kinda known the pretty young blonde for 3 years and failing time and time again to even have a proper conversation with her.

He knew they talked but they never actually talked talked like people...or you know friends or...

Marco shook his head, trying to stop his train of thoughts from going further.

He knew this was irrational, having pretty strong, pooossibly romantic feelings for a person you ran into one day because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings again.

But he couldn't help it: The day he met Star Butterfly was the day he began foolishly chasing her.

He remembered was wandering around the outside of the Psychology building, just walking, getting a feel for the campus and memorizing where exactly his classes were when he turned around and felt someone collide straight into him.

He was knocked off his feet, landing ungracefully on the floor.

He angrily rose to his feet, ready to scold the person when he caught sight of the girl, still in her rather cute outfit that must've been her pajamas, her scattered papers and books, an aggressive yet panicked motion fueling her every action.

He nodded in sympathy, having remembered when he entered the college in the summer thanks to his perfect GPA and high school's college bound program. How nervous he was the night before the first day, how he couldn't sleep at all and when he finally managed to slumber in peace, the alarm rang and he was forced to frantically rush to his first class upon realizing he set his clock to a much later time than he thought.

He understood that experience very well, the same feeling the girl was no doubt feeling.

"HEY!" A cute, melodic voice cried out "Watch where you're going, people are running here!"

Marco took a deep breath, not letting the girl's outburst affect him. It was nothing personal, she was just having a bad day.

"S-sorry" He muttered, soft and low in case he accidentally agitated the girl further, offering his hand to help speed up the process.

She took it angrily and gave Marco's a tight squeeze she must have thought would've hurt but honestly, it felt quite nice, the smoothness of her skin and how tiny her hands were compared to his. Not too small but just enough to fit perfectly with his.

"Seriously" She muttered under her breath as she began to wipe down her outfit in case she had dirtied it.

Marco winced in understanding her hands stopped mid-cleaning, hovering there as it slowly dawned to the girl she was still wearing her pajamas, having failed to change out of them in her mad dash.

"Ugh! This day cannot get any worse!" she screamed, sharply picking up her scattered supplies as quickly as she could.

Marco rushed over to help her with her task, trying not to let the awkwardness of the situation get to him. His patience only held so long but he didn't want to accidentally make worse than he already had for this poor girl.

"Thanks" she mumbled low when Marco began handing her the bits and pieces he managed to pick up "I mean it was your fault but at least you weren't a total jerk and left me."

Marco shifted guiltily, trying to keep his embarrassment out of his voice "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Well, I..."

And that's when he first caught sight of Star Butterfly properly and the beginning of a 3 year long quest to talk to her.

She had these sapphire-like eyes that he could (and has) get lost in, her long, flowing blonde hair framing her face perfectly, the cutest freckles sprayed across her cheeks.

She was absolutely beautiful and Marco couldn't help but stare at her, too unprepared for her appearance.

"I am sorry about that" Marco told her, instinctively rubbing his cheek anxiously "I really didn't mean to knock you over like that..."

"I...it's okay" the girl muttered quietly, the rush of the day seemingly dissipating into the air "I was running too fast and I should've..."

"Cute pj's."

To this day Marco had no idea why those words leapt out of his mouth, why he had said them in a confident tone he did not have. He thought he was being polite or charming. He thought she was going to have a laugh. He...he might've wanted to say you're cute rather than cute pj's but he knew it was the wrong thing to say when the girl suddenly thanked him for all his help and raced away from him, head down and sight forward.

Marco facepalmed himself, scolding himself for chasing the one girl that he was remotely interested in. Marco was heavily invested in schooling and he did not have time to date girls. Not that any girl would date nerdy, book smart Marco. But Marco was fine with that. Dating was a distraction that he didn't really want to deal with.

Except...

except that he really, really did want to take Star on a date, his encounter with the blonde evoking emotions inside him he never knew existed.

He knew it was a schoolboy style crush, that he was interested in a girl he knew nothing about but...he didn't care. He wanted to get to know her better, to talk to her and maybe...well maybe ask her out one day.

They ran into each other several times throughout the next 3 years and Marco was pleased to find that he was not remembered the asshole who knocked me to the floor but as the guy who helped me when I needed it.

Marco discovered quite a bit about Star Butterfly in those interactions: She was a political science major with a minor in European History, she was incredibly smart though sometimes could be unfocused and a little undisciplined about her studies. She was kind, fun loving and loved to go out and do things though staying inside and relaxing was okay in her book too. She was girly but tough, having taken self defense classes since a young age and having used her skills once in a while to teach a boy who was getting a little too cocky a lesson.

And the more Marco knew, the more he craved her time though his tongue would remain tied in her presence.

And then, she discovered where Marco worked and that was the best moment of his life.

He worked in his parents coffee shop, across the street from the campus to earn a little money and help his aging parents. Business was good but the Diaz's were not super rich millionaires, causing Marco to work hard at securing his various scholarships that covered most but not all of his expenses. So Marco helped out, something that he didn't mind since his parents have given him so much, even if they were a little embarrassing.

And once Star found out where Marco worked, the two began talking a little more.

He was always the cashier when Star Butterfly came in (sometimes forcibly shooing his father into the back so he could take his place) and he loved their little talks.

Star had this incredible ability to show up whenever Marco was having a particularly stressful or bad day, when the lines were too long or demanding, when school began tearing him at the seams.

They would talk for maybe a minute, maybe 2. 5 if he was lucky with 10 being the equivalent of a birthday present but even in that small amount to time, his day was turned around and salvaged.

Every New Year's eve, for the last 3 years, Marco swore he was going to talk to Star properly even if he still could barely speak in her presence.

And every year was been a tremendous failure, with the upcoming 4th year looking no better than the others.

Well, maybe not as bad since Star Butterfly was sitting his family coffee shop for the last hour with no signs of leaving any time soon.

He wanted to go up and talk to her but he was still on duty and his parents needed him to run the front and..

"Marco"

Marco jumped, having been caught off guard by his parents.

"Don't do that to me guys!" Marco whined "Come on!"

Angie and Rafael Diaz laughed at their son, knowing full well why he was wound up so tightly.

"Marco" his mother began "I see your little girlfriend is here."

Marco's cheeks flushed, trying not let the childish whine seep into his voice "Mom, she's not my girlfriend."

"You want her to be son"

"Dad" Marco replied, trying to cool his flaming cheeks "I..."

"Are overly complicating a simple problem. Go talk to her."

"B-but I can't. I need to man the register and and you two are too busy with."

His parents laughed at his words, nudging him the side.

"and what step are you on in your 23 point plan?"

"I-I don't have a 23..." Marco's faltered at the sight of his mother pulling out his strategy from her pocket "Well that is clearly a camping trip."

Before Marco could protest, his mother undid his apron while his father began attacking his hair with a comb.

"Guys? GUYS STOP IT PLEASE!"

but his pleas fell on deaf ears, his parents turning him and shoving him out into the main area of the building.

Marco became frightened but apparently the small amount of people were more caught up the 3 minutes left before the new year was brought in.

Marco coughed, trying to calm his nerves as he made his way over to Star's table.

Star could hear the quiet approaching footsteps, someone inching closer, someone who was probably going to try and hit on the lonely girl on the eve of New Year's and she was going to have to shoot him...or her down.

Star let out another sigh, prepping herself to be as gentle as she could.

"So" Marco's voice called from just behind her, causing her heart to skip a bit "pretty interesting place to be for the new year."

Star whirled around, heat biting into her cheeks as she saw him smiling her way.

"Well it is one of the few places opened and it's not like I've got anywhere better to be."

"My parents like to give people a place to be so they aren't alone for the holidays though I don't think it's nice of your boyfriend to leave all alone for such an event."

Star shifted shyly "I-I don't have a boyfriend."

It took everything Marco had not to grin like an idiot "A pretty girl like you? I find it hard to believe."

Star let out a cheerful laugh, a cover for her increasingly frayed nerves "And what about you and your girlfriend, kinda mean of you leaving her alone tonight."

Marco shook his head "I can't disappoint someone I don't have. So...umm no girlfriend."

Star could feel her heart unclenched, something she wasn't aware happened once she began fishing for more information.

"Someone as good looking as you not having a girlfriend? Now I'm not believing you."

Marco coughed, his face bright red like he just walked through the frozen December air.

There was an awkward, thick silence between after their inquisitive flirting, both unsure how to proceed.

"I should leave you alone" Marco began as Star muttered at the same time "Would you like to...?"

"Oh" Star visibly disappointed "Right, I should've figured you were busy. With the shop and all."

"Oh, oh no!" Marco answered, waving his hands in a panic "I'm done...I...I didn't want to bother you is all."

"It's no bother" Star told the young man with a mind melting smile, patting the seat next to her encouragingly.

Marco gulped, his nerves freaking out while he took a seat next to the young girl, the two of the staring out the window as the final minute of the year began to slipping away into the mists of time.

The silence was tight, both young adults wishing they knew what to say to break the quiet of the shop.

"So..." Star began

"So..." Marco replied.

"You know this is the first time we've hung out...well kinda." Star told him, pushing a strain behind her ear, trying to stop her wildly beating heart.

"Yeah I know...wish we hung out sooner."

32...31...

"R-really?" Star turned to him, completely surprised at what he said.

"Y-yeah, you're really cool" Marco admitted "I mean come on you're smart, funny, kind, smart, beautiful."

Marco closed his eyes at his slip up, trying his hardest will his blush away which only intensified when he heard Star's chair scoot closer.

24...23...22...

Star leaned in closer, eyes shining upon hearing Marco's confession "You think I'm beautiful?"

Marco stared into her eyes, getting lost in them once more "Well..yeah...I thought that was obvious."

19...18...17...

"I..I probably should've kept my mouth shut huh?" Marco gave out a nervous laugh, wishing he could run away without appearing rude.

14...13...

"Well I think it's sweet. I mean you are so cool too! And sooo smart, and handsome and just awesome."

10

"What was that?" Marco asked, unable to believe what he just heard "Did you just call me handsome?"

9

Star flushed, waving her hands in terror "W-well yeah I mean...y...you are..."

8

"Star."

7

"Marco?"

6

Marco could feel his throat dry up, the full attention that the girl was giving her making it hard to stay focus.

5

"Star..." Marco repeated, trying his hardest to get his question out.

4

"Y-yes Marco?" Star questioned, her senses going wild, the very air around them charged with some powerful emotions, a deep rooted attraction.

3

and Star had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't just coming from her.

2

"Star I really..." Marco felt his throat close up, the words failing to escape his lips.

1

Star couldn't take it anymore, all this was too much for the young girl. She made a decision, something she should've done so long ago, trusting her instincts to guide her heart.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the few people in the room cheered, letting out a happy roar

Marco's eyes were wide open, completely in shock, trying his best to understand what he was feeling, Star's soft lips pressed against his, her arms wrapped around his neck and pulling him deeper into the kiss.

Marco closed his eyes, deepening the kiss before cupping her face in his hands, drawing her as close as he possibly could.

The two broke away after a few seconds, panting and red face at what just occurred.

"Marco..." Star began, trying to explain her actions, how sorry she was and she hadn't meant to do that.

Marco smiled brightly at her, his eyes bright and gleaming with pure joy.

"Would you like to go out sometime?"

Star just stared at him, unable to believe after 3 long years she was actually hearing those words coming out of Marco.

And there was nothing to do but answer "I would love to"


	58. This is not how this goes Holiday Finale

Hello fanfiction! I AM ALIVE! hoping all of you are doing good, thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me.

A special thanks to H mae. I am really glad you liked it and i loved your fanart. star was so cute!

Finn- I'm glad you enjoyed it.

the skeptic potato- well you are a skeptic. haha believe or not, i hadn't realized it at the time but this reminded me of something that happened in college. There was this boy and girl that had a huge crush on each other but they were too shy to talk, they would literally just have super short talks. one day i was walked into a band practice and flicked on the lights and found them kissing each other. Apparently there was a band meeting and they were scolded for not practicing enough so they decided to practice and...yeah. Awkward for me. but i understand the whole fantastical situation it was. thanks for letting me know your critique, i really do appreciate it :)

deadshoot- so many thumbs!

Sonicelite- stranger things have happened. and thanks for letting me know! still on the fence but still leaning heavily towards solo story.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

smittytheories (Ms. whatif) Yes yes you did use it correctly. haha it would be pretty cute in the future au. I'm a bit on the sick side but i believe i mentioned to someone that Missy is Justin's child. Jackie and Justin tried the whole marriage thing but it didn't work out so they're just awkward friends now.

cartoonlover- im glad you find it cute!

Lupus- Oh dear, again? i keep doing that on accident. Im sorry, I'll put a sugar warning next time. thank you! and to clarify that Line is what Star told everyone how she knew Marco but Marco says it because that's how he heard it. Looking back it is a bit confusing, sorry my bad! thanks for pointing it out! We shall have an amazing year! Starco is returning

thewookie- here, starco insurance covers you. Nova would still be nova, maybe Ludo's kid is a bully who tries to take her wand which is her favorite pen. OMG i wish i thought of that. that was brilliant and funny and i could totally see Marco's parents doing that. and and it be like

Marco: Star?

Star: hey Marco

Marco: What are you doing here?

Star: Seeing my boyfriend and enjoying a 10% discount!

Marco:10%?!

Star: (Nods) Yep! I think they like me *Marco sees they're taking pictures of him and Star, pointing them out to all their customers.*

harutora- happy new year!

Misfortune- AWESOME! i am looking forward to it! I should probably check huh? *camps out* You're not, everyone has their own interpenetration of the story and how the character's act. the spike reference was referring to his hair and how it is drawn *Whenever i put characters into stories, sometimes i mention their cartoon style hair as reality* and he was shy, super shy! and here it is! sorry i kept you waiting, it was meant to be up earlier.

Arsenal- I feel like the Lorax...am i danny devito? are you the onceler? is the starco back? haha im glad you liked it. now i feel like im in a movie.

just a little spark- I am so glad you enjoyed them all. There will be more star wars one shots and maybe even a force awakens style though I'm waiting so everyone sees that movie first.

guest- go for it! jokes are meant to be shared! :D

grim- this was deep fried in sweetness. Yes it shall finish though i guess i should've waited till next December. Nutcracker does not take place in January! but it was late and i shall explain the delay further on. Im still thinking of it but im realllly liking the idea of nova solo story.

Whatif- im glad you liked it! and i think you got a great idea and i think you should write it.

Bkpike- thank you so much for your kind words. My work isn't perfect but i try my hardest and i have no plans on stopping any time soon. hope you keep enjoying the stories!

Fabio- you would be surprised embrace the starco, give into it. good. good hahaI am very happy you enjoyed it. Happy new year! i wish you good luck and success in all you do. and i can't wait for your chapters either!

IDC1314: Thank you for the review! and i would love to see it though i have to admit kinda want to see your take on the nutcracker. also I am doing KP au just for you (Went on a limb and figured you might want that as a request if i asked you) though it will take a while. if you want another story, please let me know.

guest 2; thank you so much. I do actually speak spanish pretty well for it being my second language but writing it? NOOOO i suck at that which is why there's some mistakes. i didn't catch them until i reread the story but i like to keep my mistakes up to remind me to check harder next time. thanks for letting me know and the encouragement!

Rayfe: of course some the best stories i written are from awesome reader ideas. No matter what you will get the mewberty though the full story is kinda tempting. still not sure though. Trust me i still have plenty of stories in the vault and I have stopped coming up with them because i have so much i wanna do. i can come up with many more. I love writing.

maxandfang101: well the crossover has its own story now Starco Academy. its also crossing over with DC comics too and soon will return.

on starco corner we have some pretty awesome works. H mae has a really cute sketch of Marco and Star bumping into each other from the new year au along with some undertale work check her work on tumblr hains-mae, sara idrawcartoons1314 colored in her kim possible au over on instagram. spatziline has some pretty awesome steven universe art up including a really cool pokemon crossover and miraculous ladybug that really makes me wanna do an au on it. On FF at the time i updated my phone we have all sorts from nightmareking, road trip that sets up an awesome sitution for Starco from ninjacupcakex, skeptic potat's starco in 100 nutshells a series i wish i knew about sooner, STARFALL from golfalphamike, nothing comes easy from Axis24, wands and weirdos from SonicElite, a season of star vs from Kieran wespell (still need to leave a review) a very film noir chapter of Silhouettes from watermalone. Whew, i need to keep up with the stories.

okay a few notes before we get a move on. First, im sorry this was late. this was supposed to be on the 26 of December but then i got sick and then new year's came around and i spent this whole last week recovering from a sore throat and then a cold and I get easily distracted when I'm sick and it didn't help i was playing Earthbound and reminded how Ness and Paula were the cutest nintendo couple ever (Don't believe me, look it up! i dare you! i mean it, go right now and look up Ness X paula...and now i want to do an earthbound au but i already have a psychonauts. ugh see unfocused) anyway this chapter may be a little weak. Im personally not sure how to feel about it and since i was sick, i feel disconnected about it but i hope you still enjoy the nutcracker finale.

okay as an update here is my new story schedule. I am going to try to alternate every other week. one week a couple chapters here on Always a star and then other writing the other stories i have floating around. I did say try because life tends to get me in a headlock so there's that update.

and a final note is that i wanted to thank mae because she did a fantastic sketch of Nova and Connor that really meant a lot to me and i consider it a really awesome christmas gift. so im giving one to her. she is a minor character in this finale. It's not a lot but I hope you enjoy it mae! Merry Christmas!

So here we are the finale of the nutcracker. Again, i hope you enjoy it despite my distractions. next up we have the steampunk finale, requests mixed in with Psyconauts au (I just funded 2 and it reminds one of my favorite games of all time, give it a look to see just creative and fun it is), maybe earhtbound, Bad boy au, more covy (unless i finally make it its own series. still tempted) frozen and role reversal.

 _This means the narrator and his control of the story_ and this means regular characters and their actions

thank you so much for all the love and support you give me! you readers are the best! So enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

"Ferguson! Get back here or so help me I'm going to have some opossum slippers very soon!"

Ferguson turned around, sticking out his tongue while shaking his prehensile tail towards the steadily infuriated Janna.

"See, even you admit that the opossum is a million times cooler than that stinky, boring rat king"

Janna pulled at her hair in a furious fit, muttering rapidly under her breath

"Youpunkassselfishfuckingprick! It's the mouse king! MOUSE KING!"

Ferguson shrugged, his face devoid of any sort of understanding or comprehension at his actions or the severity of the situation. "Rat, mouse, same thing."

"No!" Janna screamed, trying her hardest not to break her wand in half. She kinda needs it. "It's not! It is actually a huge difference! Like our world is going to collapse on itself and cease to exist because we don't have the right animal in our version of a much beloved holiday story told for hundreds and hundreds of years for countless generations."

"..."

"So I need you to take off that stupid possum suit and get into the mouse one!"

"It's" Ferguson muttered slowly, eyes blazing with a righteous fury "IS CALLED AN OPOSSUM!"

Ferguson let out a terrifying roar that shook the nearby snow piles, causing them to collapse in on itself and flooded the ground, causing the snow level to rise dramatically, reaching to Ferguson's waist instead of his feet.

Ferguson blinked, patting the waist high pile he inadvertently himself trapped in as if it was a pillow "ooooh, comfy."

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT! I LIKE LIVING!" Janna yelled, twirling her wand like a rapier and thrusting directly towards the delusional boy, a flurry of blue and green sparkles bursting forth and began closing in on Ferguson.

Ferguson let out an exclamation of surprise, twisting and turning as much as he could trying to find some sort of exit route.

Janna had a manic smile, a frightening gleam in her eyes as she watched her magic spell about to overtake the helpless opossum king. Ferguson narrowed his eyes and shouted at the top of his lungs "NEVER TAKING ME ALIVE!" but before Janna could reply that she didn't want to kill him (mostly) Ferguson planted his arms firmly on the snow blanket and pushed upwards, his arms effortlessly carrying his weight and popping him from his icy prison. With another distasteful taunt involving his rear end, Ferguson cheerfully scurried off, narrowly avoiding Janna's magic and disappearing around a nearby snowy hill while laughing about Janna failing at being a Sugar Plum Fairy.

Janna let out a low growl, fists clenched with rage and craze intent.

"That wannabe Didelphimorphia, completely bonkers Homo Sapien idiot! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

Ferguson was calmly but quickly scurrying across the frost covered plains, smiling to himself. Truly his father was smiling down on him from opossum heaven and blessing him with his favor.

Ferguson skidded to a stop at the sound of a large boom, a fierce wind appearing from nowhere and nearly knocking him over as it passed, the chill it brought seeping into his very bones. He turned around to see a horrifying smoky white mushroom cloud lifting into the air, higher and higher, slowly transforming into skull that peered purposely in his direction.

His ears perked up at the sound of a motorized engine speeding his way, its buzzing sounds an awful like a chainsaw as it drew nearer.

Ferguson glanced around, unable to tell from which direction it was coming from, the echo bouncing all around the plains and making it impossible to pinpoint.

"I am the opossum king! I faced my uncle ironically named Bad Guy, I stood my ground against a wave of overly friendly dogs! I FEAR NOTHI..."

Ferguson let out an unmanly yelp as the motorized engine became impossibly loud, the squealing of the machine piercing Ferguson's ears while Janna flew overhead, sailing midair on the back of a snow mobile, her dress now traded for a traditional hunter clothing, flannel shirt, beige jacket and all. She wore thick black goggles that protected her sight from the weather but most terrifying of all was the large, nasty looking Bazooka casually slung over her shoulder.

She landed perfectly, expertly turning the vehicle with one hand, pulling to a completely stop to ensure Ferguson knew exactly what he was dealing with.

"Hey, isn't this a liiiittle excessive?"

Janna lifted her free hand to her ear, leaning forward as if she couldn't hear Ferguson "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over your slow roasted corpse!"

Ferguson managed to get out an "Oh man" before Janna took aim, giving Ferguson a second head start before pulling down on the trigger.

* * *

"UGH!" Star shouted, pounding angrily against Marco's snowy prison "Why isn't this breaking?! It's snow! SNOW!"

"Well it is winter time Star" Marco supplied, still straining to break free "It's cold and snow gets more solid the colder it is."

"But the sun is out! RIGHT THERE!"

"Star, focus. The monster's airship is barreling right towards us."

"And another thing" Star rambled on, ignoring Marco's attempts to get her back on track with the task on hand "How is that entire thing being held up by a single propeller? I mean that isn't how it works! It shouldn't even be able to turn and move forward! Helicopters need that secondary propeller to help..."

"Star!" Marco shouted, causing the blonde to leap back in surprise "We will figure it out later but right now I need you to help me get out of here."

"Right, right" Star nodded, furiously renewing her attack at the Snow Marco but still finding her efforts in vain.

"Besides" Marco said with a strained smile "I'm sure everything is working according to..."

A sudden gust of wind whipped past the trio, causing their hair to sway dramatically as a white mushroom appeared over the ridge, rising skyward before turning into a skull shape form, loose snow raining down from above and pelleting everyone with slushy ice.

"Cold, cold, cold" Star muttered, dancing back and forth as she tried to warm herself up quickly, wishing she had something more than her sleep dress.

Marco shivered, shaking his head trying to remove the snow pile forming on his hair "buuut just in case, we should really take out that airship."

Star nodded in agreement, putting her finger on her chin, circling around the trapped boys, seeing if there was another angle to this problem she wasn't seeing.

"umm, could you hurry please?" Alfonso asked quietly, watching the rapidly approaching airship close in on them.

"I GOT IT!" Star shouted with glee, smacking her forehead in disbelief. How could she not see it before?

"Really? Awesome!" Marco said with a cheer.

Star reached for the staff she had stolen from the monsters and lifted it high into the air.

Marco could feel his heart drop at the sight of the weapon, a manic grin playing on Star's face "S-Star?"

"Don't move Marco" she simply told him, arching her arms back as she clutched the base of the staff tightly, ready to put everything into one last swing.

"I can't move, that's the problem! Star, wait wait wait I'm sure I can just..."

"NO TIME!" Star took a step forward, swinging with all her might and hoping she didn't accidentally hurt Marco. Actually, now that she stop and thought about, this was a probably a really bad idea.

Well too late now.

Marco squeezed his eyes shut. As much as he liked Star, he had a feeling this was going to hurt.

There was a loud thwack, the crunching of metal on ice echoing loudly in his ears.

Marco opened his eyes carefully when he felt the powdery ice around his chest loosen and fall away in big chunks.

"Star, you did it!" Marco let out an excited whoop, smiling brightly Star's way until he realized she had closed her eyes too "Star! Did you close your eyes?!"

Star popped open her eyes "Psst...no. Hee...hee..."

"Staaaaar."

"Look! Your arms are free!" Star quickly pointed out, hoping to quickly distract the nutcracker.

Marco lifted his arms, letting a sigh of relief out before aggressively and viciously pounding the rest of the snow prison away from his body.

"I'm free!" Marco cheered before a gust of wind passed boy, chilling the nutcracker and causing him to shiver once more despite his uniform "and I'm cold."

"Here"

Marco felt his cheeks become hotter as Star wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, burying her head into his chest as her warmth quickly spread throughout his body. Marco let out a smile that he knew she couldn't see, returning the hug and holding her tight.

Marco was freezing and it took everything Star had not to back away from his icy grip but each passing moment became more and more enjoyable, Marco's temperature quickly rising and matching her own.

The girl and the nutcracker pulled away from each other, breaking their hold on each other but their hands remained intertwined, two playful grins mirroring one another as they just stared at each other in contentment.

"Excuse me?" Alfonso's timid voice cut through the serene moment, causing Star and Marco to quickly let go of each other like their hands were on fire. They quickly turned to the still trapped henchossum, clearly flustered and completely lost at what was going on.

"If you are done winning over your girlfriend" Alfonso told them, a hint of fear seeping into his voice "I'd really like to get out now."

The word's tumbled out of the two surprised teens in a giant convulsed mess that was barely understood by Alfonso

"We? She...we're not...she's not my..."

"He's...dating? Psst? Us? I...well..no, not..."

Marco and Star looked to each other quickly, sharing an embarrassed and anxious look on their faces while they silently prayed that the other one wouldn't bring it up.

"You two are cute together" Alfonso said with a huff "Can I get out now?"

Marco and Star said nothing as Star picked up her staff and made her way over to free the young teen.

With a mighty whack (With her eyes opened this time), Alfonso scurried free of his prison, stretching his limbs and waking his previously immobile body.

"I see you freed him with your eyes open" Marco pouted, a hint of jealousy hidden in his tone.

Star turned to him "Seriously?"

"I'm just saying"

"Duck!" Alfonso shouted, diving into the ground as fast as he could.

Marco turned around to see the airship barreling down upon them, so close Marco could count the splinters on the aged wood pretty accurately.

Marco dove, gently tackling Star to the ground as softly as he could, the bow of the airship barely missing their heads. The angry cursing of the crew could be heard for a moment before the ship began to circle around, cannons sliding into place and being prepped to open fire on the hapless heroes

Star leapt to her feet, staff in hand before realizing Marco hadn't joined her. She glanced around for the nutcracker only to notice he was half buried in a nearby snow pile.

"Marco!" She chided, gripping the collar of his uniform tightly "This isn't the time to be lazy!"

Star lifted him to his feet, silently giggling at the face full of snow that covered Marco's head.

Marco shook off the snow as best he could, drawing his sword while taking his place next to Star, trying to look cool to cover up his embarrassing moment.

The two narrowed their eyes at the airship, cannons evilly gleaming in the sunlight.

"You ready?" Star asked quietly, trying not to let Marco know how truly afraid she was in the moment.

"Well I never took on an airship with a sword before but it's worth a shot."

The teens could feel their body tensing more and more with each passing moment, the sheer insanity of the situation slowly dawning on them as the monsters sneered cockily their way, torches carried by their various appendages. The lizard in the well kept suit looked at them in amusement, wondering how foolish the nutcracker and the girl really were to think they could take on a fully weaponized airship with a piece of metal and a dingy sword.

The sizzling of fuses could be heard, a simple sound carrying far throughout the frozen plains and hills. The lizard in the suit smiled, his yellow eyes filled to the brim with joy. He may need Star but that didn't mean he needed her alive. If she didn't want to be a good little prisoner, then she'd be a dead one.

The fuses became shorter and shorter, consumed by the flames that hurriedly raced to ignite the gunpowder and smash several tons of cast iron cannonballs into Marco and Star's bodies. The monsters aboard leaned forward expectantly, bloodlust eager in their gaze.

 _And without warning, the frost finally got the better of the propeller, freezing and causing it to crack in half, no longer able to support itself or the monstrous crew._

There was a loud crack as the airship groaned unhappily, struggling to keep itself afloat but there was no use. It sailed through the sky majestically before roughly crashing onto a nearby hill, skidding and sliding around as the snow attempted to slow the wooden ship to a stop.

Marco and Star glanced at each in disbelief, their voices overlapping as they called out as one "NARRATOR!"

 _I have returned._

"Did you find out the meaning of your existence?" Marco asked curiously

 _No. I'm actually trying not to think about it, so if you could not mention it that would be greeeeeat._

"Oh. Sorry"

 _So what's the plan?_

"okay, okay we need to get Ferguson into a mouse suit but Janna's on that"

There was a loud explosion in the far distance over the ridge, various mouse like appeal floated lazily throughout the sky, landing here, there and everywhere.

"But we might need to help her out in that."

 _I am not a fan of her what with her questioning of my existence and place in the universe sooooo I'll let you handle the assist._

Marco let out an annoyed sigh "And we need to keep Star away from the monsters."

Star turned to Marco, unable to believe what she was hearing "Wait, what?"

Marco was surprised at the incredulously tone Star's voice held "Star?"

"I am not a helpless damsel! I thought I made that clear _Marco_ "

"Wait, Star that isn't why we need to keep you away from the monsters, if they get a hold of you..."

"Which they did" Star interrupted, eyes blazing with a righteous fury "and I managed to escape. And I bet I can defeat them right now!"

With an insane battle crazed war cry, Star rose her staff high before rushing head first towards the downed airship.

 _I am very surprised at you Marco, that wasn't very progressive of you. I mean we live in a society that promotes hero and heroine equally._

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to keep his anger in check "That's not why Narrator. Janna cast a spell on her."

 _...what...kind of spell?_

"Apparently some sort of shrink spell which is why Star's small"

 _Why?_

Marco shrugged, completely forgetting the narrator couldn't see him "To mess with her I guess."

 _I wouldn't doubt it...I do exist, I do exist, I do exist._

"Umm, Narrator? You okay there buddy?"

 _Yeah, yeah just reaffirming my self actualization is all. So what's the deal with the spell?_

"Weeeell when it wears off, Star will turn big again."

 _Umm...okay? Big?_

"Full sized, like her normal height."

 _Gotcha_

"And when that happens, anything or anyone holding on to her will get big too."

 _Mhm...okay I see_

Marco frowned "And Don the monkey king will rise from the grave and plunge the world into 992 years of darkness."

 _Marco, this is not the time to be joking!_

Marco's cheeks flushed in embarrassment "I-I'm sorry, I thought you weren't paying attention"

 _Of course I was paying attention, this is very serious!_

"b-but you were like all mhm yes, I see. Okay like you weren't paying attention!" Marco stammered out anxiously

 _Of course I'm going to respond like that! How do you even respond to something like that? Did you want me be all like oh my god! THAT MEANS THE MONSTERS ARE GOING TO GET REAL SIZED TOO! Just literally repeating what you just said, Is that what you wanted? Was that the correct reaction?_

Marco rubbed his hair sheepishly "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

 _Oh geez, I'm sorry man. I...I'm just under a lot of stress. I mean I just wanted to tell a version of my beloved story and now the story has gone off the rails, I'm still confused what's going on and I just had my existence questioned. Not the day I was expecting, you know?_

"Yeah. I hear you."

 _So wait, what's the deal with Ferguson? It doesn't matter what animal he is...does it?_

"Weeeeell long story short it turns out he changed one of the fundamental concepts story which means the story or our world is unstable and will literally ceased to be once Janna's spell wears off."

 _Wait, how is Janna's magic keeping everything together?_

"I'm not really sure. I...just don't think about it too much."

 _So basically we need to get Ferguson into a mouse suit and stop the monsters from holding onto Star when the magic wears off...which is...when, exactly?_

Marco opened his mouth to answer only to realize there was no answer he could give "Umm...I...I'm not really sure actually."

 _So we need to convince a delusional human who thinks he is an opossum into a suit of an animal he seriously dislikes, a fairy who is mean and lazy is going to try to get said delusional human into said suit of the animal he hates and we need to make sure your crush stays away from anyone evil so they don't increase in height..._

"Well yeah, pretty much"

 _Hmm...I wonder if it's too late to jump on that Gravity Falls Christmas special..._

"Umm" Marco looked around, utterly confused at what was being said "I'm sorry?"

 _Nothing, nothing. Well I'm not sure if I'll get destroyed if you guys go but I don't want to jinx it. Besides, I really love you guys. Okay, let's go get Star!_

"YES!" Marco cheered before a really important question popped into his head "Hey, why don't you go help Janna?"

 _No_

"But isn't..."

 _I said no safe kid. Don't make me bury you in snow._

"I'm just saying..."

 _That's it! The snowy hill behind Marco began to rumble, slowly shaking loose a large wave of icy powder ready to bury the nutcracker underneath its winter grip._

Marco turned around and saw at the top of the hill began shaking violently, the snow forming at the top ready to bear down upon him

"Alright, alright I'm letting it go! L...let's go protect Star!"

 _and as quickly it began, the snow slowed to a stop, peaceful and tranquil once more._

Marco let out a sigh of relief, warily eying the now still hill top carefully in case the Narrator's little trick didn't actually stop the avalanche.

Marco quickly raced to catch up to Star, trying to keep his heart calm.

And as he inched closer towards the fallen airship, he quickly took notice of several monsters, face down on the floor, sporting various lumps and bruises, weakly moaning in pure pain.

There was the large giraffe, that weird deer guy with a beard, some overgrown lobster man, two headed devil guy. Star really wanted to prove herself capable.

Marco whistled, beaming with pride at Star's work. She really didn't need anyone to save her but everyone could use a little help from time to time.

Star swung her staff angrily, clubbing one of the large monsters with the colossal, buff alligator arm and a little normal sized human arm with as much force as she could, taking a quiet joy as the giant crumpled under her might.

"Star!" Marco cried out, noticing a rather large monster with spiky balls in lieu of hands rushing right towards the battle crazed Star.

Star whirled around in the wrong direction, smirking once she saw the nutcracker trying wave her to turn the other way, his face in a panic and his gestures growing more desperate each passing second.

"See Marco?" Star teased, proudly motioning to all the fallen monsters she managed to defeat "I am not a helpless damsel"

"Star, turn around!"

Star stuck out her tongue "stop telling me what to do! I can handle..."

Star let out a gasp of surprise when Marco flung his blade her way, the deadly steel catching and reflecting the sunlight as it twirled its way towards her.

Before Star even react to Marco's apparent betrayal, the sword flew passed her and buried itself into the snowy plains, confusing the young girl.

She turned around to finally notice the large spike ball monster just moments away from trampling her flat into the ground if it wasn't for Marco's now embedded sword. Pointy end facing skyward, waiting for Spike Balls as he took a large, menacing step forward only to be reward with pain for his failure to pay attention to his surroundings.

Spike Balls let out an anguish cry, hopping backwards, trying to clutch at his injured foot only to cause more injuries given the nature of his unique hands.

"Oh...I guess I missed one" Star muttered sheepishly, swaying back and forth, shame bubbling in her stomach.

"S...Star" Marco wheezed out, trying to regain his breath upon finally catching up "W...we need to go."

"Why? I got all the monsters...well almost. I was just missing the Spike monster...oh and the lizard in the suit"

"Lizard in a suit?" Marco repeated just in time to notice someone slithering out of the corner of his eye. Before Marco could react, the lizard in the suit lunged at him, slipping around his entire body with a grace of a python and trapping the nutcracker in death grip, limbs restricted and rendering Marco helpless in the lizard iron grasp.

"Marco!" Star shouted, raising her staff in preparation to strike. The lizard glared evilly towards Star, twisting Marco's arm and with a sickening crunch, Marco let out bloodcurdling scream, sinking to the floor, clutching at his now broke arm weakly.

Star could feel her face pale at the sight of the fallen nutcracker.

"Now, now" the lizard said with a smooth, detached tone "Let's not do anything hasty unless you have replacement nutcracker prepared."

Star gripped the staff tighter, staring daggers at the lizard in the suit "Look you egotistic, self-admiring, sharped dressed reptile!"

"My, my, my" The lizard replied with an infuriating smug tone "Aren't we quite educated? Let's get even more educated. My name is Toffee and I suppose you know what happens when I place my hand here" Star tried to steady herself as Toffee the lizard placed a clawed hand onto Marco's throat while the other one held onto the back of his head "and here and give it a little twist."

Star nodded slowly, unable to believe the nightmarish situation she had gotten herself into. Granted it was all pretty surreal but it kinda just piling up.

"Good, now don't you try..."

 _And, without warning, the..._

Toffee pulled at Marco's hair roughly, causing a pain grunt to escape his lips "Don't be too hasty Narrator. I doubt you can finish your sentence before I break his neck. And I rather doubt you want me to question your existence.

 _No, no let...let's not do the whole 'existing' thing...wait you know about me?_

"Of course. I know everything, the spell on Star, the fact our entire world is just a story and that once the spell runs out, I will be able become human sized and the real fun can begin."

"Human sized...?" Star whispered but Toffee wasn't finished yet

"Don't worry about it princess. You are going to drop the staff and we're going hold hands until the spell wears off."

Star scoffed, shaking her head, taking a step back to further herself away from the lizard.

"I'm sorry but that is the wrong direction" Toffee hissed angrily, gripping Marco's throat even tighter.

But Star knew as much as she didn't want Marco hurt, she couldn't let the monster get a hold of her. She couldn't risk her family, maybe her whole world for Marco. No matter how much she wanted to save him...

"Last warning...get over here now or else..." Toffee threatened, glaring directly into Star's eyes.

Star silently shook her head, praying Marco would forgive her.

Toffee said nothing, his muscles visibly tightening underneath his jacket suit.

Marco could feel the silent tension, the horrifying realization that this was really happening, that in this fantastical adventure existed a dark, grim chapter in this story, one that may cause him not to know how this journey will end.

Marco closed his eyes, hoping it would end quickly though given how slowly Toffee was adding the pressure on his throat, the monster intended to draw this out either to punish Marco or to see if he could break Star's resolve.

The world began darkening and Marco was having a real hard time getting air to his oxygen deprived head.

Toffee gave an evil grin, taking joy at Star's trembling, clenched fists and Marco's weakening resistance. Sooner or later Star Butterfly would...

 _SURPRISE!_

Toffee instinctively jumped at the shattering of the silence, having forgotten about the Narrator's existence.

Marco seized his opportunity, smashing his head into the jaw of his captor before rushing forward as quick he could, ducking under Star's charging assault.

Star let out a frustrated cry before she slammed her staff into Toffee's skull as hard as she could.

"Oww..." Toffee muttered, a large lump rising up from where Star struck. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell forward, his chin crunching onto the sheet of snow at his feet.

Star let out a sigh of relief, blowing a strain of hair out of her face before straightening her back.

"Thanks Narrator" Marco murmured, checking over his broke arm, frowning at the sight of it.

 _I'm just glad I was useful. Though to be honest, all this monster business was a bit anti-climactic._

"are you saying you wanted a longer fight? We're kinda running out of time here!"

 _No, no I'm just saying..._

Star whirled around, smiling brightly at the still living nutcracker. But before she could take a step forward, a nauseating wave of illness overtook her causing her to fall to the floor, clutching at her stomach painfully.

"Star!" Marco made his way to fallen girl "Star, what's wrong?"

"I...I feel funny...like...I'm dizzy and I feel like I'm getting taller..."

Marco said nothing, unsure how to tell the young girl in addition to the fact she was indeed growing in size, she was also turning rapidly shifting colors like a rainbow or Mario power-up.

"I...I don't know what's going on" Star whispered, trying her hardest not to freak out.

"That would be the spell fading away and alongside with it, our reality." Janna's voice said from out of nowhere, the sugar plum fairy lazily leaning against her snow mobile, calmly eating a slice of pizza while the world began shaking violently, a loud, deep cracking resonating all around like the very Earth was trying to tear itself apart.

The sky began to dim, snow changing hues from a bright white to dull gray, the land itself felt slippery as a deep thrum began growing louder and louder.

"Janna, just don't sit there!" Marco shouted, pulling at his hair in a panic.

Janna held up her finger, signaling everyone to wait while she consumed her pizza.

"Marco?" Star asked fearfully "What's going on?"

"Umm...well...you see...basically Ferguson is about to destroy our reality because he changed the animal and the only reason everything is being held together is because of the spell Janna cast on you to shrink you down. Once that wears off, if the Narrator hasn't regain control of the story, weeeell everything will kinda stop existing."

"Okay"

"Okay?" Marco looked at her "Just okay?"

"Marco, I was kidnapped by an airship of monsters, talked to the narrator of the story I'm currently in and I'm about to grow to full size again because a spell Janna casted. It's kinda hard to be surprised at this point."

"Right..."

Janna let out a satisfied moan, licking the grease off her fingers as the snow began drying up, the grassy plains withering away to nothing.

"JANNA!"

"hmm?" Janna looked confused upon hearing her name, carefully watching everyone's gaze towards her "What?"

"Where's Ferguson?!"

"Oh right."

With a flick of her wrist, the snow mobile vanished to reveal a cage hidden on the other side, a pouting Ferguson wearing circular mouse ears though still dressed as an opossum.

"I hate you all" Ferguson growled, crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out at everyone "And where's my henchossum?"

Alfonso peered around the corner, shyly waving to his boss "h-here."

"And what were you doing? Hiding? What kind of henchossum are you!"

Alfonso let out a defeated sigh "For the last time sir, I'm just the cook. I don't even know how to fight."

 _And the fact he is just a minor character in a story where his role doesn't technically exist, you should be happy he even had some part here._

Ferguson huffed angrily before rolling his eyes, pushing his arms pass the bar and motioning for Alfonso come closer.

Alfonso cautiously took a step forward and yelped when Ferguson gave him a big hug.

Everyone awwed, taking in the moment of friendship until the sky cracked down the middle, a pitch black tear directly in the center of the skyline.

"Jaaaaanna, are the ears going to work?!" Marco asked

Janna shrugged "I dunno, probably"

 _Probably?!_

"Eh, we're about to find out" Janna told the others, creating another slice of pizza with a wave of her hand and calmly began stuffing it into her mouth.

 _You are just the worst_

Janna smirked "Do we have to have a talk about our existences again?"

 _N-no...no that's...let's just see what happens, shall we?_

Everyone held their breath, shivering and simply waiting to see if a pair of mouse can could stop the destruction of their entire reality.

For a frightful moment, everything stayed still, unmoving, unyielding and simply there.

And with a loud crack, the world became new once more. Snow refroze, the sky pieced itself together and everything became as it once was.

"See, everything's fine!" Janna shouted, letting out a cheer before muttering to herself. "Thank god."

"What was that?" Marco eyed Janna carefully.

"Nothing Marco."

an awkward silence overtook the group as Star continued to grow, now currently twice the size of anyone there.

"Soooo what do we do about Star here?"

 _I got this. Once Star is ready of course._

Star peered upwards towards the voice before looking down at Marco, his eyes brimming with the promise of a tearful goodbye.

"Bye Star" Marco waved with his one good arm, sorrow etching itself on his face.

"Marco...Marco come with me!"

"Star..." Marco began, already prepared for this conversation but Star cut him off, eager to make the nutcracker understand.

"I-if you hold onto me, you can be big too! I mean I have no idea how I'll explain where you came from..."

"Star"

"Or even who you are b-but I'm sure I can figure something out!"

"Star" Marco repeated softly, looking towards the ever growing girl "I can't go with you."

"It's not fair. W...we spent so little time..."

"And the little time we spent was wonderful" Marco agreed, granting Star a small smile  
"But time's up. You must return."

"But I...you...we..."

Marco placed his good hand on her giant knee, patting her gently "You can't keep staring to the past Star. Regretting what could've been...We must move forward."

"Marco..."

"And sometimes" Marco said calmly "Moving forwards we could regain what we once lost...or perhaps find something better."

Star opened her mouth to argue when Marco revealed his broken arm, finally realizing what the nutcracker meant.

His arm hung loosely and disabled, held together by a large splinter of wood, his skin no longer looking alive but rather a dull, faded wooden texture. During her adventure here, during all the rare moments she held Marco, she forgot that the nutcracker she was so fond of...he was just a nutcracker. Not made of bone or skin or living tissue but wood...Marco...wasn't a real human...

Star sniffled, trying hold back her tears but failing to catch all over them, a few of them spilling down her cheeks.

Janna, Ferguson and Alfonso all shared a look, their lips tight with the united truth they each knew.

"This sucks doesn't it?" Janna said with an annoyed sigh.

"I know. I didn't get to do anything exciting" Alfonso complained

"Can I get out of the cage now? I put the stupid ears on"

"Nooooo, I think I'm going to leave you in there since you caused me so much trouble"

"That is so not fair! Henchossum, help me!"

"Hmm? Oh I'm sorry, I can't hear you, snow in the ears."

"HENCHOSSUM!"

Star stared at the nutcracker, trying her hardest to keep it together "I...understand Marco."

Marco smiled knowingly at her "good."

Star took a deep breath, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand.

"Goodbye Marco."

"Goodbye Star."

Star glanced skyward, the skyline becoming smaller and smaller each passing moment.

She let out a deep sigh, the truth she long forgotten finally remembered at last. This was a story and all stories must end.

"Narrator?"

 _And then...Star woke up._

 _Star shuddered awake, the sound of footsteps running down the stairs confusing her for a moment to where she was._

 _She groggily picked herself off the floor, nearly bumping into the majestic Christmas tree._

 _She let out a sigh, her adventure now a hazy, faraway dream she could hardly remember._

 _Star realized she was clutching something in her hand. Carefully, she glanced at the object she held onto dearly and realized it was her nutcracker, jaw still broken but held together by the pink handkerchief. Aside from that, the nutcracker was perfectly fine._

 _Star felt a deep sense of loss, one whose source she could not piece together but staring at her nutcracker brought her no joy, only sorrow._

 _She let out a deep sigh when a hand tenderly tapped her shoulder._

 _Star turned to find herself staring into the violet eyes of her older cousin who must've just arrived given she was bundled up in a snow jacket and boots, her light brown flecked with bits and pieces of snow and frost._

" _Oh, hey Mae, did you just get here?" Star asked, trying her hardest to hide her sadness._

 _Mae nodded, hugging her younger cousin tightly and causing cold shiver to run down Star's spine "Whoops, sorry. I guess I'm still a little cold."_

 _Star let out a restrained joyful laugh "it's okay."_

" _Whatcha got there?"_

" _Oh this?" Star held up the nutcracker "Just a gift from Grunkle Nugget. I...it's pretty lame huh?"_

 _Mae shook her head, peering closer to inspect the nutcracker "It's pretty cool actually! And very detailed. I think it's a great gift."_

 _Star smiled Mae, nodding in agreement "Yeah...I guess it is."_

" _Why is it's jaw broken?"_

" _Oh Brittney. She...she broke it."_

 _Mae clicked her tongue in disappointment "I guess we're going to have to teach that girl a lesson"_

 _Star giggled before shaking her head in disagreement "No, no we shouldn't."_

 _Mae shrugged "alright but you owe me. Snowfight later on?"_

 _Star smiled and nodded "Snowfight later."_

 _Mae smiled at her before moving to great the rest of their family._

 _Star looked down at the nutcracker once more. If it happened or didn't, it was still a pretty fun ride...even if it was over._

 _There was a loud knock at the door but everyone else seemed too distracted to answer it._

 _Star let out an exasperated sigh before stomping her way to the front door, angrily pulling it open only to come face to face with a pair of people she's never seen before._

 _They were an older Latino couple and filled to the brim was positive energy, their age elusive to Star. The man had dark brown hair with very, very familiar light brown eyes and short blackish brown mustache while the woman had puffy auburn hair tied in a ponytail with this pretty shade of green eyes._

" _umm...hi" Star began slowly "Can I help you?"_

" _Si" The man replied "We are looking Nugget!"_

" _Nugget?" Star asked, confused what they were asking for._

" _Si, Nugget Butterfly."_

 _Star wanted to smack herself, they weren't looking for nuggets, they were looking for her Grunkle Nugget."_

" _Ah! Rafael! Angie!" Nugget's voice cried excitedly from behind as he made his way over to the front door "Glad to see you made it!"_

" _Nugget, it is good to see you!" Angie said cheerfully, the trio sharing a huge hug, dragging Star into the middle of it._

 _Star pulled away, trying her hardest to fight off the trio's infectious laugh "Grunkle Nugget, who are these people?"_

" _Don't you remember Star? I told you my friends were going to bring my suitcase I forgot, these are my friends! I have friends! Who said I didn't have friends?"_

" _Grunkle! Nobody said you didn't have friends"_

 _Nugget shook his head "Nah uh, not true."_

 _Star stared at her Grunkle, puzzled who would say such a thing about Nugget "Who said it then?"_

" _Me, I did" Nugget admitted "Because I think I made it very clear I am crazy."_

" _Well" Rafael interrupted "if we are not you're friends, I suppose we will just take back the suitcase and go home hmm?"_

" _No, no you wouldn't want to do that, that would make my great niece very sad"_

 _Star knew what Grunkle Nugget wanted her to do long before his nudge at her side. Star pulled out the puppy eyes, pouting lips included and turned it full blast._

 _The couple cooed cutely at her before letting out a happy laugh "Alright, we will give you your suitcase but only because your adorable great niece would be sad if we did not."_

 _Nugget and Star shared a conspiratorial wink towards one another._

" _Well we'll just leave it here and be on our way" Angie told the pair but Nugget grabbed both of the Diaz's by the wrists, shaking his head._

" _No, no you came all this way, the least you can do is stay for a while. Maybe an hour. 2. or a day! Supposedly there's going to be a big storm coming this way, might have to be stuck with us for a few."_

" _Nugget" Rafael said, trying to break free of Nugget's grip "We wouldn't want to intrude."_

" _Nonsense, you are not intruding at all! And if anyone tells you otherwise, I will jumpscare them!"_

" _Well...I suppose we could stay for a while" Angie conceded, allowing the ancient man to drag them deeper into the house._

 _Star laughed, watching their retreat figures, turning to close the door but before she could even touch the cool handle of the door, Angie called out to her "Wait, our son Marco is bringing the suitcase!"_

" _Marco?"Star whispered, unable to believe her ears. Could it be? But...but it..it was impossible!_

 _Star heard crunch, crunch, crunch of boots stepping ontop of snow, the sound of something heavy being dragged across the frozen yard._

 _Star turned slowly to find someone standing on the pouch._

 _He was bundled head to toe in a bright red snow jacket, his face tucked under a bright red scarf with a bright red beanie on his head and black slacks peppered with snowfall. But Star felt her heart skip at the sight of his familiar light brown eyes and light brain hair, the snowy backdrop bringing her memories into reality._

 _The clothed person removed the scarf to reveal a boy about her age and the spitting image of her beloved nutcracker in her dream was staring back at her._

" _Hi, sorry about that" Marco apologized, motioning to the suitcase that was half his height "I have no idea what Nugget has in here but I am afraid to ask."_

 _Star stared at him, unable to believe what she was seeing...it couldn't be. It was...this couldn't be real._

" _Oh!" Marco exclaimed, wiping the snow off his gloves and extending his hand towards Star "Where are my manners, hi I'm..."_

" _Marco" Star finished, embracing the boy tightly with a sudden hug._

 _Marco stiffened under Star's hold, his cheeks formerly red from the cold, now red from the sudden burst of affection. He wasn't used to pretty girls suddenly hugging him for no reason._

" _I'm...I'm sorry but have we met before?" Marco winced, hoping the cute blonde didn't hear his voice cracking._

 _Star pulled away, holding onto Marco's shoulders firmly. Did he not remember? Or was he not the nutcracker?_

" _I mean" Marco said quietly "Y..you do seem familiar...it's Star right?"_

 _Star smiled brightly, opting not to mention that she hadn't given her name at all._

" _Yep! Already forgot about me Marco?"_

 _Marco shook his head "No...I mean...we met once before...right?"_

 _Star nodded, the vague but pleasant dream dancing around her mind like an elusive fantasy_

" _Once upon a dream."_

 _Nugget stared at the two, a small smile on his lips as Star took Marco's hand and guided him inside the house._

" _All legends" he said with a sly grin "Have some truth to them._ Right _,_ Narrator?"

 _You know what...I'm just going to stop here. I...I'm going to go stare at a wall and rethink my life. This is the last time I do a favor for Mr.E._

 _The End._

Nugget gave a hearty laugh "That is the 5th narrator I gave an existential crisis too. I hope no one notices the plot holes. NO ONE NOTICE THE PLOT HOLES!"


	59. Starconauts (Psychonauts AU)

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here wishing every single one of you an awesome time. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me and they make me smile so much.

a special thanks to h mae- NOOOO you weren't supposed to notice them! Nugget has spoken! you are extremely welcome. I mean you gave me such an amazing gift with that Nova and Connor sketch, it was the least i could do. I mean I'm not an artist so adding you into the story was the best i could do. it was my gift to you and i am very happy you liked it. you're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome! :D yep, it might've happened in her head but that doesn't mean it wasn't real. yes i didn't put the fluff warning.

sonicelite- haha riiiiight thank you so much and hopefully one day the narrator shal.

Finn- it's like schrodinger's plot holes. there's plot holes and no plot holes at the same time.

deadshoot-I'm glad. well it depends. i written stories about a guy traveling through time and ends up interacting himself at various points or the story of two kids with future sight playing tag, each time they see the future they change it and they're trying to catch the other off guard and of course there was the one that was about a detective who has 3 experts in different fields but he always brings the wrong one to the case or the crime scene at hand.

bigmike- hmm okay sounds fair, please fill out this psychological form, this existential crisis wavier and please provide any information any and all split personalities you may have.

Smitty theories- haha not bad for a character has not been introduced yet. those kittens sound adorable and dangerous. I LOVE THEM! PEW PEW PEW. I didn't. Nugget did. Nugget figured if you are going to play around in his world, that gives him permission to mess with you. its not his fault the narrators didn't feel confident enough to not question their existence. I am glad you enjoyed the starco! i heard about something like that. maybe. and yeah, she gave me an awesome sketch of nova and conor that was just awesome i had to return the favor.

misfortune- dont worry, the narrator is getting quality help with the starco insurance plan. I saw it and left you a review though honestly i think you are off to a pretty good start! keep it up! :D

mira- I know right!

cartoonlover- i think i proved i am very random. i am very happy you enjoyed it

Lupus- shh dont speak of the plot hole or nugget will come for you. nugget is always watching

Skeptic Potato- no thanks needed, it was my pleasure! i love so many stories and artists from this fandom its only fair i mention you all. haha it would be my pleasure though you have quite a wait there are some requests in front of you. would you like some heavy or light starco?

Marionette- thank you so much i am so happy you enjoyed all my work and i hope you continued to do so. no need to beg, While i'm still debating on giving Nova a solo story or not, you will be getting for more oneshots of Nova and connor though honestly probably more given how much you readers love them. seriously makes me super happy when you tell me that. like this happy :D

grim- haha i think its because of the word grunkle and the fact we haven't seen grunkle nugget since he's in the opening of the next season. and its totally a stan thing to do. please dont, the narrator is...well recovering.

butterdiaz- no worries about reviews trust me, i know all about them. i feel bad because there's so many reviews i have to leave. thank you and i am glad you enjoyed all my work. and i shall keep it up!

wookie- exactly! haha thanks for not pointing them out. if they are any

imanukeyourface- nugget thanks you. I am very glad you enjoyed and admittedly it took me a long time to discover my style. ive been writing a long time and its second nature to me but here's some tips. details and vocab are the best thing you can ever have in your skill set and if you ever stuck, check out other people's work they will help you overcome writers block and show you how they describe characters, settings, plots etc etc. it just takes time and practice. thank you for your kind words and your awesome review. it really makes me small though admittedly i do go pretty overboard its kinda how i am keep being awesome and give writing a shot.

on starco corner, since it is late for me, i dont think the artists have anything new up. i could totally be wrong but i will fix that tomorrow. on FF here we have an amazing chapter from flowersforfanfics the Star and the sun, all sorts from nightmareking, the princess and the safe kid from PFTones, wands and weirds from sonic elite, a very starco xmas from pinestarship. there might be more but ill check those tomorrow.

So this au is very special to me because i wrote it in honor of a huge piece of great news. I know you were expecting the steampunk finale but that will be tomorrow because i could not pass this up. Yesterday (cuz its like 1 am for me now) a video game project was successfully funded and it was something i wanted so bad that i personally put money into it. I am talking about Psychonauts 2 a game i never thought was going to happen.

Psychonauts is one of my favorite games of all time. It is extremely creative, funny and just so underrated and appreciated. I mean it is a beautifully crafted action adventure platformer game. in the game you play as a 10 year old psychic named Rasputin or Raz for short who sneaks into a government training summer camp where he gets caught up in a secret plan. I highly recommend it if you haven't played it or if you are not a gamer, watch the cutscenes. its just awesome and i love their take on the concept of the mind among other things. so in honor of such an amazingly fine crafted game, i made an au of it. i want to do an earthbound one too but its about psi powers too so eh on the fence.

so in this au Star Butterfly manages to find and sneak into Whispering Rock Summer Camp for Psychically gifted children. Despite the fact she is not suppose to be there, they allow her to stay while her mother comes to pick her up but she soon finds herself caught up in a conspiracy that threatens the world in its entirety. can fellow camper Marco Diaz help her out?

so going to be honest, this might not be up to my usual quality. it was a last minute thing, a good chunk of the events and dialogue are from the game Especially the coach's speech and mind but i couldn't help it. I mean with time i could totally make something of my own out of this but for now it is a one shot. if you would like to see more of this story, let me know. some other notes Toffee, Apple *my own OC* and Ludo are actually good guys in this one. shocker right? and the kids are 14 and look exactly how they do in the show. well almost everyone

So thank you all for every review, favorite, and follow. thank you for letting get this little tribute to one of my favorite games out of my system. i hope you enjoy the story and i own nothing!

* * *

"The human mind. Six hundred miles of synaptic fibre. Five and a half ounces of cranial fluid. 1,500 grams of complex neural matter. A three pound pile of dreams."

Marco rolled his eyes, boredom beginning to seep into his very being as the quiet crackling of the campfire set the mood, the serene summer night giving all in attendance a peaceful feeling, a calm and tranquil atmosphere seldom found in any city.

The crickets were chirping, the rustling of formerly still trees ruined by avian creatures taking flight and the low growling of a predator lurking here and about echoing in the stillness of the darkness.

Marco wasn't afraid, he had been coming to Whispering Rock Summer Camp for years and the wildlife was tamed. For the most part.

Marco lazily glanced over to his fellow campers: Ferguson, Alfonzo, Janna, Sabrina, Chantelle, Lars, Oskar, even Tom, Sam and of course Jackie. Everyone was accounted for.

Another summer, another 3 months of training and nothing was going to happen. Again.

"You are the future."

Marco looked towards the raised platform just beyond the stereotypical campfire complete with a circle of logs, the illumination from the light cast the shadows of the counselors onto the wood carved wall behind them causing their silhouettes to become massive and inhuman.

Marco muttered under his breath, whispering the exact same words currently being spoken aloud. It was always the same speech, same dramatic flair from the diminutive Ludo.

Coach Ludo was the head counselor for Whispering Rock Summer Camp, a tiny man with grayish skin, bird like facial features and a rather strange taste for wearing with his beige colored outfit that was some sort of cross between a drill instructor and basketball sports coach with his favorite skull cap.

Coach Ludo has been here since Marco could remember and most of the time, he was the only one. Despite being a full fledged member of the legendary and world renown Psychonaut international psychic spy agency, his only job seemed to maintain the government training site disguised as a camp site and teach the cadets how to better control their growing psychic powers with the promise if they truly stood out, they would be turned into a full fledged Psychonaut agent (Which never happened).

Speaking of Psychonaut agents

Marco puffed out his chest, not enough to catch any of the counselors eyes but certainly enough to catch the attention of his fellow campers. Marco began making dramatic flairs and gestures while continuing to mouth the exact words coming out of Ludo's beak like mouth.

"From this day forward, you are all psychic soldiers, paranormal paratroopers, mental marines who are about to ship out on the adventure of their lives. You shall engage the enemy in their own mentality, you shall chase his dreams, you shall fight his demons, you shall live his nightmares."

The children giggled at Marco's antics, having already heard this speech at the beginning of each new summer session. Jackie winked cheerfully at Marco causing him to blush uncontrollably.

Ludo looked out to each of the children sitting across the other side of the flames "Those of you who fight well, you will find yourselves on the path to becoming international secret agents. In other words, Psychonauts!"

His gaze turned sideways towards the two others who shared the stage with him, rare guests not often found here on the camp grounds.

One of them was a taller, thinner man well dressed in a black suit and slacks with a white collared shirt, red tie, his yellow, indifferent eyes hidden behind the veil of shades despite the fact it was night. his well kept dark purple hair was slicked back as he lazily chewed on the unlit cigarette, his fingers nervously twitching in an effort to keep himself under control and resist set the unfiltered end ablaze.

Ludo shifted his glanced to the other side, a pair of cheerful green eyes peering at him hopefully, expecting a scolding or an entertaining outburst from the smaller man. Her short black hair tinted with a red and green streak that ran directly down the center of her skull. She wore a red blouse and purple skirt, her pale skin exposed to the chilly night air as her feet were tucked into a pair of thick combat boots.

His fellow Psychonauts agents Toffee and Apple.

Ludo peered back towards the crowd of children, staring at them as if he was peering into their very souls, reading their every thoughts...which was a real possible.

"The rest of you...will die! "

There was an awkward silence before everyone laughed loudly.

"Nothing ever happens here coach Ludo" Marco said outloud, before a frown overtook his face, a flood of memories rushing back to him "I mean sure there's those cougars that start fires and those telekinetic bears...and the squirrels keep telling Ferguson to take off his tinfoil hat and use his incredible psy power to blow up our heads."

"Hey! MY TINFOIL HAT IS THE ONLY THING KEEPING YOU ALL ALLLLLIIIIIIIVVVE!"

"Sure it is buddy" Alfonso gently patted his friend's arm "Just relax."

"Point is" Marco continued "Nothing ever happens."

"Ha ha ha. You wish Diaz, there's always the danger of the lake monster!" Lars taunted, swiping Janna's beanie from her head and lifting it high above her head.

Janna glared at the oversized bully, yelling at the top of her lungs "PSYCHIC FIGHT!" before she leapt at him, letting out a fierce battle cry as the gathering become a crazed psi powered fight.

"This is the future of psi ops?" Toffee scoffed, taking a deep breath and inhaling the vapors from the now lit cigarette.

"Now, now Toffee" Apple said with a playful tone, eyes sparkling at the sight of teens roughhousing but not attempting to actually harm each other "They're young. We can't ask them to save the world. That's why they're here. To learn."

Toffee said nothing as the chaos began to slowly escalate.

Then, without warning, there was a loud rustling in the bushes that surrounded the grove.

"LAKE MONSTER!" Ferguson shouted at the top of his lungs, whipping everyone into a frenzied panic. Within moments everyone began shouting and yelling, random bursts of different psi energy beams sailed through the air, telekinetic objects flying to and fro while the telltale signs of black smoke created by psychokinesis began fogging everything and everyone in sight.

"We should really put a stop to this" Toffee said calmly, flicking his cigarette away, making sure to extinguish it as it was swallowed by the darkness.

"Nonsense!" Ludo said with a nod "It's good for character. Strengthens the weak and reaffirms the strong"

Apple peered on fearfully, her maternal instincts taking over "Ludo"

Ludo let out a tired sigh "Fine, let's put a stop to this lake monster business."

Ludo placed his hand onto the side of his forehead, drawing on his power and concentrating on whatever lay behind the foliage.

Ludo's face slipped into pure surprise and strain, finding an extreme resistance from whatever was lurking about. This was no mere mutated, psychically powered animal.

"Toffee, Apple I might need some assistance. Whatever this is, it's putting up a good fight."

Toffee and Apple shared a shocked stare of disbelief before joining their comrade in his attempt to pull the thing from its hiding place.

"Such...resistance" Toffee grunted, unable to recall the last time he struggled so much with a living being.

"It is powerful" Apple conceded "But it _is_ inexperienced. Its resolve is weakening"

"Together. 3, 2, NOW!"

with one mighty tug as one, the resistance crumpled and the trio caught the mysterious being, roughly pulling it into the grove for all to see.

Marco couldn't believe his eyes. A figure about his size began flying in the air, trapped in the telekinetic grip of the counselors, swooping low and passing by all the campers, staring at everyone through pink tinted goggles, her long, gold blonde hair trailing behind her as she was brought before everyone, struggling in vain to escape.

"It's a girl!" Apple explained, smiling brightly at the young woman.

"A girl so young able to fight off our powers?" Toffee narrowed his eyes, impressed by such raw talent in someone so youthful.

Gently, the trio carefully put the girl down, taking a step back as she straightened herself out and stretched her sore limbs.

"Well that was rude" The girl exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

Marco didn't realized he was leaning forward, entranced about getting a better look at the girl who managed to sneak into one of the most secretive locations in the world.

The girl turned around, facing the entity of the camp with an envious cool and confidence Marco could only dream of possessing. She was wearing black aviator cap with a matching black bomber jacket unzipped and revealing her light blue blouse dress, a pink scarf wrapped around her neck. She staring curiously at everyone through her pink tinted goggles, her black skirt, leggings and sneakers completing her badass look.

"Who are you?" Toffee asked, watching the teenager carefully.

"My name" she said in dramatic fashion, hands resting upon her goggles.

"I got this" Ludo said, place a finger onto his forehead and closing his eyes in focus "Yes, I am seeing your name starts with a...R"

"Is Star Butterfly" Star finished, lifting the goggles onto her cap, crossing her arms while striking a cool pose.

"Whoa..." Marco muttered, his heart beating wildly under Star's cerulean gaze.

"How did you find this place?" Apple asked, taking a step closer and lovingly putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I saw it in a dream" Star admitted, trying to keep her face collected under the intense gaze of the best agents in Psychonauts history. They were right in front of her! IN THE FLESH!

"Precognition? At such a young age?" Ludo's tone was incredulous.

"Such a feat is not entirely impossible" Toffee's smooth voice chimed in "Mr. Diaz shows some promise in that area as well."

"Really?!" Star squealed excitedly, unable to contain her fangirlism any longer "That is so cool! It's such a rare power and not everyone can use it. And I was like it must be my destiny since I saw the camp sign and how to get here and all the cool things you do like this campfire meeting though I did not see myself flying through the air like that. That was so cool!"

"Yes, yes" Apple said, grinning at Star's enthusiasm "That is quite cool"

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

The trio shared another look "You...do not know how to use telekinesis?"

Star shook her head "Well...no..."

"How about pyrokinesis?"

"Setting things on fire with your mind? Nope."

"Levitation?"

"Nah uh."

"Clairvoyance?"

"Isn't that a chocolate bar?"

"Hmm...you do not how to use your powers do you?"

Star shook her head shamefully "No, but that's why I came here! I want to learn, I want to train and become a Psychonaut! Like you guys! I mean you are Toffee, you went toe to toe with the Sinister Brain while suffering amnesia!"

"Well..." Toffee began to shift uncomfortably, knowing exactly where Star had gotten that information.

Star excitedly turned to Apple who matched the girl's joy "And you're Apple! You one fought off the Psyclopes while protecting the president."

Apple flushed with embarrassment, trying wave off Star's praise.

"You two are like the best heroes ever." Star told them with a quiet awe "and I want to be one too!"

Toffee coughed loudly "Those stories were simply not true. You read them off of that weekly Psy Adventure comics, didn't you? I am afraid to disappoint you Star but such things were simply fabricated to..."

"Why are you trying to lie?" Star asked, wide eyed and star struck

"Star, I am not sure what you..." Toffee began but Star caught him off once more

"You're lying, I can feel it."

"..." Toffee remained silent, unsure to handle such a problem.

"What Toffee is trying to say" Apple gently told Star "Is that this is a government facility. We cannot simply take in anyone who walks in."

"Not to mention" Ludo added "That such an action is illegal and highly looked down upon."

"What are you saying?" Star whispered.

"I am afraid we're going to have to call your parents."

Star pouted and Apple was tempted to let the young girl stay right there and then.

"But I want to become a Psychonaut! I've dreamt of it for years!"

"Well keep dreaming kid" Ludo said harshly.

Apple bit her lip, unable to handle the disappointment and sadness on Star's face.

"Tell you what" Apple said softly "While your parents are on their way to pick you up, you may stay at camp and join us in a few activities. How does that sound?"

Star's smile did not return but the frown disappeared as Star nodded in agreement, figuring that was best she could get with her halfbaked plan.

"Now, it's been an exciting day" Ludo told the rest of the campers, the finality in his tone making it clear no one was to argue "Off to bed with you! We have basic braining in the morning."

With a silent and unspoken moan of disappointment, the camp dispersed into the inky shadows of the night.

"Miss Butterfly"

Star turned around, eagerness spread out throughout her entire face.

"Please report to cabin 12 and we will see you in the morning."

Star let out an excited cheer, rushing off under the pale moonlight, unable to believe she was actually going to get Psychonaut training lessons.

Toffee, Apple and Ludo said nothing until everyone was out of earshot, their conversation not for wandering ears.

"That girl has some amazing raw power." Toffee started, slipping another cigarette into his mouth.

"It's incredible. To think she could resist our combined efforts for so long without any training is truly remarkable." Apple added, throwing a smile towards Toffee. Toffee coughed awkwardly, cheeks flushed as he puffed on his stress relief habit.

"She can't stay" Ludo told the other two "no matter how talented she is, she is not allowed to be here."

"Lighten up Ludo" Toffee patted his old friend's back "I have a feeling that if Rafael finds out about Star, he'll be more than willing to make an exception for her. She has a bright future in the agency."

"Agreed" Apple nodded in agreement "She may be young but she could be the next Psychonaut agent."

"Assuming she passes basic braining" Ludo huffed, not at all liking the way his fellow agents were treating time honored and respected protocols.

"I have a feeling she will pass with flying colors." Toffee said calmly, rising into the air and floating off into the sky.

"Agreed" Apple began walk back to her cabin, ignoring Ludo's annoyed moans.

* * *

Star bounced up and down on her bunk bed, unable to contain her excitement. She did it! Sorta. But she's here, the training site of the world renown Psychonauts! True they would be calling her mother in the morning and it would be only a few days before she arrived to take Star back to the circus, vehemently denying Star the use of her powers (That she knew her mother also possessed) but that didn't matter! That was not tomorrow. Tomorrow she would be able to sit in on a real life training session. She would learn quick and wow the instructors and if she did a great job, maybe they'd let her stay!

Star let out a cheerful giggle, raising her arms to the ceiling as high as she could. She didn't even care that she was sleeping in a cabin without any bunk mates in the middle of the forest! This was the best day of her life and there was no way anything could ruin it!

She fell onto the bad, the smile on her face growing each passing second as the truth of the situation sank in. She did it. She was here.

"One day" She whispered quietly to herself, sleeping biting at her eyes "I will be a real Psychonaut...and I'll be able to help people...and no one will think I'm a freak."

She let out a sigh before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

There was a loud blast of a trumpet, echoing loudly throughout the campgrounds.

"Wha?!" Star gasped before falling off her bed, unceremoniously laying on the floor, chin rested against wooden planks. She blew a strain of hair out of her face before rising to her feet.

She didn't even feel remotely embarrassed as she kicked open the doors of her cabin, catching glances of the others. She didn't feel self aware when they began whispering about her as she passed by. She didn't even care that she had no idea where she was going! THIS WAS THE BEST DAY EVER!

" _okay"_ a boy's voice spoke inside her head, stopping the young girl mid-step. Star blinked a few times, wondering if she did indeed hear what she thought she heard.

" _Okay"_ the voice repeated _"Just walk up to her and you know...talk to her. Don't stare at her like an idiot"_

Star looked around, unable to determine whose thoughts she was currently hijacking.

And really, it could've been any of the boy's sitting on the benches, heading towards a giant 2 story yellow building that was the mess hall ontop of a nearby hill.

There was a rather large boy with orange hair tucked under a tinfoil hat, a curly haired boy with glasses walking alongside him, a large mass of a 'boy' whose sneer and general expression screamed bully, even this really cute bad boy with playing some lovely music on his keytar. Which one of the boys was thinking those thoughts?

"Hello" A voice called from behind, surprising Star and causing her to jump. She twirled around, dropping into a fighting position only to realize it was a teenage boy about her age, wearing a bright red hoodie and black slacks.

"Whoa" Marco cried, lifting his hands up in surrender "I didn't mean to startle you."

Star flushed, embarrassed at her actions and stood back to full height, scratching the back of her cap while laughing uneasily "S-sorry, I...wasn't expecting anyone to talk to me."

Marco shot her a smile that caused her heart to skip a bit, his light brown eyes twinkling with joy "Don't worry, it was an accident. Hi I'm Marco Diaz"

Marco offered his hand towards Star but was completely surprised when Star held on with not one, but both of hers, clasping tightly while bouncing up and down anxiously.

"OMG you're the Diaz that agent Toffee was talking about aren't you?!"

Marco nodded, turning red at the sheer amount of attention he was attracting from this bubbly, pretty, awesome girl.

"So you can see the future too? Is it like super confusing like it is for me? Because it was all foggy and I only got bits and pieces and it was all just hard to figure out."

"Well..I...it's that bad for me as well" Marco admitted "I...I'm not very good at precognition."

"Well" Star said slowly "The fact you can even remotely do it is still pretty amazing"

Marco turned a redder red as Star smiled brightly his way, her happy go lucky personality starting to affect him at this close of a range.

"I...I gotta go" Marco muttered nervously, pulling away from Star

"Oh..." Star was disappointed her new friend was already leaving but he was probably busy "okay, I'll see you later!"

Marco nodded "Of course, you'll be at basic braining, right?"

Star nodded "of course!"

a silence ensued after Star's joyful statement.

"It's up there" Marco filled in the blank, motioning to a nearby hut on a steep hill overlooking the campers cabins "show up whenever you can."

"AWESOME!" Star shouted "Can I go with...?"

"Miss Butterfly?"

The teens turned to see the collected, calm face of Toffee, staring at them behind his shades as usual.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Marco shook his head "Of course not Agent Toffee"

"Oh good. I need to talk to Star for a moment."

Marco nodded "Okay, I'll see you at basic braining Star."

"Bye Marco!" Star waved happily after Marco's retreating figure.

"And don't forget we have psi blast training at noon Mr. Diaz!" Toffee yelled after the young boy who returned a wave showing he had heard.

"What is it Agent Toffee?" Star asked quizzically, trying not to let a girlish squeal at the fact she was talking to one of her heroes.

"I was going to offer you the same lessons as Mr. Diaz. You are very powerful but untrained. We must teach you the basics if you ever hope to become a Psychonaut."

Star suppressed cheer, biting down on her lips while clenching her hands into fists, shaking with pure bliss.

"Meet me at my lab in the forest after basic braining." he said smoothly, walking away from the young girl "Mr. Diaz will show you the way if you ask nicely."

"WILL DO!" Star said before running towards the hut Marco pointed out earlier.

* * *

Star wasn't sure what to expect when she saw the dazed faces of the campers sitting crosslegged around Ludo, their far away faces implying that nobody was home in their heads. She quickly spotted Marco, a goofy but rather endearing on his face as his body swayed back and forth freely.

"You are late" Ludo simply stated, motioning to the empty cushion in front of him.

Star sat down, carefully eying the others.

"They are in here" Ludo lifted his skull cap to reveal a small wooden door in the middle of his forehead.

Star's eyes glazed over with amazement "Is that...?"

"Indeed, a psycho-portal! Direct access into the mind of anyone who wears one. Allowing Psychonauts agents to infiltrate a physical representation of their targets mind, their secrets, past, memories, their entire brain at your finger tips if you can navigate the complex corridors of their pink gray matter mental mindscape. Are you ready?"

Star nodded, placing her goggles over her eyes.

"Focus on the door. Push yourself through the door. Enter the ultimate battlefield."

Star took a deep, calming breath as she focused solely on the door, her body beginning to faded away as her vision tunneled so much that only the door remained. She could feel herself being drawn through the portal, the door growing in size each passing second before opening, swallowing her entire being into a shroud of darkness before slamming shut behind her.

Star was in the void of inky night, freely floating as a pale white room began to form around her, sealing her inside a small box shaped building. With a loud crack, the room fully came together and Star was unsure what she was seeing.

There was a small brown table in the corner, Ludo's likeness plastered on several posters that hung loosely on the walls taking on the traditional Uncle Sam pose with the words "Basic Braining" printed under his pointing figure. Aside from the posters, the walls were nearly bare with only a black and white photograph here and there decorating the room.

Star walked up to one of the photos, a cherished memory of a tiny (Well tinier) Ludo being tickled by some sort of clown, a small smile on his little beak like face. The next photo showed Ludo proudly saluting his fellow soldiers on the field of battle. Another showed Ludo personally leading charge against an enemy occupied hill, flag in one hand, a giant outline of a fist over the other.

There was a small crackling of a film reel roaring to life, an old timey projector that came from nowhere projecting Ludo's face onto a nearby wall.

"This is my mind" Ludo said proudly

"It's a little small" Star said aloud, glancing around at the tiny room.

"Well it's not the only part of my mind."

there was a loud pop and the curly haired boy from earlier just burst into existence, a fearful gaze in his eyes and a tremble of fright in his body.

"Oh good, Alfonzo. You are here. Maybe you'll actually finish the course today."

"Er I don't know. I'm not very good at my powers."

Ludo scoffed "Nonsense! You are getting better but you need toughen up a bit. Here, punch me right in the jaw."

Alfonzo shook his head, unable to even move from his spot.

"Star, how about you?"

"Me? I don't know..."

"Come on" Ludo taunted, the black and white motion picture pointed to his jaw "Right here. Just think of punching me and do it"

"But it's a solid wall! I don't want to hurt myself"

"Silly girl, this isn't a real place. It's just the manifestation of an abstract concept"

"Sooo" Star muttered, still confused "If this place isn't actually real, and I'm not actually here, how I am here?"

Ludo sighed, clearly irritated at Star's questions "This is what my mind looks like but you are not actually in here. You sent an astral projection that is your avatar for interacting with this mindscape"

"OOOOOh, like a video game."

Another sigh "Yes, like a video game."

"But it's still a wall, I can't really punch a wall."

Ludo clicked his tongue in disappointment "You can add a little force behind your punches."

"I can?!" Star looked at her hands like they were suddenly going to burst into flames

"Just imagine a layer of psychic energy over your fists and your mind will provide the rest."

Star pictured her hands decked out, enhanced by psychic energy and strengthening her attacks.

For a moment nothing happened but just as Ludo had instructed, her hands began to glow, a pinkish hue outline covering her hands in pure psi power.

"AWESOME!" Star began kicking and punching the air, chopping and making random karate noises.

"Star. Star? STAR BUTTERFLY!"

Star stopped, eyes wide at the sound of her full name.

"If you are ready, punch me in the jaw"

Star took a deep breath, walking her way over to the screen, a smug looking Ludo presenting his jaw for a good old fashion punch to the face. With a loud battle cry, Star smashed her fist directly into the center of his chin, a loud crack filling her ears as the wall fell away.

Star's face fell as she fully took in the rest of Ludo's mind. The sky was dark with black, thick clouds lazily rolling about as loud echos of cannon fire could be heard far in the distance. The landscape of was filled to the brim with barbwire, discarded medieval weapons surrounded the only pathway like a fence, funneling all trainees onto a single route that was composed of concrete, a dark, menacing castle loomed far in the distance. Star could make out small beeping and subtle flashing red lights dug deep into the ground but before she could figure out what it was, Ludo's booming voice cut off her train of thought.

"What are you waiting for? Charge!"

"I don't think..." Star tried to explain but Alfonzo's bravery had been tapped out and at Ludo's insistence, he let out a deranged war cry and began rushing out onto field.

"Alfonzo, wait I don't..."

Alfonzo did not even make it 4 feet before he stepped on one of the beeping lights, his foot sinking an inch into the ground as a loud click came from below.

Before Star could react, Alfonzo exploded, his entire being simply vanishing into thin air, not a single piece of him was left behind.

"OMG" Star cried, clutching at her hair in a panic "You killed that guy!"

Ludo's face appeared on a nearby rock, chuckling at Star's ignorance "I did not kill him. I simply kicked his astral projection from my mind and if you don't get move on, I'll be kicking your assstral projection out of here too!"

Star shook head, reminding herself that this wasn't real and even if something happened, nothing was actually going to hurt her.

Star took a deep breath, letting out a similar war cry to the fallen Alfonzo.

Star rolled her eyes in disbelief as she felt her foot sink into ground almost instantly but instead of simply waiting for the mine to explode, Star leapt forward, putting everything into the jump. She barely managed to get off the dangerous explosive when the explosion rocketed her forward, causing her to tumble and skid against the ground with such speed that she was propelled directly towards the other side, triggering the various other mines and causing random bursts of explosions, each new blast causing her speed along the obstacle course with ease while providing an excellent background, her loud elevated cheer shattering any illusion that Star was hating this.

Star began rising and falling, bumping up and down until she finally slowed to a stop, just in front of a ladder that seemed to climb to the heavens themselves.

Star aww'd at the fact that the ladder wasn't attached to anything, it was just there, suspended in mid-air, twisting and turning in every direction like a stomach churning roller coaster before connecting to a far away platform high above her.

Star began climbing the gravity defying ladder, whistling and humming happily under her breath while she made the climb.

* * *

Star made it onto the next platform, taking a quiet joy that in this world, she didn't get tired. Which was a good thing because she must've been climbing for like 6 minutes, long enough to disguise the whole thing as a load screen if she was in a video game.

This next part of the course wasn't very impressive. Well except for the wooden bridge, the only way to get across, was cut in half and separated by an impossibly fast set of blades, swinging this way and that way from all angles.

Star peered downwards and let out a sigh of relief that there was indeed a floor below she could safely land on in case she couldn't make the jump complete with a ladder to climb right back up to the bridge to try again.

She made her way forward to very edge of the bridge, the swooshing of the rapid fire blades causing her hair blow back like a shampoo commercial.

"Hmm" Star muttered to herself, watching the blades carefully to figure out a pattern. There wasn't one.

"Hey Starbutt" Lars taunted, taking a place next to Star, dumbly staring at the whirl of deadly, astral kicking blades.

"Umm...do I know you?"

"I'm Lars but you could call me the best Psychonaut trainee ever!'

"Oh! You're the best?"

Lars sneered at Star "Please, there is no doubt."

Star obliviously smiled his way, unaware of the malice intent behind Lars's frown.

"So Starbutt, how do you get by these things?" Lars asked innocently, positioning himself behind the unassuming girl.

"I don't think you can" Star muttered, leaning closer to get the best angle at the blades "I'm willing to bet there's another hidden path somewhere nearby."

"Why don't you take a closer look!" Lars shouted, planting his foot firmly on Star's back and pushing her forward, causing her to fall recklessly towards the ground "So much for being so cool and smart Starbutt!"

* * *

Marco peered carefully at the floor before him, a strange combination of clockwork gears forming the shape of a flower.

Marco bit his lip nervously. This was the same flower that's been plaguing his nightmares for the last few weeks. He was half hoping he was wrong, that he was just imagining it and that he was really just taking a recurring dream to the extreme. But here it was, real. Well not real but mentally constructed in Ludo's mind. But Marco still had no idea what it meant, what it symbolized,

Marco peered closer, thoughts running rampant with possibility "What is your secret?"

Marco's ears perked up at the sound of someone screaming, the voice becoming closer and closer from some direction.

Marco glanced around but there was nothing but some scary bushes and the standard medieval weaponry fence.

Marco looked skyward and found himself staring an airborne Star flying straight towards him at breakneck speeds.

Marco lifted his hand carefully, concentrating on the falling blonde girl.

"MAAAAAAARCO!" Star screamed, closing her eyes as Marco drew closer each passing moment.

Suddenly she stopped, the whistling of air silence and still but she could feel her hair swaying back and forth, the pseudo gravity of the mental realm tugging and pulling at her just like the real thing. It was amazing her aviator cap didn't fall off

She opened her eyes to find a smiling upside down Marco staring at her

"We got to stop meeting like this" Marco chuckled

Star lightly giggled, subconsciously brushing at a strain of her hair nervously with both hands "Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Yep, just that guy Lars."

"Ugh" Marco made a face "he's the worst right?"

"I know!"

the two shared another laugh, smiling at each other once more.

"So" Star noticed Marco's intense viewing of the gearwork flower at his feet "What's with the flower?"

"I've been seeing it in my dreams for a few weeks now. It means something big but I haven't the slightest clue as to what"

"Oh, oh! Recurring dreams? I read about those. I can totally help. Can you show me one?"

Marco could feel his astral projection's cheeks redden, unable to believe that even when they were a theoretical concept, an abstract idea, Star could make him blush worse than Jackie ever could with the least amount of effort.

N-not that Marco liked Star. Not like that. He just met her! STOP JUDGING HIM ANYONE READING HIS THOUGHTS!

"Umm no."

Star pouted but nodded in understanding.

"How about I let you down and we make our way out of this course?" Marco asked, trying not to sound too eager about hanging out with Star.

Star shot him a brain numbing smile, one that scrambled every rational thought while simply saying "I'd like that."


	60. So I'm kidnapping you Finale (Steam AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here hoping you are doing great. thank you for every review, favorite, follow. they mean so much to me and make me happy.

a special thanks to Fabio- no worries about time and reviews my good sir. whenever you have a chance. I am happy you enjoyed it and even i was like kiss, kiss now! wait im writing it. i can do that! buuuut i should probably wait. yeah i think i have way too much fun with nugget. dont calm down, go crazy! haha yay no bad reviews which there is no such thing! i am happy you liked it and you should check it out online it is a very creative and awesome game. i know its on ps3,xbox 360 and steam for like 10 bucks i think. or i can give the code im gonna get at some point since i helped fund the second game. check out goggalor. trust me. and you keep being awesome too!

finn- I am glad you enjoyed it even if you aren't a fan of that game.

the skeptic potato- the blurry line of irony and confidence at its finest! WE DON'T KNOW! :D

spooky sammy- you are absolutely right. there is a level where the person has a inner demon and guilt that seems from the fact the orphanage she was in charge of burnt to the ground.

Anoymins- Thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot to me and have no regrets my dear reader. life gets in the way and sometimes reviews cannot be left but i am very happy you enjoy my work and i deeply honored to be a part of such an amazing fandom and I happy you all enjoy my work so. I have no idea what your eloquence was like before but it sounds fantastic now. you have an excellent vocabulary and you use it very efficiently and excellently. I hope to keep providing quality work to you and the other readers.i see you too have stories and i hope to read them very soon. and don't worry, the stand alone story of scott pilgrim will be updated very soon. thank you and i didn't do much, this ship sails itself haha :)

princessxgilex- thank you so much for your review.

romantic sloth- haha I couldn't resist after i heard psychonauts 2 got funded.

CCparker- I LOVE PSYCHONAUTS! it is one of my favorite games of all time. it's so funny and creative and at first i was going to put Marco as Raz but Star fit better given that Raz is so powerful compared to everyone (like Star with the wand) and he is super excited and happy he's in camp (Star in general). Plus an excuse to put Star in an aviator cap! I can't wait either because i actually helped fund it. omg I want a lino to those pictures whenever you draw them! PLEEEEASE! :D (You should've seen the raz and lilly doll they were giving away from the kickerstarter. too cute) and i shall fanboy too! OMG PSYCHONAUTS 2!

Lupus- i am glad you enjoyed it. its on steam, ps3 and xbox 360 but i recommend watching some gameplay of it to see if its your type of thing. As for keeping this going, ill leave that up to you readers.

Smitty theories- it just got funded the day i released the chapter or the day before since i was working till like midnight. thank you. i actually replayed the game for umm research. if i keep this going, sure Ludo shall have sandals. cuz like you said, why not? awesome i cannot wait to read it. i need to check if its up. free ad space is always available here!

grim- Im glad you liked it and trust me there's lots of videos online and i feel bad but i cut a lot of jokes out to be a bit original. serious if you dont like game play, just watch the cutscenes. they're awesome. Goggalor!

Mafx98- hiya! nice to read your review. i am glad you enjoy my stories, mistakes and all. and no i did not forget about hero to zero but thats on my Break in case of loss of ideas list. thank you i speak spanish fairly well but writing it? noooot so much. I hope you keep enjoying the stories.

rayfe- no worries, these stories are not going anywhere. it aint from round here, its from another dimension. haha I was thinking once my story platter goes down and i got requests done, i might do a few gravity fall stories. I love dipifica though i love wipper too. i am torn between the two. sorry about psychonauts just ending. it was getting long, it was in honor of the new game and i wasn't sure if you readers would like it but if you let me know, i might keep it going.

Narwhalsss- luckily for you I am used to people melting around here. I'll get the reformer.

aRaindragon- I love that pairing too and Marco super suave was too much fun though he still has a hint of doubt in him. thank you the vampire Marco and human Star came from watching too many goofy halloween movies. i will keep it going but later one. Even grandma diaz ships them!

over on starco corner got a few amazing things to go through. h mae over on hains-mae on tumblr has some epic cute artwork of star kissing tom's forehad (which i admit is pretty cute) and gender bent Marco and Star (Which gives me a few ideas since someone did ask for a genderbent AU) sara over on idrawcartoons on instagram also has a wave of art work up including a celebration of Star's one year birthday. I'm not sure when that actually is since i found out about star last January but the first preview episode didn't air until March. still cute though. the skeptic potato also has an instagram starconaut and there is some awesome work there including i think she just added cashier Marco from princess and the safe kid's newest chapter. spatzilie on tumblr keeps everything up with new steven universe art works, very cute mircalous ladybug art (Which makes me want to write the au here) among other works. looking for an explosion of so many awesome artists i can't cover? head over to svtfoeheadcanons on tumblr. here on FF. well i got a list so here we go. we have wands and weirdos from sonicELITE, star vs pick up lines from exotos135, lazy days from lazersfanfics, the star under the christmas tree from Lupus Boulevard (i need to read that) star vs the forces of mystery from twelve-days-of-misfortune (it is still building up but i am interested to see where it goes.) the princess and the safe kid from PFtones which is an omg cute and scary chapter. a season of star vs from Kieran wespell, a bit of earth from anonymins, an insanely cute chapter from my good friend watermalone ripples (read it now!) starfall from Golfalphamike (READ IT NOW!) it's the great pumpkin also from anonymins.

So here we are. the end of the road for the steampunk AU the finale. I am sorry it is so late, it was supposed to be up much sooner but I kept changing the ending between this one and a darker one. i finally decided to keep this ending and keep all my angst, dark endings for another chapter. So quick warning there are character deaths here but i hope you enjoy how it all turns out. I think this is my longest one at 9,000 words. wow. okay termology. Mate-friend, luv-term of endearment, git-kinda like ass, brav-bro, cuz-cousin also like for friends. think that's it.

And this steampunk finale marks the beginning of requesathon. I am not taking any more requests but i am filling out the ones people have asked for. if you have asked for a story but it doesn't seem like i remember, feel free to remind me because I have excellent memory but it isn't perfect. Also a really quick poll which would you fans would like to see first Novaberty? (Nova going through Mewberty) or the Bad boy au. please let me know.

Let see what else. I will try to update this story again this week but i will be working on Marco Diaz vs the world, Starco academy and Guardians of the starco too so we'll see.

Also I have decided i will be giving Nova and Connor their own story but the oneshots here will not be canon in that universe *Except a different version of Novaberty*

so thank you so much for everything, please enjoy the finale and thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me and make me just want to keep writing for all you wonderful people. I own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

The lack of ambient sounds really unnerved Marco as the train rolled on the tracks, carefree from the malice intent resonated from within its posh walls. Not a single noise aside the clack, clack, clack of the cars bouncing up and down on the metal railway could be heard and Marco was half hoping an assassin or burly gang of ruffians would just suddenly pull open one of the carriage doors open and attack him.

But nothing came. Nothing was here. Not a single soul.

Marco figured Toffee really wanted to sell the lie that the train had been hijack midway to its destination. After all, this was the private Mewnian representative train and not just anyone could get a ride.

Marco steadied himself as the train went around a particular tight bend at top speed, the metallic groaning of the transportation trying to stay on track and not tip over causing his heart to beat with fearful anticipation.

But the train remained on route and Toffee's plan of toppling the vehicle had not came into fruition. Yet anyway.

Marco roughly shoved open the door leading to the next car, the quick rushing air smacking him in the face and forcing him to squint in order to see where to safely step as he made his way across the coupling connecting this car to the other.

Marco was doing great when a sudden burst of wind picked up from nowhere, nearly sending him sprawling off the track and onto the dry grass plains. Luckily for Marco, there was a nearby metal bar for him to grab onto, steadying himself just in time to prevent serious injury and failing Star.

With more effort than he cared to admit, Marco opened the next train car door, finding a completely darken, empty storage room in lieu of the standard passenger accommodations, the morning sun barely poking through the closed shutters.

"Star can't be too far along" Marco muttered to himself, slowly inching across the bumpy and uneven motions the train was having on its cargo.

Marco cleared his throat, hugging the side of the car in case he needed to balance himself.

"So.." Marco began, trying to keep his voice leveled, calm and most importantly, more confident than he actually felt "I guess fate dealt me a royal flush because you're making me blush princess."

Marco smacked his forehead, inwardly groaning in embarrassment at his own words

"What the bloody hell was that? Marco brav, this is a beautiful princess you kidnapped. You got to try harder than that." Marco told himself as the other side of the car began inching closer.

Marco shook his head, trying to think of some other thing to say when he rescued Star.

Marco's eyes lit up with glee as he mouthed outloud "I know." Marco cleared his throat once more "You know I should have you arrested for stole property because you stole my heart princess and I'm here to get it back."

Marco held his head in his hands, moaning in disbelief "No. just no."

The car bumped upwards out of nowhere, nearly sending Marco tumbling to the floor if it weren't for his amazing ability to flail like a panicked bird.

Balancing himself upright, Marco held his outstretched arms still, waiting to see if the train was going to try to chuck him off his feet again.

"Even the train hates your lines brav."

Marco shook his head in disappointment, his body tensing in preparation for another wave of sight obstructing air and random bursts of wind trying to knock his dumbass off the train, probably to prevent him from sprouting out more pick up rescue lines.

* * *

Star let out a depressed sigh, trying not to give up hope on being saved. But it was hard when the one person you could trust was currently held by the evil mastermind and no one knew that the prime minister was behind the whole attempt on her life.

Star looked down at her hands, the dull iron manacles wrapped around her wrist taunting her, showing a distorted vision of herself defeated, afraid and brought down low.

She let out another sigh before a flash something red began swaying into her line of sight. Star looked down towards her neck and gave a little smile, Marco's red scarf was still wrapped around her neck, cozily keeping her warm amidst the chilly train car.

"I can't give up..." Star whispered to herself "Even if I go down...I'm going down fighting...and at very least, I can see Marco one last time."

She took a calming breath, clenching her hands into fists, determination surging through her body once more. She was Star Butterfly and she wasn't going to give Toffee and Apple the satisfaction that they broke her armor, they broke her. Like her father used to say, it isn't over yet and she's still breathing.

Before Star could pull at her restrains once more, the train door opened, a gust of wind rushing inside the car and blowing her outfit and hair wildly, knocking off Marco's paper boy hat off her head as an icy air made her shiver despite her thick coat.

The door shut roughly and almost as quickly as it had been open, another person's frantic breathing reaching Star's ears.

"Next time I do some saving, it better be on the nice, solid, unmoving ground...which I guess isn't exactly true given the world is constantly in motion and..."

Star turned around upon hearing the familiarity of the person's voice, her heart racing at the sound. She could feel tears of joy prickle at the corners of her eyes as she took in Marco's windswept hair making his black slacks, vest and white collared shirt look very attractive.

"MARCO!" Star cried, unable to keep out the sheer bliss she was feeling at that moment, racing forward only to be roughly pulled back by the chain on the floor.

Marco jumped, almost falling to floor once more at the sound of Star's voice. Marco whirled around and breathlessly whispered Star's name, a smile forming on his lips despite the desperate nature of the situation.

"STAR!" Marco cried, his tough, cocky facade broken for a moment.

There she was in her cute black and white dress blouse with a little black now sown at the top, the strange black material still covering her fair, pale legs with the large coat wrapped around her, his scarf still wrapped around her neck and his hat on the floor.

Marco made his way over to the cage, scowling at the sight of the locked door.

"Marco" Star repeated, unable to believe her eyes "You're here."

"Course luv" Marco said with a sly grin "I'm here to kidnap you"

Star giggled, remembering how ironic that the first time she heard those words, she thought she was in danger and now those words meant freedom.

"Wait..." Star frowned, the entire implications of Marco's arrival finally dawning on her "Wait, wait no no no you can't be here Marco! Toffee..."

"Is a git" Marco interrupted "And doesn't realize I'm here. I know all about his plan."

"That means you know you have to go! He's going..."

"Crash the train and blame me. I know luv. His goons were holding me hostage until Toffee gave the signal but luckily my mates saved me. Managed to sneak aboard the train a bit earlier without lizard breath being none the wiser."

"Marco..." Star's sad tone caught his ears and stopped him from his attempts at breaking Star free "I'm sorry...I...I didn't believe you and...Toffee.."

Marco couched down, making sure he was at eye level with the princess "it's alright Star. It was looking pretty bad. I understand."

"how?" Star's tears began spilling over onto her cheeks, the shame of distrusting Marco filling her entire body with guilt.

"Cuz luv I said so."

Star looked at him fearfully and realized he was telling the truth. His hard, guarded eyes were gone, melted into understanding, warmth and something more. She had never seen him so relaxed, so open...

Marco got to his feet, glancing around to see if there was anything he could use break the lock when he caught something on a nearby hook.

"Evil masterminds" Marco scoffed, lifting the key off its place hanging on the wall "Cocky lot ain't they?"

Star nodded in agreement as Marco slid the key into the keyhole, opening the cage door without no effort. Star tried to keep her heart from beating too loudly as Marco approached her, gently releasing her from her bonds with the second set of keys.

Star rubbed her wrists, trying to rid herself of the pain, stiffness and the numb feeling that had set in.

"Now" Marco told her with a happy grin "about my reward..."

Marco's eyes widened in surprise as Star launched herself at him, placing her hands onto his chest as her lips crashed down upon his, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

Marco closed his eyes, cupping her cheek in his hand, bringing her closer and deepening the kiss. He was kissing a princess. He was kissing his princess. Him! A nobody, getting kissed by the most beautiful girl in the world.

They broke apart after a few moments, Marco's face stuck between goofy and dazed, the fact Star initiated the kiss still not quite sinking in yet.

Star laughed at the stunned Marco "What's wrong bad boy, princess got your lips?"

Marco opened his mouth to release his witty retort only to find he couldn't say anything, his mind was drawing blanks and anything that it did manage to come up with was incomprehensible to the young man.

"What's this?" Star teased, lightly poking his chest "Mr. cocky bad boy doesn't have something clever to say?"

Marco's mouth was still hung open with nothing to say.

"I don't think I have ever seen you so shell shocked before."

"Well" Marco finally spoke softly, still dazed and confused in bliss "I was just kissed by the most gorgeous, breath taking girl I've ever met...it...it tends to leave the brain a bit scrambled..."

Star flushed wildly, shyly looking towards the ground, Marco's words warming her heart and causing it to spread to her cheeks.

"hee" Marco chuckled dumbly "Looks like fate dealt me a royal flush because you're blushing your majesty"

Star slapped his chest, shaking her head at Marco's lame joke while trying to will herself not to blush even harder.

"that was so lame."

"Still scrambled honey"

Star rose to her feet with Marco following suit, the matching red cheeks of the pair causing them to realize how close they were to each other.

"Well, well, well."

Marco and Star turned around to notice Toffee and Apple had reentered the room, Toffee's eyes blazed with a fevered rage despite his calm exterior. Apple looked excited, the idea of some complication to the plan bringing her some sort of chaotic joy.

"It appears I over paid some idiots since they couldn't keep one street rat in check" Toffee said, clicking his tongue disappointingly.

Marco and Star made their way out of the cage just in case Toffee thought trapping them within.

Marco puffed out his chest, mockingly bowing to Toffee and his ruined plan "Sorry brav, not much on being a good little boy."

Toffee leered "Obviously"

"Give it up Tof" Marco threatened "It's over. No train wrecks on the schedule today."

Apple began bouncing up and down, her eyes crazed and lost in some sort of battlelust.

"Oi, what's her deal?"

"Can I Toffee?" Apple said with a manic grin, her green eyes gleaning with the worst intent possible.

Toffee gave a little nod, his face breaking into a terrifying sneer.

Before either Star or Marco could react, Apple flew at them with incredible speed, loud metallic clanking with deep thuds echoing thunderously in the tiny train car.

Marco took a step forward, arms raised and prepared to strike at the crazy Apple. Marco put all his weight forward, jabbing directly at Apple's face. Marco disliked hitting girls but since this one just tried to kill the future Mrs. Diaz, he was going to have to make an exception.

Marco's fist found empty air as Apple leapt sideways, running on the walls on all fours, digging her nails into the wooden interior of the car as she propelled herself forward, completely bypassing the young man and tackling Star to the floor with frightening agility.

"What the..." Marco whirled around, reaching to pry Apple off of Star. Apple let out an insane laugh before planting her lands on either side of floor below Star's head, lifting her entire body off the ground with ease. Before Marco could react, Apple kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him flying through the air and skidding across the floor like he had just been hit by the train itself.

Star clawed at Apple's face, digging her nails deep into the other woman's cheek.

Apple let out a bloody cheer of joy as she stumbled away from the princess, clutching at her face.

"Haha nice job princess" Apple teased, shooting Star disturbed wink while she reached for her dress and promptly ripped off the fabric as if it was made of a thin paper.

Marco groggily got to his feet, rubbing his stomach where Apple's surprisingly powerful attack made contact. Marco coughed a few times to make sure he didn't have a cracked chest or a collapsed lung when he heard Star let out a horrified gasp.

Marco glanced towards Star and Apple, his heart crawling to a stop upon seeing Apple's true appearance.

Apple swayed back and forth like some sort of demented, hypnotizing snake. Her legs were polished bronze, completely metal with no trace of the humanity that the girl was born with. Marco could make out the familiar sounds of gauges clicking back and forth regulating steam input, the grinding and creaking of gears meshing in tandem, the puff, puff, puff of steam circulating through a closed space.

"You're not human" Marco muttered, instinctively taking a step away from Apple.

"I am human" Apple said with a grin, her eyes alive with blood lust "I just also happen to be so, so much more!"

"Yes." Toffee's cool voice chimed in "I found Apple half dead and half completed. I called in a favor to save her life."

"And I've loved him ever since!" Apple said, shooting Toffee a small, shy smile.

Toffee coughed uncomfortably, torn between returning her affection and playing his cold, heartless act.

Marco could feel his stomach churning at the sheer idea of someone...and Apple...and...

Marco let out a terrified shudder, quickly pushing that train of thought away, the implications just too much to bear right now.

"I'll handle them sweetie" Apple said with a bright, loving smile "Go on with the plan."

Marco felt very uncomfortable at Toffee's sudden disbelieving, soft tone "Apple?"

"Go on. We worked hard for this. No tripping just before the finish line. I love you Toffee."

Toffee's face broke, a deep sadness with an unstoppable determined look appearing on his face, the cold act slipping for a brief moment "Okay Apple. I love you too."

Toffee disappeared beyond the train car door, his haste suggesting only one possibility but Marco was too caught up in what he had just witness. The monstrous, seemingly inhuman Toffee revealed a spark of humanity never thought possible. Marco couldn't believe such a thing was...that it could be...

"MARCO!"

Marco snapped out of his daze, Star's hurried voice bringing him back to reality. He glanced towards Star only to find her holding onto Apple's neck, holding on for dear life as Apple tried to buck her off.

"He's going to derail the train!" Star shouted "You have to stop him!"

Marco steeled his resolve. Even if there was a shred of humanity in Toffee, that couldn't stop Marco. He tried to kill Star, a sweet, kind and caring girl who Marco also had a thing for. And Marco had a sneaking suspicion that Toffee's hand ran red with a few more members of Marco's life.

Still Marco hesitated. He couldn't leave Star with this delusional, dangerous half woman half machine could he? What if she got hurt? What something happened to Star? He could never forgive himself if anything happened to her.

"Marco!" Star shouted him once more "GO! WE DON'T HAVE TIME. I'VE GOT APPLE!"

Marco nodded, trusting Star to take care of herself while he went to go deal with Toffee.

Marco took a deep breath, chasing after Toffee in a mad dash to save Star's life.

Star smiled brightly at Marco's retreating figure, letting out a girly sigh at the sight of him being a hero "He's the best."

"No!" Apple shrieked "Toffee's the best!"

"We are not having this conversation right now!" Star yelled, pulling backwards on the mechanical girl before pushing forward, slamming Apple into the side of the train car.

* * *

Marco tried his best to keep up with Toffee but either that man was fueled by a greater desire than Marco or he had more practice running on a bouncy, moving train which kept him just a few steps ahead of Marco.

Toffee glared backwards at Marco, his hair blowing freely in the breeze as he shut the last door that led to the engine compartment.

Marco rammed into the door as hard as he could, trying not to cry out in pain when the door refused to budge. Marco kicked the door angrily, trying not to wince and cuss at how bad of an idea that was. Marco tried to pry open the door but it was locked from the other side.

Marco let out a frustrated growl when he spotted a window that had been left open, the rushing wind nearly deafening him as he told himself "Well I've done crazier things. What's one more to the list?"

* * *

Star dove under Apple's legs, putting all her weight forward as she slid through the open legs of the deranged woman. Apple let out a fierce battle cry, closing her legs with a loud thud and nearly crushing Star's trailing leg.

Star scrambled to her feet, turning just in time to see Apple lunged at her, killing intent in her eyes.

Star took a step sideways, raising her kneecap to catch Apple directly in the stomach, just above her skin became metal.

Apple felt all the air empty out of her lungs as she crumbled to the floor, coughing and wheezing loudly as Star aimed a kick directly towards her face.

Apple's legs split open with far greater flexibility than humanly possible.

Star's foot sailed over Apple's lowered head knocking the princess off balance due to momentum and lack of stability.

Apples legs came together, lifting the woman back to a standing position. Apple sneered evilly as she gripped Star's hair roughly causing Star to let out a pained shout.

"That's quite enough from you brat" Apple scolded, dragging Star towards the train car door

Star struggled futilely against Apple's iron grip, trying to stop her panic as Apple kicked open the metal door, the groaning of the metal being torn away and hinges being ripped off while the door fell away teasing Star's ears.

"No one is going to stop Toffee's dream. Not even a little delusional princess" Apple taunted, taking great pleasure in the fear in Star's eyes.

Apple felt her smile slip at Star's laughter, unsure why Star would find this the proper time to laugh for no reason.

"Me? Delusional? You're the one that thinks Toffee is going to win."

Apple frowned "he is going to win. You are just a sore loser and if you think your piece of trash boyfriend is somehow going to outsmart Toffee well I'm not the only crazy one."

Star shot a smug grin towards Apple "So far he's ruined your plan not only once but twice. Even now you are scrambling to keep your plan from falling apart."

"That was dumb luck!" Apple complained but Star simply laughed louder and answered "Dumb luck beats cleverness? Or maybe you both are dumb and aren't as clever as you thought?"

Apple let out a furious cry, releasing her hold on the captive princess as she pulled at her hair with righteous anger, screaming with every inch of her existence "DON'T YOU DARE...!"

Star moved quickly. Launching herself backwards into Apple, Star slammed the older woman against the bars of the cage, hoping to subdue and talk some sense into the insane Apple.

But life doesn't always go according plan.

The cage was meant to withstand the weight and strength of an average human being, not a half human metal person.

The cage folded under Apple and Star's combined weight, the twisting and sharp shrieking of bent metal filled the train car as Star hit the wooden floor with full force, a dull ache throbbing in her arm.

Rising to her feet, Star clutched at her injured arm carefully, trying to ignore the sore, tight feeling that her muscles. She turned slowly and was caught off guard by what she saw.

Apple laid there, smiling despite her defeat, her metallic bronze legs slumped over, useless and limp while a sharp piece of the metal bar pierced her waist, her body sliding further and further down pushing the bar deeper and higher into her body.

Star could feel her stomach lurch, the sight of oil and blood began mixing together, running down Apple formerly polished legs. The soft sound of steam leaking into the air was barely heard by the princess as she made her way closer to Apple, kneeling at her side as best as she could.

"I'm sorry..." Star muttered dolefully, taking Apple's hand in her own "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Apple gave her a cocky grin "It's okay Star. It was me or you..." Apple coughed violently and Star jumped back in surprise.

Apple took another deep breath, steadying her shaky body "and I didn't really give you much of a choice, did I? Wasn't exactly listening to reason..."

"Apple" Star said softly "Why did you do it?"

Apple shrugged, unconcerned that she lay dying "Toffee wanted what was his...and..." Apple closed her eyes, letting out a loving sigh "I just wanted him to be happy."

"You two were good people..."

Apple let out a humorless laugh "No we aren't. We did a lot of horrible things in the name of progress. Of a goal we thought we were justified in. Willing to hurt a sweet girl because we thought we were entitled to do so."

"Apple..."

"I don't regret anything" Apple told her, the tone clear and light "but I am sorry that I tried to kill you. I mean I would've done it again in a heartbeat but you were always my favorite Butterfly."

Apple stared at Star, her green irises calm once more without any sign of the battle lust that overtook them mere moments before.

"Star...can I touch your hair? One last time?"

Star nodded, guiding Apple's hand to her long mane of gold hair and allowing the dying woman to stroke it one last time.

"So soft." Apple giggled childishly "I am _so_ jealous."

Apple's gaze became serious filled with a grim determination

"Star, if you do somehow manage to survive" Apple whispered quietly "Don't let us make you bitter. Be the same bright, kind, sweet girl you have always been. We shouldn't have taken our rage at your parents on you but at the time, it seemed to be the only way. For what it's worth, I am glad I don't have to hurt you."

Star stared into the dying Apple's eyes and murmured "I forgive you."

Apple chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief

"You were always too forgiving Star..."

Star couldn't find the strength to say anything as Apple closed her eyes for the very last time.

* * *

"Well shit" Marco muttered to himself, eying the massive and convoluted mess of wires and wires that weaved in and out of an iron clad casing, a series of numbers slowly ticking down to zero.

Now Marco never worked in the mines or with explosives before but from what he could gather during all the times he accidentally eavesdropped on his co-workers at this thing he used have called a job, he was willing to bet this was one of those dynamite thingys.

Marco hadn't the slightest idea how to disarm such a device and the fact it was connected directly to the engine just complicated things further.

Marco could hear the thud, thud, thud of Toffee's feet above him, the man no doubt on the roof of the train, probably getting to ready to disembark.

"Well" Marco told himself, fixing his vest and reaching for the ceiling of engine compartment.

Marco groaned with effort as he lifted himself higher into the open air, a blast of sudden wind hitting his face full force and causing him to squint again to try and get his bearings.

Toffee didn't say anything, turning to face his young foe, a collected look upon his face.

"Why?" Toffee asked "Why do you keep meddling in my affairs? Yes I planned to use you as a scapegoat but you escaped. You could've ran. You could've hid and not worry about Star. You never cared about others before. The very idea of humanity made you sick, you laughed at such an idea. Don't tell me it's because you have a crush on the girl."

"I do have a crush on Star brav" Marco told him, inching closer to Toffee, cracking his knuckles "and I don't take threats against the future Mrs. Diaz lightly."

Toffee scoffed "There is no way you and Star could..."

"But that's irrelevant." Marco interrupted "You tried to hurt a good person, a person that I am willing to bet did nothing to you and if there is one thing I don't like more than jerks and selfish asses, it's bullies and you the biggest bully in the yard cuz."

Toffee laughed at Marco's naivety "I am simply taking back what is mine. My parents were the true rulers of Mewni and Star's parents orchestrated an entire civil war to steal my throne, MY BIRTH RIGHT! They murdered my parents and cast me onto the streets with nothing to my name."

Marco narrowed his eyes, the moment of truth having arrived and he was unsure he was ready for it.

"You mean like you did with me?" Marco asked, his voice tight and barely holding his emotions in check.

Toffee's face was blank, giving no indication what was going through his mind at Marco's accusation.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Marco took a step forward, tears building in his eyes "You killed my mum and dad."

"Yes." Toffee fixed his tie, turning away from the young man and gazing out towards the endless plains the train cut across.

"Why?" Marco could feel his voice failing, cracking and tearing up at this new information as shame bubbled in his stomach. All these years, his grudge against his father. He should've known better! How could he be so stupid?

"I needed his help to save Apple." Toffee told him "I found her cut down the middle and realized she could be...useful to me and he was an old friend from my...wanderlust days."

Marco glared deeply despite the increasing guilt building in his chest.

"When he refused...I slipped your mother something."

Marco clenched his hands into fists, a swirl of guilt, loss and anger fusing together into an unbearable mess of emotions.

"and when I threatened to do the same to you, he was more than happy to comply."

"Then you killed him" Marco finished, the rest "made it look like off himself because you realized that my father was on the edge of an invention that would put him on the map, the walkers the police use I'm betting, they always looked familiar to me and if he became famous, someone might find out about Apple's special accessory. Given how I saw how loyal she was towards you and how dangerous she was, you were planning to use her to eliminate the royal family."

Toffee said nothing, facing Marco once more

"And of course with no family, little Marco Diaz was tossed out onto the street where you were hoping the big bad world would do me in."

"I admit I am quite surprise how well you survived. Far better than your father."

Marco closed his eyes

"He begged for me to spare you, to let you be. He even went as far as to ask me to adopt you."

Marco slowly pulled out his father's pocket watch, the dull metal somehow managing to catch the morning sun.

"I told him yes but we both know what really happened"

Marco clutched at the watch tightly.

"How does it feel? After all these years holding a grudge against your father, hating him with your entire being to find out he died trying to save you? You must feel terrible, the guilt must be so unbearable."

Toffee couldn't contain the surprise at the sound of Marco's cheerful laugh, the smile that was upon his lips as he took his father's pocket watch and gently kissed it, softly muttering "I'm sorry dad, mom."

"H-how?! How are you so content? You hated your father for years! YOU CAN'T JUST BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT!"

"Brav" Marco told Toffee cockily "I never really hated my father. Star saw through act at once. I was more angry at the loss, the wound that could never heal than my father. I knew he loved me, cared for me and his death just made me confused, raging at the sheer insanity of the idea my father would do that to himself. But" Marco clicked his tongue smugly, pointing towards the older man with the pocket watch "You told me everything I needed to know to get closure. I finally understand and my rage has cooled.

Toffee gave him a chilling smile "Well it's too late, in a few minutes I shall..."

"Yeah yeah yeah" Marco cut in "The river, jumping into when we cross it. Gotcha governor"

Toffee's face paled "How did you...?"

"Brav" Marco rolled his eyes, insulted that Toffee thought lowly of him "This is my home turf. And I'm about to kick your ass all over it."

Marco lashed out quickly, striking straight at Toffee's unassuming face with lightning speed.

Toffee's eyes widen in surprise but instead of remain stunned at Marco's sudden attack, he dropped into a boxer's defensive position: Hands closed into fists and protecting his face while his arms were scrunched up to guard his body. Toffee inched his head to the side causing Marco's attack to miss. Before he could respond, Toffee sunk his left fist into Marco's unguarded stomach forcing him to break off his attack, drawing in as much as he could with the whipping air all around him.

"Not bad" Toffee admit "not great but still not bad."

Marco gave him a cheeky grin, rubbing his stomach where Toffee struck "Boxer? You? Boxing's a hands on sport and you seem more like the never gets your hands dirty type."

Toffee waved him off "3 time boxing champion at Cambridge."

Marco let out a mocking whoop, his voice dripping with false admiration "Whoa, college boy over here. Seriously? College? Ungrateful little shit. Still, never fought me one of those before. First time for everything I suppose"

Toffee shook his head "This isn't going to be much of a fight."

Marco assumed his boxing position once more "Agreed"

Marco struck at him once more feinting left causing Toffee to shift his guard that way. Toffee realized the trap too late as Marco's right hook made contact with his jaw sending him stumbling for a moment.

"You know" Marco said, closing the distance between them, aiming his jab at Toffee's shoulder blade "If you went to college, why didn't do you do something with it? It sounds like you had a chance at a normal life."

Toffee rose up his forearm to intercept Marco's attack, swinging his free arm wide to strike at Marco's face

"What does it matter? I wanted what was stolen from me!" Toffee snarled, Marco's head ducking just in time to narrowly avoid the swing.

"You have Apple!" Marco shouted, his uppercut connecting with Toffee's jaw "You could've lived a normal" Marco grunted, lashing at Toffee's unguarded stomach "Life. Apple loves you. You could've been happily married and just lived new lives. Did you even love..."

Toffee's counter was brutal and furious, the blow cracking something in Marco's shoulder blade and as Marco stumbled backwards, Toffee latched onto his shirt, driving his knee into Marco's stomach repeatedly.

"DON'T" a pained grunt from Marco "YOU" Marco coughed wildly, lungs depleted of any air "DARE!"

Toffee dove his knee into Marco's chest one last time, tossing the young man towards the front of the engine.

Marco's hand collided with the burning hot metal of the steam engine, causing him to wince in pain, pulling his hand away as quickly as he could while sinking to the top of the train car.

"I love Apple" Toffee growled, lifting Marco to his feet before smashing his fist into Marco's shoulder blade over and over again. Marco tried to fight off Toffee but fatigue was setting in. It's been hours since Marco had eaten anything and he hadn't properly rest since the night before. His head dully ached reminding him of the rifle that he had taken to the forehead and his adrenaline was wearing off. He knew he couldn't fight off Toffee forever but he didn't realize how one sided the fight was going to be.

Toffee let go Marco, letting him stumble uneasily for a bit as the young man tried to cope with the massive amount of pain he was feeling his shoulder, his eyes blurring to double vision due to exhaustion. Toffee frowned at the sight of the still standing Marco and decided to truly make him suffer.

Toffee bent low and gripped Marco's ankle in his hands. Marco tried to lash out but it was far too late as Toffee savagely twisted the bone, causing to break and shatter.

Marco fell, his leg no longer able to support his weight. He grasped at the broken ankle weakly, Toffee looming over him in triumph.

"I win." Toffee muttered, his anger not yet cooling.

"No you don't. You don't love Apple" Marco simply replied, trying to keep his voice leveled "You don't sacrifice people you love mate."

Since the fight began, Toffee's fury melted into uncertainty, doubt seeped into his features and he looked torn between escaping and checking on Apple.

The howling of the passing wind was all that could be heard and for a moment Marco was filled with dread. Did lack of any other noises mean the fighting had stopped? Who had won? Star or Apple?

Evidently the same thought crossed Toffee's mind as he turned back to the train car, his body becoming heavy with fear and weariness.

Marco patted his pockets, praying to anyone who was listening for something, anything that would allow him to turn this battle in his favor.

Marco's hand felt the impression of something small and circular, a tiny tube of some sort in his front vest pocket.

Marco was confused upon feeling such a thing. He had no idea what it was and how it still remained in his pocket after all the dragging and running and carriage hopping and train catching action he just did.

He slowly dug into his pocket, feeling the dull tip of the object but it wasn't striking any memories. What _was_ it?

Marco pulled it out carefully, making sure that his grip was strong despite the amount of pain he was in. Marco held it up to his eyes and let out a conflicted moan.

It was the last bullet, the very same bullet he bought in case the ones Toffee had given him were not enough. The one he spent the very little cash he had to buy and as cool as a bullet was, he had no way to fire it and he doubt he had enough strength to drive it into Toffee's head or something.

Marco groaned in frustration, silently raging at how would he use a bullet with no gun. Even if he had a gun, he was a horrible shot.

"Apple?" Toffee called, leaning forward in hopes she would respond.

Star emerged, her outfit mixed with a blackish red oil, her eyes sorrowful as they met Toffee's

Toffee snarled at Star, eyes filled with a white hot rage, shouting at the top of his lungs "YOU KILLED APPLE!"

Star shook her head, raising her hands to defend herself "I didn't mean to, she..."

Toffee didn't hear any more as he made his way towards Star.

Marco wanted to cry no but he was running out of time. The only reason Toffee hadn't gone back down so quickly was because in his haste, the wind was threatening to knock him off and his steps were unsteady.

"Think Marco think!" Marco scolded himself, trying to think of anyway a gunless bullet could be useful.

Marco turned his head and realized he was just a few inches away from the train engine. The piping hot, flame powered engine.

Heat! The heat from the metal casing of the engine should ignite the gunpowder within the bullet and set it off.

Marco crawled his way over to the engine, fighting the punishing winds that threatened to push him back.

Marco reached out for the engine, holding the bullet carefully and taking a deep breath in before placing squeezing the bullet between his hand and the blazing hot metal of the train engine.

Tears formed at Marco's eyes as pain erupted in his hand, his body begging for him to give up and let go but Marco refused to let Toffee hurt Star. Never again.

Toffee stood over Star, her body too paralyzed from fear to move properly. He didn't seem to care about framing Marco or letting the train derail. He didn't care if Star's body was found broken, obviously murdered by someone. He wanted her to suffer, he wanted to destroy her.

"I am going to kill you" Toffee said, his voice completely devoid of any emotion.

Toffee bent his knees to leap back down to the train car and Star could only watch in horror as he prepared to kill her.

BANG

The loud pop of a gunshot startled Star causing her to jump in fright. For a moment Star thought Toffee had simply decided to shoot her but telling by Toffee's confused look, the shot hadn't come from him.

A moment passed and before Star's very eyes, blood began to seep through a hole in Toffee's side, so much of it freely flowing through the wind as Toffee himself swayed uneasily.

Star guessed it bullet must've struck Toffee's liver or maybe his kidney and the air speed must've really help the bullet fly. That wound was fatal if it wasn't treated properly and soon.

Toffee let out a sigh, a mixture of relief and disappointment as he fell limp, the passing wind sending his body into the sky and causing him to fall into the endless plains, vanishing from sight as he sunk underneath the grass.

"Marco." Star whispered, rushing forward and lifting herself onto the top of the train, a gust of wind blasting Marco's cap off her head.

"Marco!" Star shouted, crawling against the high winds to reach the boy.

Marco smiled faintly at her, the pain too much to bear.

"Star. You're okay" Marco whispered, barely heard over the rushing air.

Star nodded "Marco, Marco we have to stop the bomb."

"I cant'...don't know how..."

"Well how are we going to?"

Marco pointed forward. Star looked up to see the sparkling, bright shimming bluish green water coming up.

"River. Jump...safest way."

Star nodded, rising her feet carefully before bending over to pick up Marco.

Marco shook his head as Star struggled in vain to pick up the injured man safely, nearly losing her footing several times from his heavy weight and the harsh wind.

"Come on Marco, a little help here. No time to be lazy."

Marco laughed, the sweetest noise to Star's ears

"Can't. Ankle shattered, shoulder pretty messed up."

"Okay" Star muttered, wracking her brain to figure out a way to save Marco "Okay what if I.."

"Star..." Marco muttered weakly but she cut him off, screaming at him "DON'T GIVE UP!"

Marco smiled at the princess, motioning for her to come closer.

Star lifted Marco up as high she could, leaning forward hoping to hear his brilliant plan on getting out of this.

"Live Star" He whispered, moving forward to give her a kiss.

Star melted into the kiss, her grip on Marco slackening before she realized what he meant to do.

Before Star could react, Marco pushed her back with all his strength, praying to god he was perfect on his timing.

Stat tumbled backwards, reaching to grab Marco, to drag him with her before a sudden gust of air caught her and lifted her away from the train and Marco.

"MARCO!" Star screamed as she took a deep breath, plunging into the icy cold water of the river.

Star was confused, up was down, down was left and left was everywhere.

Star began feeling the strain of the lack of air getting to her and she desperately swam in any direction, hoping she would break surface soon.

Star felt the chill of the air as she rose from the depths of the river, filling her lungs with the precious resource as she panicky searched for the train.

Then the near silence of the day was broke bit a loud whoosh, the sound of an explosion filling Star's ears as a massive fireball rose skyward, causing the temperature to rise dramatically.

Star felt her heart drop as she swam to shore as fast as she could, ignoring the sound of a Mewnian war chariot pulling up from behind with a gaggle of voices calling out for her.

 _One Year Later_

The crowd let a happy, thunderous applause, their hearts blooming with pride and hope. Hope that the future was not as bleak and desolation as once portrayed, as once expected. That despite the struggle, the still long road ahead of everyone, that the end goal would be well worth the sacrifice.

Peace, understanding and a world in unity. Empathy and compassion for all and this was a step in the right direction.

"Citizens of Echo Creek" the melodic voice of Princess Star Butterfly echoed loudly through these new inventions called speakers as the police and their steam powered walkers carefully guarded the princess, keeping an eye on any trouble makers "I thank you for being with me here today as we take one step closer to helping all those in need."

Star looked beautiful in her princess outfit of varying shades of blues blending together perfectly, her simple, modest crown resting on the top of her head, her long blonde hair now stylized in the traditional and gravity defying heart shape of Mewnian rulers.

"From the mightiest" Star's gazed reach out to the innumerable people in the ocean of onlookers that stood before her, making eye contact with everyone she could for as long as she could "To the smallest" Star shot a sideways smile to the dozens or so child that stood next to her on the stage, some enjoying their moment of fame with smiles and waves and others hiding behind anyone and anything they could, not used to such massive attention towards their existence.

"It is my honor, pleasure and duty to all peoples of this great, wide world to present to you the Marco Diaz Orphanage, personally funded by myself in hopes that no child remains lost, alone and forgotten."

The cheering boomed, the excitement and cries of joy so loud the entire city must've heard them.

When Star Butterfly made the promise to return and visit the children of Echo Creek she once played with so long ago, they could've never guessed this would be her gift to them.

Star smiled brightly towards the throngs and throngs of people, her lips hurting from performing the gesture for the first time in ages. The loss was still fresh and raw forcing Star to retreat inward to prevent herself from neglecting her duties.

Star and Marco's friends Dredger, Ferguson and Alfonso searched for Marco for hours despite the fact there almost nothing left. The explosion may have been small but it had been deadly. There was no flames, the bomb instead melted nearly everything that had once been a train into a boiling, multicolored sludge. Nothing could have survived.

Star was eventually returned to her family though not before she spent countless days wandering Echo Creek, calling out for Marco while her bodyguards shadowed her, close but at a respectable distance to the distraught princess.

She returned to her world and her parents finally managed to convince many much needed and greatly appreciated progressive law changes.

Still, Star mourned heavily, feeling lost and lidless. Months went by and Star simply sighed, cried and stayed locked in her room. It wasn't until the realization that simply staying in place would not bring Marco back or even heal her heart. Her people needed her and she was one of the few leaders promoting peace and unity.

The new purpose energized the wayward princess and soon she found herself content, if not happy. Joy would come one day but for now, the world needed her.

* * *

Star let out a tired sigh as she and her bodyguards made their way to the newly renovated Royal Hill Hotel for the grand masquerade ball held in her honor. As much as she wanted to lay her head on her bed and rest, she knew this was an important event. She probably shouldn't have played with the children for so long but it was worth it to see the smiles on their faces and truth be told, it was nice to simply be and have fun without a care in the world.

And now back to the stuffy world of nobility.

"Princess Star Butterfly of Mewni." someone announced, presenting the young princess to everyone else in the magnificent room. The room itself seemed like it was composed of pure gold itself: The walls, the tables, even the modest yet somehow majestic chandelier that hung in the center ceiling of the room. The tables were well pressed and kept, the waiters equally so and the sea of varying shades of differentiating colors stood out against the singular hue background among the concealed identities.

Star herself had changed into a simple strapless white dress with a black bow in the center, a see through sheen and elegant fabric covering her bare arms and shoulders though she wore no mask. She was not in the mood for such an accessory.

Star shyly flushed at the loud cheer of celebration at her arrival.

But before Star could make her way deeper into the event, there was a hush silence that overcame the previously booming crowd.

"P-p-presenting Lord Richard ."

Star's eyes widen at the name. Lord Richard was one of the oldest and most influential rulers of the world. Due to his insanely advance age of 60 years, appearances from the lord were extremely rare and unheard of. In fact Star hadn't even seen or heard of the lord in her whole life.

And she could see why. Lord Richard was an impressive and imposing figure with his long sweeping black cloak and hood, his well kept jet black suit with white collared shirt and red tie was immaculate with his standard skull like mask covering his face.

Star made motion to step out of the way but the older man held up a hand, whispering to a nearby aid.

"Lord Richard would like to request a dance with princess Butterfly under the condition she take it easy on him given his advance age."

"Umm..." Star shifted nervously. She wasn't really in the mood to dance, hoping more to politely talk to some other royals and simply slink away towards her room when people's attention diverted away from her but now that the most powerful member of the peace alliance demanded her presence...

Well no wasn't an answer.

"Of course. I would be honored" Star murmured softly, bowing respectfully while mentally cursing in the back of her head. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. After all Lord Richard is pretty old, maybe it would be over very quickly.

Star allowed Lord Richard to take her hand in his surprisingly firm one and led her onto the near deserted dance floor though his limp filled Star with concern.

the orchestra must've noticed as they tuned for a soft, simple waltz that was perfect for a tired princess and her well aged partner.

Star and Lord Richard began spinning in circles (though Star opted to slow down the pace further due to Richard's limp)

An awkward silence quickly overtaking the two despite the lively energy coming from everyone else.

"Are you well princess? You seem distracted" the kindly voice of Lord Richard asked softly, something about his tone tickling Star's memories.

"Yes Lord Richard. I am simply tired from such a long day."

"I would've thought returning to the city where you were kidnap would have a much more adverse affect on your well being." Richard stated calmly.

Star felt her body tensing at his words "I...no..."

"You are lying princess."

Star sighed quietly "You would not believe me in any case."

"I am old, not heartless."

Star peered into the slits of the skull mask, wondering if it was truly alright to pour out her emotions to someone who was practically a stranger.

"My friend died here." Star whispered softly, trying to keep her warring feelings in check "he...he saved me after I was kidnapped by Toffee...I...I miss him dearly."

"Are you sure he is dead?"

Star closed her eyes allowing Lord Richard to guide their footsteps

"I...I searched for days...weeks...I..."

"And what would you do if he survived? Perhaps he was simply recovering from his injuries." Lord Richard asked curiously.

"I would probably punch him for making me worry...and then hug him."

Lord Richard chuckled

Star frowned at the aged lord, taking great offense at his laughter. Just because he was the most powerful ruler didn't mean he got away with laughing at her sorrow. No one laughed at Star Butterfly!

Then without warning, Star found the aged old dancer becoming youthful and bouncy, twirling her back and forth effortlessly despite his limp.

Lord Richard began laughing even harder.

"Star, it's me!" Richard told her with a conspiratorial whisper, lifting his mask for a moment and winking at her with his light brown eyes.

"Marco?!" Star yelped, a look of disbelief plastered all over her face as Marco began bringing her closer to him, hiding under the mask once more

"Marco, you're alive?!"

Marco chuckled under the mask "yeah."

"And you are Lord Richard?"

"Oh no, I just stole some of his clothes. He's in town apparently."

Star frowned, angrily smacking his arm, completely ignoring all the shocked glances from the rest of the party goers who thought the young princess had struck the most renown lord.

"You suck" Star told him flatly, pulling away from Marco though not completely releasing her hold on the disguised young man.

"Gee Star I..." Marco began with a cocky tone but quickly stopped when he saw tears began to pool in the young princess's eyes "Star..."

"I can't believe you would be so heartless." Star muttered, trying to keep her voice from cracking "I thought you were dead...I thought I lost you...for a year. A year Marco I cried, I mourned, I..." Star took a deep breath "and...and you just decide to drop in on me like this?!"

"Star." Marco replied "Do you know how I survived?"

Star shook her head, her face stuck halfway between a glare and heartbreak.

Marco pulled the young princess closer, lifting the mask once more so she could properly see his emotions.

"Luck. Sheer luck or maybe my parents were watching over me. The train hit a bump on the track before the explosion went off and I was flung from it. How far I couldn't tell you because I blacked out when I collided with the ground. When I woke up, it was night and I must've shattered every bone in my body...it felt like it anyway. If it wasn't for a passing doctor returning from a trip to Echo Creek, I would've died. He took me to his home in the woods and patched me up. I've been there for the last year, recovering. He wouldn't let me leave until he was certain I wasn't going to die on my way back. I mean I've got a permanent limp now and my bones ache when it gets too cold but overall it would've been worse...Star...this is my first day back in the city."

"Marco...I...I'm..." the words stuck in her throat, Star unable to convey how much she truly enjoyed this moment, how much she missed Marco, how badly she wished for this to stop being a fantasy and for it to become reality.

Marco held Star, too caught up in finally reuniting with her to care where they were or the scene they were causing.

"I missed you too Star."

Star shook her head before peering into his face "You are crazy! Do you know how much trouble you'll get into if anyone finds out you're impersonating a lord?"

Marco shrugged nonchalantly "Psst, no one is going to find out."

Before either of them could react, there was a loud cough behind the pair. The two slowly turned around to see an elderly older man staring firmly at Marco, gray eyes piercing into his very being as two guards beside him held up a pair of handcuffs.

"Umm..." Marco began, biting his lips in hopes that Lord Richard would understand "Thanks for letting me borrow your suit."

Richard said nothing as the guards arrested the young man and carried him away from the party, his attempts of convincing the guards to let him finish the dance falling on deaf ears.

Star covered her face in embarrassment, trying to hold in the urge to call after Marco and tell him "I TOLD YOU SO"

"I...I'm sorry Lord Richard" Star curtsy towards the ancient man, hoping Richard's wrath would not too great "He's..umm...well he's not very good at following rules or having any...or..."

Richard stared at Star, face still indifferent to the fact someone had the nerve to pretend to be him "You know I can't tell what I am more disappointed in: The fact that he pretended to be me or the fact he actually got away with it. Did no one realize that he is just a few inches shorter than me and he is much more mobile than I? Seriously?"

Richard let out disapproving sigh "I suggest you pick up your trouble making boyfriend soon or I might decide to execute him for simply annoying me"

Star nodded quickly "Y-yes Lord Richard."

"And Star, please scold him for me."

Star replied with a devilishly smile "Don't worry. I am going to have very long talk with him."

Richard looked worried for a moment "I really hope that isn't code for anything dirty."

Star couldn't fight the pink tinge of cheeks as she raced after the guards, wondering if they could help her give Marco a little scare before they released him back into her care.


	61. The Married Life (Request)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, wishing everyone has a great awesome day. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean everything to me and make it a pleasure to write for all you wonderful people.

a special thanks to deadshoot- novaberty for the win!

Finn- yes captain i shall!

Sonicelite- jacob i dont know who you are but i assume there's two people sharing a account or im crazy. in any case I am glad you liked and if you are dreaming you must be psychic, how did you know Nova and Connor are getting their own story?! and of course any time i can i shall though its getting a bit hard with so many awesome stories bubbling up.

Lupus- yay hell week is over. party! WOOT! i think the best villains are the ones that not completely evil but also you could relate to them or maybe even realize how they became that way. it doesn't justify their actions but you see how they turned up as they did. Topple! TOPPLE! that is their ship name! Well they were setting up in the front, remember the plan was for the police to deliver Marco once they were far enough out to the train, the needed to make it look like Marco took it over and derailed the train so they weren't expecting him to arrive so soon. Star must always kick butt and to be fair to her, she didn't know Toffee was behind the kidnapping until it was too late. Yeah that moment with apple was pretty emotional. Toffee was just an angry man that was blinded by his own loss. like Marco. and yeah AU since so far he's just really clever in the show and calm and relaxed. Grief is universal but I think Star is the type to bounce from it, coming back stronger and a little wiser too. haha that was the original i had planned from the beginning. Lord Richard included. I am happy, i seem to be having some decent amount of time this week without starco academy, guardians and now this one. I wanted to punish Toffee but being burned alive along a dead Apple seemed too much. she was already gone, she would've felt nothing but he would felt the worse sensation. so i decided let him bleed out, to remorse over choices and actions and his lack of appreciation for lucky he truly was. I am bad at pairing names too.

cartoonlover- thank you, im glad you liked it.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review :)

spookysammy- haha yeah i think richard stole the show at the ending and no worries, im not killing Marco. yet. I have to for a special story but ill warn you with frowny face. :( that means sad ending, you've been warn. but not this one. this one is happy. I don't ever, i just write i let you readers judge the worth of the content

smittytheories- double negative everything! EVERYTHING! I hope your recover soon and that you are alright. I know right, i want to see Marco with a british accent now. i have to put that game on my backlist. xcom 2 and fire emblem are coming out! and i bought a shovel knight amiibo.

MAXa- well i have standalone stories that might scratch your itch. thank you i am so happy you enjoyed it and i have a few OCS (sam, apple, Nova, Connor) but i try to let myself on them cuz this is a star story. Write how ever you feel most comfortable in. i mean your english is impressive and very good but there is a reviwer here that only reviews in spanish and i simply answer her with a private message and translating it with a little help with google but write however you feel i understand completely. i hope i keep up the good work too! bye!

the wookie1- well my next story is your request, i hope you enjoy :)

rayfe- when it comes to finales, i am pretty much go big or go home. i mean i am with all stories but i tend to be laidback with them, whatever happens happens but finales and requests? i go all out. sometimes very overboard. of course i remember, i wrote it down in vault but others im not so sure about. i have to dig through the reviews to make sure but no worries, your star writing starco is on the way! soonishly.

fabio- thank you so much and no worries, whenever you get a moment. im just grateful you did leave a review. means a lot to me :) yeah i wanted it to be perfect and sometimes that takes time. haha richard was young with a troublemaking girlfriend once upon a time. he knows how it is. you are all amazing readers and thank you for reading stay awesome dude.

grim- Most apple have some part of them missing either mentally or physically. so kinda yes alrigthy Novaberty for the win.

and of course my guest review: It sounds like a movie. Candy for star haha

here we go, starco corner. sara i think has one new drawing of star up on her instagram idrawcartoons1314 but she did color in her reverse gravity au. Spataziline on tumblr has more miraculous ladybug drawings up star-marionettej2 on tumblr has some pretty awesome doodles up of star and jantom which is cuter than i'd thought it be. and for a whole mess of awesome drawings from amazing artists look up svtfoeheadcanons on tumblr for great work. here on FF until you realize from fanfictionfordayz which YES ITS BACK WOOT! hearts and hoodies from chimicherrychanga, what you have from sonicElite, AN AWESOME CHAPTER OF STARFALL FROM GOLFALPHAMIKE! WOOT! Princess and the safe kid from PFTones, by my side from butterdiaz, a gravity falls inspire chapter or 2 of Magical Disruptur from Fabioferrario, wands and weirdos from sonicElite

a quick note both Starco academy and Guardians of the starco have been updated

and now this AU. this is the first request of the requestathon coming in from the wookie1 who wanted a story where Tom is trying to force Star to marry him by her 16th birthday due to some rules and political maneuver and the only way out of it is to Star to get married before that day since they dont have that much time to find another way to stop Tom. Star asks Marco to marry her to stop Tom and he agrees and as the months and the fake marriage goes on, both them come to realize their feelings for one another.

This was really fun to write and I hope you readers especially you wookie enjoy it. I kinda went over board and there's some flashforward moments so if you don't like it please tell me and i will rewrite. Happy super super late birthday present. haha it was the 24th of October right?. dang im late.

Well that's about it. next on the list is either Deadshoot's story about Marco's greatest day ever or Novaberty which it will probably be novaberty. I hope you all enjoy, let me know how i did Wookie and if you want me to rewrite given that i went kinda crazy with it. I wish you all an awesome week and I own nothing, enjoy!

* * *

Marco frowned, trying to piece together what was up with his normally energetic, larger than life best friend.

Physically, she looked as she always did: Long mane of golden, sunshine yellow hair, bright sapphire blue eyes that felt like they were composed out of pure crystal with those pinker than all possible pink hearts resting on her cheeks.

Emotionally, well chin resting on the dinning room table, her irises dejected and filled with an anxious stare that only meant that an unspoken event was closing in on the young princess and she was not looking forward to it.

Which was strange given that the only life changing event that Marco could think of that was rapidly approaching was Star's 16th birthday, about a little over a week away. And Marco could not fathom why Star would be anxious and depressed about that.

Marco paused one train of thoughts to chase after another.

It was hard to believe that Star had been living with his family for nearly 2 years now and no matter how he tried, he could not remember the life he lived before Star Butterfly dropped into his life.

He felt like Star Butterfly had always been and will always be a core aspect of his life. A vital component to the puzzle piece that would always be.

She was his best friend, she was the coolest person he had ever known and she was his favorite foreign exchange without a doubt.

Which is probably why he's been staring at her for like the 12th time in 5 minutes.

Even totally platonic best friend Marco concurred with the universally agreed truth that Star Butterfly was adorable and pretty.

It was just a fact of life: The sky was blue (as humans perceived it), the Earth was round and Star Butterfly was cute. End of story.

What Marco had trouble agreeing with every other adolescence being in the existence of forever was that Star was becoming beautiful.

Cute, adorable, pretty? No sweat for Marco. Those were used on a daily basis (naturally given Star's lexicon) and were fully ingrained on the Latino's tongue.

Beautiful was a whole other ballpark all together.

He did not call things or people beautiful, even his former long standing crush Jackie.

That word was reserved for very extremely selective events and a special people.

He only heard the word a handful of times in his life. Whenever his father spoke about his mother. Whenever someone saw his Mount Saint Nacho creation. When Star spotted her shooting namesake trail through the night sky.

Those he understood, those he was on board with.

But his best friend? The girl he spent almost every waking second with for the last 2 years, the girl who gave up her wand to save his life and was now rocking a slick looking upgrade, the star piece in the center finally reunited. Beautiful?

The thought left him scrambling and the word felt strange on his tongue.

Not necessarily bad...just...strange. Like he'd discovered a new flavor of ice cream and was not yet sure how to feel about it.

And Marco was fair enough to see where the other drooling boys were coming from.

Star was growing up the way a young girl...er..Mewnian should? Maybe? Marco wasn't sure but what was clear was her girly adolescence was being left behind as her body grew into more womanly figure, taking on the features that reminded him Star was in fact a female while her face shifted from dorky prettiness to refined grace. A similar yet drastic change from the Star Marco first met so long ago.

Still, while the jury out about what Marco thought about Star's appearance (Pretty, beautiful or a nonexistence word in between), one thing was painfully obvious: Something was bothering the young princess and Marco couldn't stand to see her like this anymore.

"So" Marco began cheerfully, watching carefully to see Star's reaction "It's a Saturday and I was thinking maybe we could to the movies. Just me and you. I'll even pay for popcorn."

Star turned her head slowly Marco's grinning face, the light in her eyes sparking for a moment before dulling and becoming heavy with worry once more.

"That's okay Marco" Star muttered so quietly Marco could not believe this was the same magical princess that was shouting at the top of her lungs about riding downhill on a shopping cart just 3 days ago "I think I'm gonna just stay in my room for a bit."

"Oh..." Marco replied, unsure what to do next "Okay Star. How about you let me know if you want to go out later and we will! Where ever you want, my treat."

Star gave Marco a smile but it was tight and forced.

"Okay Marco. I'll see you in a little bit."

and like that, Star was gone in a flash, bright yellow hair trailing after her as she made her way towards her room with the quickest possible haste.

Marco let out a depressed sigh, head dropping onto his waiting hand. What was he going to do now?

"I wish there was a way I could help Star but I don't even know what's wrong. Okay Diaz, think." Marco whispered to himself, closing his eyes, his brain churning out every single idea he could to cheer up his best friend.

* * *

Star was on the balcony of her room, dejectedly watching life unfold all around her, the sounds of freedom slowly dimming to her ears.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't right but neither of those things mattered at the moment. She knew that she was still legally betrothed to Tom but she never actually expected him to follow up on it. And judging by her parents reaction, they had been caught off guard by the young demon as well.

It was 2 days ago when Star got the faithful call that caused her to dread her upcoming 16th birthday, a moment of pure happiness and joy twisted and warpped into a grim reminder of her sealed fate.

It was late at night, school ended hours ago but the teens hadn't gone straight home, opting to go dimension hopping and it was a blast! Granted nearly drowning to death and being held hostage by bunny pirates was not a part of the plan but one learns to roll with such things and it worked out in the end anyway. She even got a pretty crown and shiny box of gold out of it, so overall a win win situation.

But it still had been a long day and Star longed to put her head down to rest but before she could even slip into her sleep dress, her mirror sprang to life, indicting she had an incoming message from her parents.

Obliviously, Star skipped and la'd her way over to the mirror, unaware about the terrible news about to befall her.

"Hi mom, hi dad!" Star greeted carefully, peering brightly and waving gleefully at the sight of them. Once upon a time, Star dreaded such mirror calls from her parents but over the last two years their relationship improved and while it still was by no means perfect, there was a deep understanding between the her parents and the princess which made these random mirror calls bearable.

"Ah, hello Star" River Butterfly beamed cheerfully towards his daughter, his smile a mixture of pride and sadness at the sight of her. She was growing up to be a fine lass and while he missed her terribly, he knew Earth was helping her grow into the fine ruler he knew she would one day be.

"Hello Star dear" Moon Butterfly answered, voice as controlled and neutral as ever "Where have you been? We've been trying to contact you for hours now."

"Umm..." Star murmured nervously, hiding the sliver crown with a purple gem in the center behind her back "you know hanging out with Marco. Getting my homework done."

"And how is your...er...homework was it?"

"Great!" Star smiled happily, lifting a scantron she had filled out the day before and proudly showing her parents "I made a cat! Rawr!"

River chuckled, peering forward towards her creation in wonder "I say that is quite the drawing."

"It's...cute dear" Moon said with a smile.

Star felt the scantron slip from her fingers, a sense of dread overcoming every fiber of her being.

"...what's going on?" Star questioned, unable to stop the nervous hammering of her heart "You never say things are cute unless something bad happened. What's going on?"

River and Moon shared a disquieted look amongst themselves before turning back to their teenage daughter.

"As you are no doubt counting to days to your 16th birthday."

"Yeah!" Star shouted with excitement "I can't wait for it. Marco is going to throw me a party and I am pretty sure he has something else planned too."

River merely smiled, preparing himself for Star's reaction when Moon had gathered enough courage to tell Star the...news.

"Star. We need to discuss...your wedding."

"And he's always been horrible at hiding things from me" Star droned on, her mother's words not quite sinking yet "Like this one time when he bought me a flower and he was all like 'I just found it and I thought you'd like it' and I was like 'Marco, I saw you pick it from the garden' and he was all red and like..."

Star's eyes widen, staring curiously at her parents

"Wait, wedding?"

Moon nodded carefully "As you know, per Mewni traditions, the royal princess must be married by the age of 16."

"Yeeeees." Star agreed slowly "but since there is no current heirs my age or close enough to construct a legally binding marriage, I don't have to do that...right?"

River shook his head "Except Tom."

Star's eyes narrowed angrily "Whom I dumped."

"Whom" Moon countered "You are still betrothed to."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" Star shouted "he said he wasn't going to do that!"

"Star, that's not how it works."

"That's what he told me!" Star boiled with a white hot rage. Let it to Tom to ruin her 16th birthday.

"Well he's pursuing the law, citing as per tradition, you must marry him by your 16th birthday or you cannot be crowned ruler of Mewni when it is time for your mother and I step down."

"How can I marry a demon?" Star wondered outloud, seeking guidance "I mean he's a _demon!_ "

Moon pursed her lips "Yes he may be a demon but he is still an heir to the underworld."

Star let out an angry sigh "I bet he's been planning this. I knew when he started leaving me alone he had something up his sleeve but...I never thought he would go this far. What part of I don't want to date him does he not understand?"

"We're sorry Star but our hands are tied." River apologized, his body heavy with sorrow at the distraught emotions he brought upon his daughter.

"Is there no way out of this? Dad? Mom?"

River and Moon shared another look, brains wracking in unison to figure out some sort of way to get Star out of this situation.

"Well, if you were to marry someone before your 16th birthday" River began slowly, his line of thinking exhausted and praying his wife came up with the rest of the plan for the sake of Star.

"You would meet the requirements and Tom would no longer betrothed to you." Moon jumped in, catching her husband's eye knowingly.

"But I thought I had to marry a royal?" Star questioned, still not seeing the picture her parents were drawing.

"We didn't want to tell you at the time in case you decided to run around, proclaiming to every boy you met you were going to marry them but if your husband is not of royal birth when you marry him, your status would make him into a prince. He would become of royal stature."

Star's eyes widen at the thought of the possibilities before the hope in her heart dimmed "That's great and all but that still gives whoever I may some pretty decent power. I can't just marry anyone. I have to marry someone I trust and we would have to stay married or else Tom would just swoop in and claim my hand in marriage, making this entire this a moot point.

"Moot point?" River questioned excitedly, fascinated by Star's choice of words.

"It's an earth saying. Umm it means irrelevant...I think." Star explained, slowly catching the wide smile on her mother's face "Umm, Mom? You okay there? Your lips are doing this thing called smiling."

"Actually you would only have to stay married until Tom gets married himself which he will have to do by the end of the year as the same rules apply to him as well and his the remaining heir whom you would be forced to marry."

"And what if my husband decides he doesn't want to separate from me?"

Moon waved her hand dismissively "Once you divorce your husband, he will no longer possess royal stature and thus cannot rewed you against your will."

"This could work" Star whispered softly, still not ready to fully hope but letting the spark blaze brightly "But I still don't have anyone I can trust with this. I mean this is a lot to ask for and..."

"What about your friend Marco? Why don't you marry him? He's a fine lad."

Star flushed at the sound marry and Marco in the same series of sentences.

"I..well..he...umm" Star tried to stop her flaming cheeks but they seem to worsen under her parents gaze "He's my best friend! That is an extremely awkward thing to ask of him."

"But you said so yourself" River said with a smile "You trust him with your life."

"W-well yeah...but.."

"And I do believe you said his mole was cute" Moon chimed in with a tease.

"Mom! That...that is not the same..."

"And he was there when that lad Oskar broke up with you."

Star bit her lip, remembering when Oskar had asked her on a date. She might've gone crazy and told everyone they were now dating including her parents.

She was excited to spend time with him only to find out they would've simply sat on his car for the entire night and pretty much do nothing. And while a 14 year old Star would've died for such a date, a 15 year Star would not. Especially after comparing her alone time with Oskar to her alone time with Marco. If Oskar had shown any remote interest in her or even, you know, talked to her (like the countless times Marco and Star simply existed and talked to one another all night long), that would've been a different story.

But no, Oskar just sat there, played his keytar (which was lovely as ever) and seemed to forget Star existed, even becoming startled when Star tapped his shoulder and told him she was going home. To which he replied with a "You were here? Like the whole time?"

Star was heartbroken and would've cried the rest of her days away if it wasn't for her best friend. Whether it bringing her a random assortment of flowers to brighten her day to simply listening to her as she babbled on and on about the bad boy, he was there every step of the way.

Marco did so much for her that she didn't feel right asking for this giant favor on top of everything else.

"I... I don't know" Star answered

"You must decide quickly. At least with Marco you know you can leave of your own free will."

Star bid her parents a goodnight, ensuring them she was thankful for the news they brought regardless if it had been bad.

* * *

And thus the past caught up to the present, Star locked away in her room trying to figure out if she could ask Marco to make such a sacrifice. True it wouldn't be forever but getting married, fake or not, was still a big step in their relationship. For the better or worse, Star couldn't hazard a guess.

"Star?" Marco's voice asked gently, knocking on the door as quietly as he could "Star, could I come in?"

Star bit her lip, her heart beating wildly with anticipation and fear

"S-sure Marco, come on in."

Marco strode in, his growth into a young man becoming more apparent everyday. He was an inch taller than her now with the promise of even more height on the way. His baby face was smoothing out giving him a mature look that he did not actually possess. His once thin, spaghetti arms were becoming thick with muscle mass making him lean closer to the burly looking side. A bit of stubble grew on his chin though the thin mustache was no where in sight given that he had recently trimmed it off.

Star said nothing as Marco took his honorary seat at her bed, his light brown eyes wide with concern.

"Star..."

"I...I have a big problem" Star admitted, cutting straight to the chase. She kept this from him long enough and she was running out of time she did not have.

"I know. Can I help?" Marco asked eagerly, taking a cute puppy dog gaze.

Star flushed some more "Yes but...it's a really big favor."

"You mean like carrying you through the rain when you broke your leg?"

"Bigger."

Marco frowned before lighting up with a smile "You mean when I pulled the fire alarm so you could get away from Tom?"

Star shook her head "Bigger."

"Gee Star, what's bigger than avoiding your ex?"

Star's sapphire blue eyes met Marco's chocolate caramel ones, completely serious with the lack of the usual mirth and humor found within them.

"Marry me."

Marco flushed, feeling the world sway uneasily underneath his feet.

"S-Star?" Marco stammered out, cheeks burning bright at the sound of marry me coming out of his best friend's mouth.

"Ugh, I...I just..."

"H-how about you explain before we go off and get hitched?" Marco joked, wincing at the crack in his tone.

"Tom" Star spat out, more out of annoyance than true malice.

"Ugh, seriously? What now?"

Marco sat quietly, taking in the entirety of the situation as Star explained how it was the rule for her to be married by the age of 16, how this wouldn't have been a problem since there were no eligible candidates at the moment aside from Tom whom Star and her parents did not realize qualified. How if she married someone, they would become a prince and thus legalizing their marriage and how they would simply have to wait out until Tom's birthday at the end of the year because he fell under the same rules.

Star shut her eyes fearfully, wondering how badly Marco was going to shoot down this idea. She was asking him to marry her to save her own skin. There was no way he was...

"I'm in"

Star stared in pure shock towards Marco, his awkward fidgeting and tinged face letting her know he was thoroughly uncomfortable with this idea.

"I mean it'll be for show right?" Marco asked for confirmation, making sure he truly understood "and it's just till Tom gets married himself."

"Yeah" Star muttered clumsily

"So let's get married" Marco said with a strained smile.

Star shifted guilty, biting on her lips cutely as she turned to face her best friend.

"Marco, you don't have to do this. I still have a week. I'm sure I can find..."

"Look Star" Marco said in a straight forward tone which did not at all match with his uneasy face "You need someone you can trust and there is no way I'm letting Tom marry you due to his manipulation and selfish desire. I...if this means you get to stay on Earth for a while more, I..I'm okay with it. You are my best friend."

Star shot him a grateful smile "thank you so much Marco. I'll make this as painless as possible."

"Thanks Star but one favor"

Star was curious at what Marco wanted as a favor "Sure, anything Marco."

"We _cannot_ tell my parents."

Star giggled at the sheer fear that shone through Marco's facial expression "Okay, I won't tell them their little boy is getting married."

Marco broke out into relief, letting out a comforted sigh from his lips "Thanks Star."

Star laughed some more "Why though? They don't like the idea of their little boy getting married at such a young age? Would they kill you if you did?"

"They would _disown_ me if they found out I married at the same age they did." Marco admitted with a completely straight face "They would _kill_ me if they found out they weren't invited to the wedding."

* * *

 _The wedding_

Marco fidgeted nervously before twin thrones of Mewni in his midnight blue tuxedo, white collared shirt and butterfly shaped pink bowtie. He tried to calm his racing heart but it was a little difficult when you were about to marry your best friend.

The speed at which Star's parents set up the wedding was astounding, the entire event having been set up within a day.

The throne room itself looked far different than he had seen it the few times he'd been in its hall: Long red and pink streamers stretched from one side to the room to another, the normally spacious room felt small as a handful of pews were placed in rows. Multicolored butterfly shaped flowers petals littered the floor as a handful of beings from different dimensions portal their way into their seats.

Marco was ensured that the wedding would be low key, that anyone that had been invited were members of the royal families that needed to see the wedding take place to verify that it had occurred. Luckily neither Tom nor Pony Head would be attending which was a relief to Marco given how much he distrusted Tom and his nerves were too shot to tolerate Pony Head right now.

The blazing of trumpets let everyone know that the wedding was about to begin. It was a strange, joyful song that was far faster and lively than the traditional wedding march found on Earth.

Marco felt his lungs release all the air within them out of his mouth upon seeing Star.

She looked unearthly, her blonde hair twisted into a single perfect braid with sparkling, shimmering sparks of magic gleaming in the light, a touch of light blue eyeshadow surrounded her crystal blue eyes. Her butterfly-like Mewberty wings were out in full display, a far cry from the tiny wings from so long ago. They outstretched out to either side of her, about just a little over the length of her body and towering just a half inch above her head.

Her dress was beautiful: a strapless, pure white dress that covered her bare shoulders and chest under a flowery, see through design, her legs covered by the bell shape bottom while her arms were covered by matching elbow length gloves.

Marco could now see what the boys meant by she was beautiful.

Star reached Marco, shooting him her own nervous smile as they turned to face each other.

"We are gathered here today" The priest boomed, appearing from nowhere in his galaxy inspired robes, the swirling and moving celestial bodies filling Marco in that magic was embedded in its fabric "To bind the lives of Princess Star Stellar Butterfly and Marco Ubaldo Diaz in Mewly unity."

Marco tried not to look confused at the world Mewly or the fact Star's middle name was Stellar.

"In front of all these witnesses" the priest's hand swept over the hall "and the 7 watchers of Mewni" the priest pointed upwards towards the ceiling where 7 male and female Mewnians were painted with the reverence only granted to a holy being "do you Star Stellar Butterfly take Marco Ubaldo Diaz as your other half. To cherish him as long as you both live and love one another?"

Star's throat dried up at the sight of Marco, his slicked back gelled hair, his muscles framed perfectly against his suit, the warm but equally nervous gaze he was giving her with his lovely caramel light brown eyes. She hadn't realized how handsome her best friend was becoming.

"I...I do" Star whispered, completely lost in the moment.

"Do you, Marco Ubaldo Diaz, take Star Stellar Butterfly as your other half? To cherish her as long as you both live and love one another?"

"I do" Marco said, sounding far more confident than he was actually feeling, his body weakened by the daze he was lost in.

"I now bind you together. You may now complete your individual dimensions customary marriage ceremonies.

Marco nodded, fishing out the twin matching plain gold bands he managed to buy at the last moment, slipping one onto Star's finger and the other onto his own.

Mewni didn't really have a physical representation of marriage like Earth did which meant the next step was...

"You now may kiss your other."

Marco and Star flushed at the words, having completely forgotten about the last step of the whole unifying process.

Star bit her lip in the most adorable way, her eyes wide as Marco began to close the gap between them, tensing up as Marco's lips shyly planted kiss upon hers. Star melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening it, catching Marco off guard and cause his stomach to fill with his best friend's namesake for some unknown reason.

A loud cough from Star's parents told them that was quite enough and the two of them pulled away quickly, embarrassingly waving to the onlookers as husband and wife.

* * *

 _The wedding night_

Star and Marco returned to the young princess's room after accepting everyone's congratulations.

Star and Marco simply fell on her bed, exhausted from the day's events, sharing a conspiratorial smile with one another as they simply lay there for a moment.

"Thank you so much Marco" Star said with a grateful smile "It really means a lot to me that you would do this for me."

Marco blushed wildly, anxiously laughing the entire event off, the phantom touch of Star's lips tingling on his "it's okay Star. Any way I can help you out, you'd let me know."

"So now we just have to wait for Tom to get married and we're all set."

"Awesome."

The two fell into an awkward silence, the elephant in the room clear to both of them but neither knew how exactly to address it. Their half baked, half completed plan had only one major bump in the road.

"So" The two said at once, turning to face the other with perfect timing "No you first."

the couple gasped in surprise before covering their mouths, leaning forward and shouting at the same time "Stop that!"

The newly married best friends burst into laughter.

"So...Marco" Star began slowly.

"Yeah Star?"

"who did you kiss?"

Marco was confused by the question "Huh?"

"Kiss, you know muah!" Star said with giggle, kissing his cheek to make her point across.

"Well I kissed you...so..."

Star flushed upon remembering the kiss "I know but you were so natural. You must've kissed someone before."

"A-actually..y...you were my first kiss..."

Star was stunned into silence, Marco was so sure of his actions that she could've sworn he had kissed someone else before.

"How about you? How'd you get so good at it?"

"Me?" Star quizzically responded "no one...you were my first..."

The teens remained silent at the implications that were made by their joint confessions.

"Well night Star" Marco said quickly, rising to his feet and hurriedly making his way out of the room.

"Night Marco!" Star shouted after him, burying herself deep within her blankets and blasting off the lights.

* * *

 _3 days after the wedding_

"Star, that is not a good idea" Marco told his best friend, trying not to rub his forehead in frustration

"I could totally do this" Star beamed proudly, holding the kitchen knife loosely in her hands, eying the distance between her and balloon that managed to escape her grasp "This is like hunting Grazmires but easier because that baloon is so slow!"

"It's balloon Star and I'm not saying you can't, I'm saying you shouldn't just randomly be throwing knives into the sky like that!"

"Psst, you worry too much safe kid" Star teased, gently pinching Marco's cheek as if he was a child.

Marco glared at her but before he could open his mouth to retaliate, his parents strode by, finally having arrived from grocery shopping.

"You kids, if you keep arguing like that, people are going to think you are married." Rafael said with joking smile.

"You sure bicker like an old married couple" Angie agreed, playful winking in their direction.

Star and Marco said nothing, staring at each other with bright red faces.

* * *

 _13 days after the wedding_

"Maaaarco" Star whined loudly, shivering under the mass of blankets she seized for her Mewlu, a common illness among Mewnians that caused her forehead to boil and her body to freeze.

"Coming Star!" Marco shouted back, rushing into the room at the beck of the sick princess.

"Marco, I'm dying!" Star complained loudly, lifting the blanket and covering her mouth as her eyes peered dolefully at Marco.

Marco let out a sigh, reaching to touch Star's only to pull back at the extreme heat he was feeling "Whoa, how are you not dead? You are warm enough to start your own fire."

"Dead? It's Mewlu, not the plague. I'm just exaggerating to get you in here faster."

"Well your soup is almost done, is anything you would like before I go get it?"

Star peered thoughtfully before throwing her husband the most adorable puppy pout she could muster "Could you sing for me?"

"No, no, no I don't sing!"

"Come on, I heard you the other day!"

"You just walked into the bathroom! You were supposed to knock!"

"I did! You didn't hear because you were singing so loudly"

"No Star" Marco replied firmly.

"Pleeeeease" Star pouted "For your wifey?"

Marco flushed, realizing that for the first time since they've been married, Star had referred to herself as his wife so naturally that it was almost like she forgot they were married for appearances only.

Marco folded, sitting next to Star and allowing the sicken girl to lay her head on his chest, the steady beat of Marco's heart bringing her comfort.

Marco cleared his throat, trying to think of the least romantic song he knew. Which there was only one.

" _Lay by my side and we'll sail away, off to the shores of another day"_

Star began to close her eyes, Marco's firm but soft voice lulling her into a deep sleep.

Marco knew she was asleep but he felt compelled to finish the song for her, knowing full well she could still hear him amidst her deep rooted slumber.

Marco stroked her hair gently, planting a kiss on her forehead in hopes she had sweet dreams as he went to finish preparing her meal.

* * *

 _39 days after the wedding_

"Star?!" Marco shouted, confused why the young princess had suddenly gripped his wrists the moment he walked into the room and began spinning him like a top.

"MARCO!" Star cheerfully yelled back, her bubbly grin infecting Marco's face with a matching one.

"STAR!" Marco shouted cheerfully, laughing when Star placed one hand on his hip and taking the other into her own.

"MARCO!" She repeated, too happy and filled with joy to really care what she was doing.

Marco simply shook his head, allowing Star to lead the waltz he now found himself in, just deciding to go with a happy Star than fight her. There was no fighting off a happy Star. Sooner or later, she would get you too.

"I did it!" Star yelled excitedly, finally letting go and reaching for something in her backpack.

Star thrust a paper directly into his face, beaming with so much pride that Marco felt equally prideful from exposure alone.

Marco pulled the paper out of his face and realized it was last week's surprise math test. He was certain he was going to find himself staring at another well drawn picture of a cat but instead he found...

"An A!" Marco cheered, grabbing Star's waist and effortlessly lifting her into the air, spinning her around in a circle as the two shared shouts, cheers and screams of pure happiness "YOU GOT AN A!"

"I GOT AN A!" Star repeated!

Marco put her gently back onto the floor but did not move his hands from their resting position "We have to celebrate!"

"Nachos?" Star suggested hopefully, eyes brimming with excitement

Marco shook his head "Not just any nachos, my super ultra deluxe mega supreme nachos!"

Star gasped, unable to believe she was about to get the fable SUDMS nachos that she heard so much from Ferguson and Alfonso. It was such a rare treat that Marco had not made the mythical food in 7 years.

"I need to go to the store." Marco said quickly, reaching for the umbrella he placed in the stand a moment ago.

"Wait" Star began, voice laced with worry "why?"

"To get the indigents."

"Marco" Star peered worriedly to the outside world, the torrential rain looking fierce and cold "It's raining outside, we'll just do it another..."

"No" Marco answered with a hint of finality "You did an amazing job. A great job! I am so proud of you Star that a little bit of rain isn't going to stop me from making my wife my super ultra deluxe mega supreme nachos!"

Star gasped at the sound of Marco calling her his wife but before she could respond, Marco had already disappeared into the storm, confidently strolling to his car, the horrible weather unable to dampen his bright, joyful mood.

And as Star watched Marco pull out of the driveway, lovingly waving in her direction, she could feel her heart race at his words and smiling to herself as she lovingly muttered "his wife..."

* * *

 _68 days after the wedding._

Star groggily opened her eyes, trying to figure out why she was awake so early. It was still very dark out, the pale light of the television the only source of illumination in the room.

Star let out a yawn, trying to stretch her arms before realizing they were pinned under something.

She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and tried to piece together where exactly she was.

The answer hit her like a ton of bricks as the living came into view, Marco's hoodie draped over her like a blanket.

The two had been watching a movie marathon of action comedies when she must've fell asleep on the couch, now realizing that laying down on such comfort inadvertently led to sleep.

Star assumed Marco had gone to sleep, not wanting to disturb her from her slumber but Star was wrong, he hadn't left, instead cozily planting himself next to her, arms wrapped around her waist and pinning her arms as he held her tight.

Star smiled at the sight of the plain gold band on Marco's finger, the young man forgetting to take it off once more.

It's been happening a lot lately. Each passing day Marco forgot to remove his wedding ring more and more. He had to wear it whenever there was a royal function that absolutely required their presence but nowadays it felt like he wore it every single day despite the constant barrage of questions that came with such an accessory.

Star wondered if he was starting to enjoy the idea of being married to her. She knew she was starting to love the idea of Marco as her husband.

How did she not see it before? the chemistry they two of them shared, the utter ease that romance seemed to find the two of them. It was like they were made for each other, they were really each other's soulmates, their other halves.

She wanted to ask him if he felt the same way, that maybe the false marriage might've led to a real relationship between the two.

But she was scared. She was scared the answer was no, that this amazing dream she had built up in her mind only existed in her head.

And time was running out. Tom just announced he was engaged and with his birthday a mere 2 months away, well the fantasy was about to come crashing down around her head.

That was okay though. She realized her feelings for Marco and from there, well maybe she could start something once this was all said and done. She could at least try.

Star eased back into a comfortable position, mindlessly playing with her own wedding ring as she drifted back to sleep next to her husband.

* * *

 _87 days after the wedding._

Marco felt numb, lost, and like the world was crashing down around him as Star casually threw out that Tom had gotten married today.

The pair were sprawled out on the rooftop tiles, hands held tenderly as they gazed up into the inky night sky, the stars twinkling brightly but failing to compare the one currently by his side.

When did it happen? When did the lie become reality? When did pretending to be married became actual marriage? It had only been about 3 months since the two best friends were wed but it felt like a lifetime, like his entire life had only been composed of these last 3 months.

Marco internally giggled with a gooey happiness whenever he thought of the words "Star" and "Wife" in the same sentence, he felt more at peace with this facade than he ever came to expect and realized his deep rooted feelings for the princess.

He didn't want this to end, not now, not ever.

But all good things must and it looks like his dream was coming back to reality.

"I see" was his only response

"So...you know" Star told him, a sharp nervous edge to her words "I...I guess..."

"Yeah" Marco agreed, somber "I guess it's...it's time."

"Yeah..."

The two said nothing, the elephant in the room present but neither knew how to approach the other about maybe not ending the marriage.

"Unless..." Marco started

"yeah?" Star sat up eagerly, Marco rising up to meet her gaze.

"Unless...you know..."

"Ah huh?" Star nodded eagerly, hoping the next words out of mouth were what she hoped they were.

"You know" Marco murmured softly "You...umm...like being married to me..."

"Marco" Star said, trying to keep the fear from creeping into her voice "Do...do you like being married to me?"

Marco shyly nodded, unable to face Star.

"I like being married to you too" Star admitted, looking forward, nervously playing with her hair.

"Yeah? Cool..."

The awkward silence returned as what was said wasn't quite what they actual meant say.

"Star..." Marco whispered, turning to face his wife, deciding to go for double or nothing.

"Marco?" Star turned to face her husband, vowing to simply throw it out there and letting fate decide.

The married couple leaned forward, eager to express their words without simply shouting themselves

"I REALLY LIKE YOU!" They shouted as one, pulling back in surprise, gasping before inching closer to one another, simultaneously questioned "Really?! You do?!"

The two broke into laughter, laying back down onto the tile floor of the roof, staring into the abyss of space realizing their greatest and most secret desire had came true.

"You are just so beautiful" Marco told Star, liking how the taste of the word felt on his tongue.

"You are so handsome" Star told Marco, finally glad she could actually say that to Marco's face now.

And as Star and Marco shared their first proper, real kiss of their marriage, they knew this was the beginning of a beautiful journey as husband and wife.


	62. Novaberty! (Future au)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here hoping everyone is having an awesome work. many thank yous for every single review, favorite and follow. you readers are the best and you make me love writing for you.

a special thanks to fabio- no worries, even i tend to scare myself with story ideas and writing sometimes. and always be honest with me! i can handle it! thank you so much. i figured they would treat it like another crazy thing they did and be whatever about it though they did ignore the whole kissing your best friend thing. and the plot itself was pretty much set for me. cute starco moments as they slowly realized their already set feelings for one another. i can handle most things and i shall do my very best to do so.

finn- i think i made it very clear that i am quite odd. haha i am glad you did enjoy it though

xboxrica- you are too kind. There some pretty awesome stories out there but I admit i am pleasantly surprised how it came out.

Max98- wow, lucky break. Well i am glad i could help you in some small way. yeah it was a really nice set up that gave me a lot of freedom to work with and now that you say that i want to do a phoenix wright Au with Star as Phoenix and Marco as Edgeworth, working together to solve crimes. Yeah i think they would just try and pretend it didn't happen. I wanted to show Star actually improving her grades as a sign of her personal growth and to give Marco an excuse to lift her into the air. I should've kitchen seen but at the time that's what i came up with. oh well. hindsight is 20 20 I am glad you still found the moments cute. thank you for the happy birthday! basically im going to be mostly writing requests that i've built up over the last few months with a few of my own stories in between. no rest for the wicked! and here is the next chapter. and you kicked that tower's butt, yeah!

sonicelite- haha melted heart now? i'm gonna have to update my warning label again. Floating, melting, melted heart, sugary content, diabetes and death. these stories are a killer man. I am glad i did a pretty decent wedding fic and i am crazy but that's irrelevant! and i read your profile, everything is explained now. keep up the great work yourself!

lost- thank you so much for your review and I am happy you enjoyed it. it was just gooey with happiness and love. STARCO!

deadshoot- and here it is

King of france- i did promise a doctor who au and i am still going to be working on it. I have two. I have a request where Star and Marco meet the doctor vs cyberman and the actual au where star is either the 11th doctor or Marco is the 10th but im still not quite sure yet both will be a while though. I love that show and i want to do an au on it buuuuut not sure the best way to do so without directly ripping it off (which i dont like doing)

artgirllullaby- i can answer that! Pony head is angry she wasnt invited and is made a star's maid. , Tom is finally chilled about it, Ferguson and Alfonzo happily tease star and marco that they told them so, umm Marco's parents ground him for a year then replan the wedding, inviting all his and her famliy and friends to a backyard wedding. and they have a second wedding!

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

cartoonlover187- oh that's another thing i forgot to put" May cause squealing. on the warning label it goes and i am glad you enjoyed it.

grim- and they totally grounded him for not inviting them to the wedding. haha i think it felt short because all the things i had to set up. but im glad you still enjoyed it.

lupus- haha well scream all you want in the privacy of your own home. and i need to pu that on the story's warning label.

Smitty theroies- i think its means more like the person themselves can't physically do anything but the person that needs help can. like Star's parents couldn't do anything themselves but Star could ask marco to marry him since that would work better than her parents asking. at least thats what i think. and to be fair, he stan freaking PINES! haha this is it. im happy you enjoyed it, and...im hungry now. wish ms. what if a speedy recovery from me!

guest: You are making my blush my dear reader. i personally think other people's stories are way better than my. golfalpha, axis, fanfictionfordayz but thank you for considering me a very good storyteller. and now im embarrassed i didn't fix all my mistakes in my other stories haha oh well live and learn. and dont be, the best tools for any story teller are stories to tell, excellent vocab and good details. requests are stressful because i demand perfection for them GO BIG OR GO HOME! you know what my dear guest, I love that idea so much and i love the fact you asked me for a nova and connor request that I will do the blood moon ball with them. I might have to change it a bit maybe have them go to the future or maybe there's another dimension nearby that has it. I am very honored you love my characters so much that you would request a really brilliant story idea that i am going to do it. it will probably be my next novy chapter here. thank you so much my dear reader for such an amazing idea!

IDC1314- im glad you liked it and thank you for the review sara and take your time with the drawings, i understand life gets pretty busy sometimes and i still have to work on your kim possible au, soon i promise.

totallyobessedwithSVTFOE- haha poor marco, his parents are gonna be so mad they weren't invited to the wedding.

rayfe- i think Star would treat Marco's mole like humans treat star: With awe and wonder. I mean she openly said it was cute and i have a feeling she might've wanted to spread around how cute it was. she loves all things cute. I am going to do star vs the fallout with lazer puppies, super mutant skullnick, maybe powerarmor Marco or Oskar but itll be after the requestathon. but your star writing starco is coming up soon.

guest: they ground him and then replan the wedding haha it would be fun but i dont think there's much to work with. glad you liked it though

let's see what we have on staaaaarco corner. h mae doesn't have anything new up but i will be referencing a piece of hers so check it out once i mention it over at hains-mae on tumblr. Spatziline has a really funny reblog up of what states stan pines is banned from. I can't repost because he isn't banned in my state. sad face. check her awesome work out at spatziline on tumblr. some more doodles from sara on idrawcartoons1314 on instagram. finn63 actually has a pretty cool tumblr of various sketches invovling cross over hijinks. check it out over on finn63 on tumblr. and for a bunch of great random art from the web check out SVTFOEheadcanons on tumblr. here on FF previously mentioned Finn63 has this really cute, short but sweet starco story up called you're my favorite that i somehow missed. shame on me. the dark lord from harrison2901, wands and weirdos from sonicElite, Star vs the forces of evil: the text from the amazing turtle, and a hero's path from godlegend.

So here we go, Novaberty. It's that time in young Nova's life but some people are left in the dark about and Connor is about to find out what exactly is Mewberty and how much of a wild, confusing ride it can be.

Some notes before we start. Because Nova is half human, half mewnian, she isn't affected by mewberty the same way Star was. she also doesn't go through it right away and is not quite transformed by it. Second there is a scene that was inspired by my friend mae who did a sketch of nova and connor for me that I love. it's viktor and Connor's line and it was funny and so in character that i had to add it. Thanks for that mae!

side note wookie if you're reading, tell me how i did! it was your story and if you didnt like it, please let me know i am more than happy to rewrite it for you and what you asked for.

so that is about it, next time we come back it will be deadshoots request of Marco's greatest day ever with either the bad boy au or Rayfe's star writing starco request. have a great week everyone, thank you so much for all the love and support you give this story and me it means the world to me. thank you for every single favorite, review and follow. enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

Marco let out a groggy yawn of tiredness, the siren call of his warm bed and Star's embrace the only thing motivating him to climb the seemingly mountainous staircase. His white undershirt and blue sweat pants were hardly appropriate attire for a teacher such as himself but he wasn't really caring today.

Today was Marco and Star's monthly "We're going to spend all day together, leave us alone or else" 24 hour date. Between Marco's English teaching job, being a royal adviser to his lovely wife, Star's position as Queen of Mewni, her duty to broker peace treaties and alliances, the joint responsibility of raising Nova and now helping her master the magic wand, sometimes Marco and Star didn't manage to spend so much romantic time with one another.

To rectify this horrible atrocity, they told everyone that once a month they were going to spend an entire day together and they were only to be bothered under the most dire of situations (with Star quietly growling that there better be no such circumstances.)

That still left the problem of taking Nova and Connor to school which luckily was solved by one coin toss later. That Marco lost. Not because he lost the actual coin toss but because Star employed her puppy pout strike against an unsuspecting Marco.

He could not resist his wife and they both knew it.

Which brings us to the present, Marco making his way up the staircase, sleepy yet energized, zombie lurching his way back to Star.

Until he noticed a light purplish color catching the corner of his eye.

Marco wearily pushed open the bathroom door but he was far too exhausted to care what he saw, not even sparing any effort to even raise an eyebrow at what lay within.

The bathroom was relatively untouched, clean and in one piece despite being completely buried underneath by lavender colored hearts.

The hearts covered every inch of the normally bare walls of the room, on the floor half-haphazardly across the tile like someone picked them off something and lazily tossed them there while thin lines of hearts drooped down from the ceiling like party streamers.

Marco took one of the hearts from the floor, moaning in frustration at its scaly, rough texture.

"Staaaaaar!" Marco shouted loudly

"egh?" Star's muffled, dazed voice answered.

"Is it your time of the year?" Marco asked, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he let the heart fall back to the floor.

"Eugh!? Mheo yew?"

"It's not?" Marco questioned "Then why is the bathroom covered in Mewberty hearts?"

"Hmwo ey nkwo? Mht e!"

"...if it's not you" Marco muttered to himself, making his way back their bed room.

Star rose up to a sitting position, her pink tank topn visible while her blue shorts remained hidden under a thick pile of blankets. Star blinked unevenly his way and let out the cutest yawn at the sight of her husband.

"Then who else could it be?"

Star shrugged, eyes rising and falling as she struggled to stay awake.

"Star?"

"muh?"

"Nova turned 14 like a month ago right?"

"uh huh..."

"Didn't your Mewberty happen roughly a month after your birthday?"

"...unno..."

"Star, I think Nova's going through Mewberty."

Star clapped her hands together sluggishly, a dopey grin on her face as she let out a little "yay...Novy...growing up..."

"Star, did you tell the school about this?"

Star responded with a blank, lost stare.

"Did you give them the money so we can cover any damages Nova causes?"

Blank stare.

"Did you at least warn Connor?"

Marco shook his head at the sound of Star's light snoring. Star gave up the battle to stay awake. Marco made his way over to his wife's side when suddenly Star's bright blue eyes shot open, a smirk formed on her lips as she lunged at Marco, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"S-Star!" Marco shouted as Star began hungrily kissing him, softly nibbling at his lower lip while Marco flushed wildly, effortlessly carrying Star no problem.

"Let them worry about it" Star said between kisses, pulling her weight backwards and causing the two of them to topple onto the bed "It's our time right now"

Marco nodded, he sure it would be fine. And if it wasn't, well that was Connor's problem.

"yeah it is huh?" Marco muttered, deepening the passionate kisses from Star.

Star pulled away, still holding onto Marco's neck with a mischievously glint in her eyes, whispering seductively in a low voice "you know what that means right." before adding a wink for good measure.

Marco chuckled happily as he moved in closer to Star.

It was hard to decide whose snores were louder: Marco's or Star's as they nuzzled together, holding each other tightly while they slept half the day away.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, 2nd period English class._

"Poor sub" Connor muttered to himself, dutifully working on his homework assignment the young substitute teacher managed to hand out before utter chaos erupted and overwhelmed his fledgling leadership skills.

Normally Mr. Diaz's class was the antithesis of regular high school students: Everyone were perfect, well behavior teenagers due to the fact that Marco commanded such a powerful presence with absolute confidence and a pretty laid back attitude. Add the his wife was not afraid to tackle you with a pair of Earth scissors and chop off all your hair if you gave him a hard time and everyone agreed to respect Mr. Diaz's rules.

This young man was not Marco Diaz and thus anarchy broke out once he finished assigning the homework for the day.

The sub in question gave up and opted to simply read a book, ignoring the antics of the class and letting them rage amongst themselves until the bell dismissed them for brunch.

Connor was tempted to join the rest of class in their horsing around but he figured he might as well get ahead on his homework in case Nova decided to throw all night movie marathon at the last minute again.

Speaking of Nova.

"Psst, Connor" Viktor whispered towards Connor, crouching low before throwing a glance past the young man, trying not to freak out about what the girl on the other side was currently doing "She's staring again man. It's weird..."

Connor did not turn to respond nor did he look at the girl in question, deciding to throw all his concentration onto his homework rather than the girl next to him.

"I know" Connor replied calmly, seemingly immune to the girl's strange behavior "Shes been doing it all week."

Nova had been staring at him all week. Just looking. One arm adorably tucked under her chin, her hand closed into a fist as she leaned forward, openly watching without a care, her stunning electric blue eyes narrowed in pure single minded focus.

Connor claimed he was used to it by the first day, that it was whatever and didn't affect him in the slightest. That Nova was just being Nova and it was no big deal.

Except...

It was a big deal! It was a colossally huge thing and Connor was unsure what to do about it!?

Connor could feel his cheeks threaten to flush under Nova's intense gaze just as it nearly had for the last few days when Nova suddenly decided that staring at Connor was the most interesting activity in the world.

Sometimes she would sheepishly snap out of it and quickly flick his cheek with her hoodie's sleeve, claiming there was a speck of dirt on his face before sly smirking, her cute face distracting him from the second attack.

Other times she would say nothing, mouth opening and closing before turning away quickly, racing ahead without leaving any clue as to what she was trying to say, her hair swaying hypnotically back and forth as he stared after her.

And it was hard not to stare at Nova, her long light brown hair perfect as usual, the pink undershirt under her father's old red, faded hoodie fitting perfectly with her black knee length skirt and shark boots, her headband the usual devil headband today (though the other days it had been a pair of too freaking cute cat ears.)

Connor decided to change it up a bit too, wearing his _black_ t -tshirt (as opposed to his white) with the sliver crescent moon in the middle, light brown khaki shorts and his black converses, his wavy black hair an uncontrollable mess as usual, his forest green eyes seeing the world through circular wire frame glasses.

Normally Nova would've scolded him for his lack of actual change in his wardrobe, threatening to take him shopping and find him proper teenager attire.

Normally Nova would be teasing him about Missy, citing Connor should learn how to make eye contact if he plans to take her out before dragging him away to the nearest available table that was far away from the girl in question.

Normally Nova would be begging him to copy his homework, pouring on the irresistibly adorkable puppy pout until he eventually cracked.

But none of it came. No threat, no tease, no pout.

Nova just sat, stared intently in his direction and remained frozen in that posture for the entire class.

The bell rang loudly, earning a sigh of relief from the substitute as he rushed out of the room, no doubt about to inject himself with a full pot of coffee after 2 grueling periods.

The students dispersed which such a speed that Connor wondered if Nova sped up time again.

Connor shook his head, putting his books away calmly, making sure everything was neat and orderly before standing out of his chair.

He turned around only to find Nova there, inches from him, his image reflected back at him in her electric blue eyes.

"Geez Nova!" Connor scolded, placing a hand over his racing heart while glaring at her

"Connor's a boy." Nova said neutrally, her tone dry like she wasn't sure what emotion was proper for such a statement.

"Huh?" Connor felt his cheeks flaring up as Nova took a step forward.

"Connor's a boy" Nova repeated in the same deadpanned voice.

"Nova, you've known me for 7 years. If it took you this long to figure out..." Connor began with their usual banter, teasingly smiling her way

but Nova cut him off, giving him the biggest dopey grin he had ever seen grace her lips.

"Connor's a booooy" Nova's voice cooed softly

Connor shot his best friend a worried look, taking a step back at the sound of her strange tone

"Yeeeees you know that already Novy." Connor gently told her

Nova leaned in even closer, hands clasped behind her back while she closed the distance between her and Connor

"A really cute boy..."

"N-nova?"

"With really pretty eyes"

Connor gulped nervously, the retreat he wasn't even aware he was doing coming to a halt, his back hitting he class room wall while Nova inched closer and closer, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

"Connor..." Nova whispered quietly in an uncharacteristically tender and shy voice

"Nova?" She was so close that Connor could see her heart shaped pupils filling with an array of mixed emotions.

wait, heart shaped...

"Connor..." Nova repeated quietly, nervously playing with a strain of her hair "I..."

Connor could feel his body freeze under her loving gaze, her electric blue irises staring intently at him in a way she never has before

"I really..."

Connor didn't know if its her voice or the way she's looking at him but he took a deep breath, his hand slowly reaching out to touch her cheek, his body responding automatically to her hypnotic voice.

"Connor, what are you doing?"

Connor stopped his hand just shy from her heart shaped cheek which now was tinged with a bright red hue, Nova's gaze stuck halfway between a glare and shock, her pupils returning to normal.

Connor gulped loudly, unsure what was the best course of action.

"I said what were you doing four eyes?" Nova repeated, her tone unsteady and unsure with a hint of a threat thrown in for good measure.

Connor decided to go for broke, brushing his thumb across her cheek softly while sticking out his tongue "Got some dirt on your cheek Novy."

Nova's blush worsen.

Nova held his hand, pulling it away from her face with a firm but gentle grip.

"Just tell me next time okay Connor" she muttered softly, turning on her heels before quickly exiting the room.

Connor let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding in, running his hand through his hair before asking himself "What the hell is going on with that girl?"

* * *

"So I heard Missy is talking about you" Nova threw out casually, putting away her English books and trading it for her dreaded math literature.

Connor stared at her, confused by her jealous, biting tone. She's never used that voice before. Well around him. He'd long suspected Nova was jealous of Missy for some reason but he could never figure out why.

"Is that so?" Connor murmured, his voice carefully controlled.

"Mhm" Nova answered, slamming her locker with an unrestrained fury "Something about asking you out today."

"M-me?" Connor stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing. He always possessed a small crush on Missy but he never thought she would reciprocate his feelings.

"So gonna bail out on our movie day?" Nova asked, her eyes filled with envy and fear.

"What? No! If we're having one today...are we?" Connor quickly defended himself, trying not to shift guiltily at the sight of Nova. While his feelings for Missy paled in comparison for his feelings for Nova, at least he could live if Missy rejected him. If he ever lost Nova...well...he was really hoping that day never came.

"Oh...I..I didn't tell you...did I?" Nova whispered softly, her body tense with some unfiltered emotion "I...I'm sorry Connor..."

"Nova, are you alright?" Connor asked but before he could respond, Nova launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly and burying her face into his chest.

Connor said nothing, the beating of his heart thumping loudly in his ears as Nova gave him a tight squeeze, breaking away and granting him another blood pooling smile.

"Don't get use to such PDA cutie" Nova teased, releasing her grip on him while giving him a flirtatious wink, her eyes becoming heart shaped once more.

"C-cutie?"

Nova shook her head, the hearts shaped pupils disappearing once more, the flirtations draining out of her and replaced with her standard Nova facial features "I did say don't get used to it four eyes. I...I'll see you later, I got math. With Roman"

One loving sigh later, Nova was bolting down the hallway and knocking over anyone in her way, her head tucked low as she swung around the corner with dangerous abandon.

Connor let out a confused sigh, massaging his painfully throbbing forehead.

Connor was about to head for his history class when something flickered on the floor and caught his eye.

There was a small, purplish tiny heart, moving back and forth in the light breeze.

Connor bent over, carefully taking the strange item into his hand, wincing at its scaly, tough feel.

"Where did you come from?" Connor asked out loud, looking around to see if he could spotted any more of the hearts.

There was a movement out of the corner of his eye and Connor turned to see one float off into the air. He looked further on and noticed there was a trail of them, each evenly spaced out from the others, leading away from him and around the corner where Nova fled. The hearts started off as the color purple but the next one down the line slowly became a mixture of purple and blue before eventually becoming a sky blue color only.

"Nova?" Connor began to follow the trail, fear for his best friend filling him with a sense of dread.

A gust of wind scattered the hearts into the air but Connor already gathered all the clues he was going to need from them.

He could hear a quiet, tense murmur from the other students, the loud chattering hallway becoming deathly silent within a moment.

Connor crept his way to the corner, trying to keep the bad feeling he was enveloped in from overwhelming him.

RIIIIING

Connor nearly jumped out of his skin, the deafening ringing of the bell just above his head startling the young man, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor.

He patted his chest, trying his hardest to calm down as he rose to his feet once more.

Connor made his way around the corner, unprepared for what he saw.

Nova's back was turned to him and she was crouching low, hands a blurry motion while she worked on something, a neat pile of sky blue hearts sitting near her. Connor could hear the small grunting of effort and work escaping her lips and whatever she was doing was frightening the other students who pressed themselves against the walls as much as they could, hoping to simply disappear into the woodwork of the school.

Connor took a calming breath, his steps frightened but steady as he closed the gap between himself and Nova.

"Novy?" Connor asked slowly, trying to see what exactly Nova was working on.

No response.

"Nova, are you okay?" Connor let some of the concern he was feeling seep into his voice, the anxiety that something happened to Nova coiling around his insides like a snake.

Still no response.

"NOVA!" Connor shouted, bracing himself for whatever happened next.

Nova turned to him, her pupils now bright blue heart shaped irises, her skin color tinged to the same hue, even her light brown hair looked like it had been dipped in blue hair dye.

She had a pair of two extra arms sticking out just below her regular ones, some sort of sticky web covered in hearts leaking out of her palms.

She faced him, rising to her full height as a pair of beautiful rose colored butterfly wings appeared from her back, glimmering and shining with a dark blue sparks.

"Nova?" Connor repeated fearfully, looking to the floor at her creation.

It was Roman, webbed up in a cocoon made of the webby heart things coming out of Nova's palms. Despite the...severity of the situation, he looked relatively calm, his hair still brushed and gelled to perfection.

"Hey Connor!" Roman called to him cheerfully, nodding his head in greetings since his hands were a little restrained.

"hey..." Connor replied uneasily, unsure how the 15 year old could handle being webbed up by the insect-like Nova.

"How you doing?"

"umm...good...You Roman?"

Roman shrugged nonchalantly "Not bad, all things considering."

Connor scratched his head, still lost at the boy's calm reaction "You aren't at all scared by what's going on?"

Roman shook his body in disagreement "Nah, my dad told me about it."

"Your dad?"

Roman nodded "He told me that Star turned into this butterfly insect thing when they were in school and pretty much webbed up all the boys in school. Something about Mewberty?"

"Mewberty?" Connor replied questioningly, rubbing his chin trying to figure out why the word sounded so familiar "Mewberty? Wait, Mewberty! That's right Nova is half Mewnan."

"Yep! It looks like she's going through the same thing."

"but..." Connor looked all around, Nova making no motions to chase after any other male within the vicinity "She's just standing there."

"Well" Roman looked up thoughtfully "If I had to hazard a guess, I bet it's because she isn't full Mewnian. I guess her human side is also affecting her, you know puberty and all that jazz."

"that makes sense" Connor agreed "she was acting very strange this week. Very...umm...flip floppy for lack of a better word."

"Yeah I'm betting it's the two mixing together and not quite sure how to react with one another, and telling by how easily she was flirting with me a second ago given how normally she can barely speak in my presence, she's probably acting out on some deeply buried subconscious desires, unaware of what's going on."

Connor didn't hear the last part as he asked "Wait, flirting with you?"

Roman gave him a duh look "Well, I know she has a crush on me. It is kinda obvious. I mean we Greason's are apparently good at attracting Butterfly's"

"Oh..." Connor wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"and telling how I was the only one she's umm...cocooned for lack of a better word and how long she's been focused on you, I'm gonna bet she only has specific targets in mind."

Connor let out an annoyed groan "Great! Leave it to Nova to make me find and protect her crushes."

"Actually there's only one more and he's pretty close by."

"Oh yeah?" Connor asked, jealousy evident in his tone "and who would that be?"

Roman smiled brightly at him, now giving him a 'you are so dense' stare "It's you buddy! Better get moving!"

Connor barely manged to get the word "huh?" out before Nova came at him full speed, her wings fluttering rapidly as she took the air.

"RUN DUMMY RUN!" Roman called out to him, mentally nudging the clueless boy to move out of the way.

Connor broke out of his stupor, stumbling his way around the corner with Nova close behind.

"Noooova!" Connor shouted.

Nova raised her palm, a string of the webby hearty goo flew straight towards his back at breakneck speeds.

Connor dove to the floor, wincing at the sound of his skin scraping the smooth concrete floor. He didn't break the skin but it never felt great to slide on exposed forearms and legs.

Nova stopped at once, gazing worriedly in his direction, outstretching her hand towards him in a comforting manner.

Nova shuddered, twisting in mid-air in a violent twirl before focusing on Connor once more.

"Uh oh..." Connor scrambled to his feet, narrowly avoiding being caught by a flurry of heart webs that seemed to trail behind him by a mere moment, Connor feeling each time the web almost got him.

Nova took off after him, the buzzing of her wings in the cramped hallway blaring loudly Connor's ears.

* * *

Principal Skeeves took a deep breath of air, smiling to himself as he took in the peace and quiet that blanketed the school.

Skeeves narrowed his eyes at the sound an extended "EEEEEEE" echoing from one of the hallways, the disturbance getting louder and louder with each passing moment.

Skeeves checked one end of the hallway: Empty. He turned to face the other way when Connor ran by, nearly knocking Skeeves off his feet with a gust of trailing wind.

"SORRY PRINCIPAL SKEEVES!" Connor called behind, digging his feet in, the shoes shrieking loudly against the slick floor as Connor skid to a stop, running full speed in another direction.

Skeeves opened his mouth to scold the young man when he heard the loud beating of wings, a blue colored Nova flying by, expertly and easily turning the corner to continue her pursuit of Connor.

Skeeves frowned, opening the door to the school's main office and calling out loudly "Mary?"

"Yes principal Skeeves?"

"Did Marco Diaz leave me a note about his daughter?"

"No sir."

"Did he leave a cash payment labeled 'use in case of Nova'?"

"Umm yes sir."

Skeeves sighed with contentment "Get it ready, we're going to get some ice cream!"

* * *

"come on, come on, come on!" Connor muttered to himself, checking every single one of his pockets in hopes that there was something he could use to lose Nova without hurting her.

Connor's heart leapt for joy when he felt some small, square device in his left pocket. He reached to fish it out as a web barely missed his ear, the loud whistling making his hands twitch queasily.

Connor pulled out the device, letting out a victorious yell that was quickly replaced by an exasperated moan.

"My smoke machine?!" Connor whined before an idea struck him "Wait! my smoke machine!"

Connor flipped it on, screeching to a halt and turning to face the pursing princess, his stance confident and sure for the first time in his entire life.

Nova bit her lip at the sight of Connor standing there, filled to the brim with authority, the fear on his face replaced with a calm knowing gaze. Nova felt her hearts glow brightly, her hands idly tugging at her hair nervously.

"SMOKE BOMB!" Connor shouted, tossing the device and the thick bellowing smoke to the ground, shuddering at the sound of the fragile case cracking against the hard surface, gears, wire, nuts and bolts scattering in every direction a glorious display of debris.

Connor stared at his broken contraption, dumbfounded at what had just occurred. It wasn't supposed to break, it was built with a thick casing to prevent this very thing from...

Connor smacked himself upon realizing he must've grabbed the prototype rather than the finished project when he was rushing down the stairs to get to school.

Nova facepalmed herself at Connor's failure while also chuckling happily at his cute mistake.

Nova let out a loving sigh, grinning brightly in his direction before blasting his arms and legs with her web, pinning him helplessly against the wall of the building.

Connor struggled to escape the web but it solidified the moment it was exposed to air despite still remaining soft and mushy.

Nova fluttered forward, looking curiously at the panicking Connor, blinking in confusion at his actions.

Connor began taking deep breaths, trying to keep himself relaxed in spite of everything that's happened but as Nova approached him slowly with those heart shaped eyes focused squarely on him, he couldn't help but feel the panic set in. What was she going to do? He knew he annoyed her but he thought she was just joking around, playing a joke...maybe kinda hoping that she was even flirting with him? it...it wasn't a thing but hey, he could dream. Right?

Nova leaned in, her breath tickling his face, his heart beating wildly at the sight of his best friend like it always did whenever Nova stood so close to him. He closed his eyes in fear, hoping whatever Nova did, she did fast.

"Oh stop your struggling, you act like I'm gonna hurt you"

Connor eyes popped out of his head, the sound of Nova's normal voice surprising him far more than anything else that has happened today.

Nova lazily floated there, wings beating quickly to keep her upright but that's all she did. Just float there, inches from his face. Just...staring.

"I...well you were chasing me down!" Connor defended himself, still trying to figure out if this was some sort of trap.

"Well duh" Nova flicked his nose, two of her four arms crossing themselves like they were annoyed at him "I'm trying to keep you safe. You _are_ my best friend, kinda important to me you know?"

"Safe?!" Connor exclaimed in disbelief, gesturing with his head to the rest of his body "by cocooning me?!"

"Well yeah. It's kinda instinctive for me you know? This webbing is like super durable and I have a feeling there is no actual danger and I'm just acting on my deep seated fear that you'll get hurt and it'll be my fault...and I am going through Mewberty."

Connor shook his head "Wait, are you aware what's going on? Were you doing this on purpose?"

Nova shook her head, rising all of her hands defensively "Hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I am not doing this on purpose. This is a dream. Whatever happens, happens right?"

"...a...dream?" Connor asked slowly

"Yeah, a dream. I'm dreaming right?" Nova turned her head quizzically his way "I mean I...I've been dreaming a lot this week. I...I guess I haven't gotten much sleep. Ugh, you're gonna give me a mouthful when I wake up, aren't you?"

"Nova, you are awake! This is all really happening!"

Nova gave a cheerful laugh "Wow, vivid dream. That is what the real Connor would say. I must be good on the details, you look exactly like him."

Connor flushed when two of Nova's hands lightly held onto his face, holding him with a tenderness he didn't know she was capable of.

"...just like him..." Nova muttered softly, her voice warm and soft.

"Novy, you are going through Mewberty. this is all happening."

Nova shot him the cutest glare ever "I know this is happening. Well...umm kinda. It's hard to explain. I mean the whole dream thing was to mess with you among other reasons"

She removed her hands from his face and giggled at the sight of them like a school girl.

"You're acting on your subconscious desires, aren't you?" Connor offered, deadpanned and annoyed.

"Yep, pretty much" Nova nodded happily "I mean this is _like_ a dream to me and when Mewberty ends, I have a feeling I am not going to remember any of this."

"Really? How do you know you won't remember? Why? I don't understand."

Nova shot him a smug smile, her hearts brightly glowing red "Now you know how I feel"

"How you feel? Nova?"

"You!" Nova shouted, accusingly pointing 4 different sets of fingers at him "Are so confusing! You confuse me!"

Connor scoffed "Confuse you? YOU CONFUSE ME!"

Nova looked appalled, crossing both pairs of arms angrily "You are not confused, you don't get confused. I'm the girl, I get confused."

"Nova! We're teenagers! We're all confused!"

"But..." Nova shifted anxiously "You don't..."

Connor was caught off guard by the vulnerability that laced itself within his best friend's voice, a tone he wasn't aware Nova was capable of.

"Nova?"

"You know exactly who you want. It's Missy" Nova explained, her heart shaped eyes looking dolefully at him, hands clasped together apprehensively "You...know who you want...and I...I'm just confused what I really want...who..."

Connor leaned forward as best as he could, still not sure with Nova was trying to say "Nova? I..I don't understand. I...I don't know who want" that was a lie but Nova didn't need to know it was her he was totally crushing on more so than Missy "I'm just as confused as you but I know I have a best friend like you to help me through it. Just like you got me..."

Nova came closer, her lips just inches away from his, her breath tickling his nose once again. the hearts shaped pupils shrank, rounding out as her electric blue irises stared directly into his forest green ones while she muttered one last time "You confuse me." and she leaned forward to kiss him.

Nova stopped just short of his lips, closing her eyes and gently falling backwards onto the floor. There was a loud puff of air as blue skin peeled off easily, forming into blue hearts that scattered all over the floor.

Connor let out a sigh of relief when Nova returned to normal, her eyes fluttering open as she stretched her arms, letting out a happy grunt of peace while smacking her lips groggily.

"Connor?" Nova asked curiously, trying to figure out why Connor was super glued to the wall

"Nova" Connor replied simply "Mind getting me down?"

"I dunno, I kinda like you there. This way I know where you are at all times" Nova said with a tease.

Connor smirked slyly at her, leaning closer and muttering quietly "You know where I'll be, by your side princess."

Connor chuckled at Nova's flushing cheeks, waiting patiently while she fished out her wand cut Connor free from the webbing.

Nova paused for a moment, twisting her body to get a better view of her Mewberty wings

Connor smiled happily at them, little, tiny light blue wings fluttering joyfully in excitement from two holes in the back of her shirt and hoodie as Nova let out a cheer of pure happiness.

"Gonna try them out?" Connor asked innocently.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Nova stuck her tongue out at his confusion.

"I don't..."

"Mom told me they won't support my weight" Nova explained "They won't hold me for another year and they'd still be too small."

Nova let out a longing sigh, using her wand to perfectly patch the holes in her clothing caused by the wings growth.

"Besides" Nova went on "I'm tired. It's like I've been running all day" Nova let out a sleepy yawn, twisting her body to loosen up her tight muscles. "hey let's ditch and go home!"

Connor clicked his tongue disappointingly "Nova."

Nova rolled her eyes, scoffing at Connor's goody two shoes attitude, mockingly joking "Oh wait let me guess, that's wrong and we shouldn't do that."

"Actually" Connor told the princess calmly "You need to free Roman first, he's trapped in a cocoon too."

Nova laughed, snorting at Connor's joke but Connor simply stared at her, nodding to let her know he wasn't joking.

"I...wha...Roman?" Nova said with a flush, her pink hearts turning slightly pinker. "I...I..."

Nova trembled anxiously, running off towards where she thought Roman lay trapped.

Connor smiled until Nova no longer faced him, a surge of conflicting emotions whirling inside him.

Connor let out a dejected sigh, Roman's words echoing loudly in his head " we Greason's are apparently good at attracting Butterfly's"

Roman knew about Nova's crush on him...it was just a matter of time now...

"I wish I was good at attracting Nova..." Connor whispered to himself sadly.

"FOUR EYES!"

Connor looked up to see Nova patiently waiting for him, her regular two arms crossed as she plastered a fake annoyed look on her face "Why are you just standing around? You know I need my partner in crime. Come on, I can't do this without you."

Connor smiled at her "I'm coming! Hold your horses Novy."

Nova gave him a genuine smile, pivoting on her heels as she began walking away slowly, hands clasped behind her, the sounds of her lightly humming a familiar song causing Connor's heart to sigh lovingly.

"You confuse me Nova Butterfly" Connor whispered quietly as he ran to be at her side.


	63. Marco's best day ever! (request)

Hellllo fanfiction! Mr.E here. I hope you are all doing great, having an awesome week. Thank you for every single favorite, review and favorite, you readers are the best.

A special thanks to h mae- I did not think that would happen but another mae pic of nova and connor? i am not complaining at all! wow covy got a squeal from you? now i know you like them. well you've been known to skip straight to air so i'll just get the air catcher. thanks a lot for the drawing mae! :D

Finn- I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Smitty Theories- *Bows*

Lupus- haha are you like buzz? do you fight bulls and play the guitar? is your default spanish? haha i am happy you enjoyed it though it looks like I'm gonna have to do a firmware update or maybe I might have to overhaul the entire internal workings. thank god i installed that backup brain though now i have to put brain loss in my warning labels. Well it was time you really saw their relationship and it was connor's turn to shine. *Salutes*

deadshoot- i am very happy you enjoyed it. Your story is up next

godlegend- thank you for your kind words and thank you for your review. it really means a lot to me. I think sometimes we all just need a good read to really help keep life in perspective. thank you for your fic too. I've read a bit of it, i like it but i need to finish it

MaFx98- haha it was announced last month i think? i still got a few more ideas more backlogged than that haha thank you. She was very torn between kissing him and not kissing him since she wasn't sure what to do. yes i was screaming that too and i was writing it but not yet, covy must wait. well the next chapter would be the blood moon ball the guest reviewer asked for. now i want to do that AU! ugh maybe later, i still got yours to do first among others. I hope i keep being awesome in my writing.

sonicElite- i told you no going into the future to get sneak peeks at my stories and dont tell me about them! i might not write them and then the timeline goes bye bye.

guest- i am in no way making a gravity falls au. i am in no way stuck on if i want to make Star and Sky the pines twins meeting Marco or Nova and Star twins with them meeting Marco and Connor who are not twins. I am not admitting anything though i have questions about a certain vault i need to ask you.

Rayfe- Thank you honestly Starco got some of the cutest moments in all my nova stories. and honestly i felt that's exactly what star would do and Marco seemed like the type who remembered who star was in high school and set up a fund for when Nova got it. well if it makes you feel less torn, i was debating too when i first announced Novaberty. like you said i don't like retreading ground too much but when i finally decided on giving Nova her own story, i decided i am going to do Novaberty twice. The future au storyline here is not exactly canon to the story she'll be getting soon. So for this chapter on this story set, i decided to shift it more to Connor and Nova's relationship than Nova going wild. she will do some more damage in the solo story's Novaberty while also kinda thinking she's dream. I also was secretly gauging our responses towards Nova and Connor for more research for the solo chapter. shhh don't tell anyone. still, thank you for your honest opinion, i really truly do appreciate it and i hope you still enjoyed the chapter. btw, for your story did you want star and marco to kiss at the end, get together? you need to finish filling out your starco sheet!

wookie1- i am extremely happy you liked it so much Umm Tom married a witch because why not. honestly, he's kinda used to it by now. like this is marco and with the whole blood moon ball, yeah he knows he isn't going to win. still tried though. you are very welcome! it was an awesome idea and I am very honored you asked me to write. Well i always try to capture the feeling of the show in the au's as best as i can and so i build around the style of the show and sometimes even i feel like they could be real characters in the show.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

guest- i am happy you liked it and not yet. covy still needs some things to deal with.

Sakumatheemperdor- thank you for your review!

whatif- cliches, cliches everywhere! THEY'RE IN MY EYES, IN MY SOUL! IN MY STORIES! well you could make your own profile on here. just saying. Hope your arm is healing up. well yeah because Marco and Star have it *soon* and nova is their kid. Tom's kid i'm not sure yet. I kinda want make her sam my oc but then i kinda want to come up with another oc so im on the fence about it. if Tom's child does show up, it'll probably be in the solo story. Actually, Connor really wants more height.i guess con man and super nova or nova star or flaming nova, crazy nova, shadow nova, novy!

guest- i am happy you enjoyed it though it isn't perfect. there are a few mistakes like all my chapters like to have haha still thank you for your review.

fabio- ah yes fabio? you are very welcome and now for your questions. in terms of economy, it is a little chaotic. earth is pretty much as it always has been but now has access to dimensional travel and is kinda being sold as a sort of tourist vacation spot. humans in general accept the other beings like they would tourists, sometimes they're friendly and sometimes they're rude. Earth money is still split up into different countries currency because this is the span about 20 years. but there has been a second, smaller scale industrial revolution with Earth learning to prepare potions and things of the sort with new jobs such as translators, ambassadors and a few humans taking up military positions and merchanting in other dimension since travel between dimensions is more akin to traveling at the airport. Tech did not really advance for earthlings but we did get a boom in science via magic. it's in infancy however so one step at a time. Most of are is okay with other beings with a few reacting the same they always do to outsiders. Star and Marco got married at age 19, after dating for 2 years. Nova was actually born the same year but because a legal loop hole, no other dimension could stop them because Earth was still a singular dimension and its marriage concept was not accepted as a thing yet. (5 years later and Earth would be fully inducted into the dimensional council though Star and Marco remained mostly separated given their individual duties, Marco with School and Star with Mewni but they were finally able to live together around the age of 29 when President Ferguson came into power and officially sanction their marriage) i hope this answered your questions, have an awesome day man!

grim- haha it is so obvious that even the crushes are aware how the two feel about one another. they are coming soon to a solo story near you

Sara- haha yay all aboard the covy ship! and i can't wait to see it but take your time.

starco corner, h mae has an almost complete sketch of Nova and Connor in the ending scene of the story where he's trapped by her up on her tumblr over on hains-mae. check it out it's very cool *thanks again mae, it means a lot to me!* sara over on Idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has doodle of mari diaz whom i think is Marco and Star's daughter. not really sure. Spatziline has some cute lady bug pics up and i think that's it with SVTFOEheadcanons once again having some awesome work reblogged. on FF we haaaaaave a call idea called first drafts from thecoati, dark lord from harrison, star and the forces of evil vs the darkness from big mike. Back to the MEwture from Nr36 which i really need to finish reading, hearts and hoodies from chimicherrychanga, wands and weirdos from sonicElite, He's in love with the wrong girl froma korra-naga-mako-lover 2112 and hero's path from godlegend

Okay this au is a request from deadshoot12345. For obvious reasons i am actually not going to spoil anyyyything. Just gotta have to read and find out. This request has no connection any other universe. I hope you like it deadshoot, it's a little shorter than the others but i think it was the right length for the story.

Okay next week i will be working on starco academy, Marco Diaz vs the world and of course Guardians of the starco. in that order of priority. I may update this story with either the bad boy au or Rafye's request of Star writing starco *fill out the rest of the form!* but i cannot make any promises that will be next week.

That being said one last favor from you wonderful readers and I'll let you go. I am thinking of giving soooome of the au's to Nova and Connor, not even close to a lot since that would not be fair and also defeat the purpose of this story but just once in a really long while. and since im liking the idea of the show and you readers have responded very positively towards my OC's, here it is. Miraculous Lady AU Starco or Covy? what do you think?

there is the official summary of the request of the story after said story so thank you for every single follow, favorite and review. they make me happy and i love writing for you all. Enjoy and I own nothing!

UPDATE!: soooo i forgot to put it in here but Star and Marco are regular humans. my bad.

* * *

It was a tranquil morning, the kind nobody from the laziest to the most productive person would even attempt to rouse from their comfy, warm bed.

And Marco was lucky. 25 years old, just graduated college top of his class and recently married his long time best friend/girlfriend Star Butterfly (Now Diaz-Butterfly.)

Life couldn't be more perfect for the young couple and in Marco's eyes, today was going to be the best day ever.

"Shit!" Marco shouted loudly, the silent blinking of the alarm taunting him, the bright red light flashing into his face repeatedly causing panic to set in deeper and deeper as sleep slipped off the young man like something off of something. There was no time for analogues!

"Marco?" Star groggily asked, her embrace tightening as Marco attempted to leave the bed "Marco, come back to bed. It's still early."

"NO STAR!" Marco screamed, terror beginning to seeping into every fiber of his being "It's 9 in the morning!"

"So?"

"I'm late for work!" Marco pulled wildly at his hair, glancing around with a frenzied gleam "Where's my pants?! Where's my shirt?! Ugh, I need to iron both!"

Marco threw open his closet door only to find it nearly empty, a bright pink collared shirt and crumbled pair of slacks in lieu to the varying color dress clothing that should be there.

"Star, did you do the laundry?"

"Oh..." Star murmured in a small voice, hiding her face beneath the blanket "it was my turn?"

Marco let out a silent groan of frustration, unable to raise his voice against the pair shy sky blue eyes staring at him sheepishly.

"It's fine Marco" Star said slowly, carefully removing herself from her fabric fortress "You have a perfectly good pink shirt right there."

Marco bit his lip anxiously, the idea of going to work in _that_ specific shirt not at all appealing to him. True it was Star's birthday gift to him but he never thought he would actually wear it.

"...y-you didn't like it, did you?" Marco could feel his chest tighten at the Star's sad, crestfallen tone, tears lightly pooling in her eyes as she accidentally sent the most wounded puppy look his way.

"I do!" Marco said cheerfully, his smile warm as he reached for the pink shirt "I love it but I just didn't want the other guys to be all jealous at this awesome shirt my totally cute wife gave me."

Marco nearly sighed in relief when Star's precious giggling reached his ears, her shining smile making his heart thump dreamily.

"YAY!" She cheered excitedly, clapping her hands in the most adorable manner.

Marco rushed into the bathroom to take a quick shower, slowly undressing while letting the water heat up.

Star bit her lip thoughtfully, something was bugging her, something very important. Something she needed to tell Marco asap.

Marco's screams of torture rang throughout the small apartment, ice cold water causing an uncontrollable shiver to run through his body.

"STAAAAAAR! WATER! COLD! WHY?!"

"Oh, the landlord said the water heater is out!" Star shouted back the explanation, still wondering what was bothering her.

Marco took a very quick shower, teeth chattering as he dried himself with the last good towel left, quickly tossing on his shirt and pants as quickly as he could. It turns out the chord for the iron had ripped and thus it looks like salmon pink Marco was going to look like a bum for work today.

Marco raced out to the kitchen to see Star happily eating a pair of delicious looking eggs, shoveling the last bite into her waiting mouth.

"I might as well eat before I go. I'm already late" Marco said to no one in particular, opening the fridge door only to find it completely empty.

Marco could feel his blood boiling, fist clenched. Star hadn't gone shopping either?! Seriously?!

Marco stopped, taking a deep, calming breath, the truth coming to him once his anger faded and no longer blinded him.

He remembered now. They were low on cash due to the fact they managed to get the apartment rent so cheap but the deposit (among with the various appliances and knickknacks needed to live in a home) required the young couple to pool most of their paychecks into one giant set up shopping spree which left the pair with almost no money for anything else.

They poured the rest of the money into bare minimum food supplies but Marco was getting paid today, so they would be properly grocery shopping soon without the fear of going over budget

But that was at the end of the day, not now.

"I'll just grab something at work" Marco stated in a false cheerful voice, wondering if he could afford to buy a pop tart or something during his lunch break.

"Okay sweetie, I'll clean up and do the laundry today since I have off!"

Marco quickly kissed Star, trying not to flush she reached for his tie and pulled him in for another, much longer and heated kiss.

"Star" Marco struggled to free himself from his wife's loving grip "Star" Star pulled harder and kissed deeper "Star, I got to go!"

Marco felt his cheeks burn when she slipped her tongue into his mouth for a brief second.

"Have a great day Marco!" Star smiled mischievously towards him.

Marco dumbly nodded, making his way out of the apartment in a confused, lost daze.

"Now what was I forgetting?" Star asked her one more time, hoping it wasn't too important or dire.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!?" Marco's voice rang out from the street below, a crazed and manic edge to his normally calm voice.

"Ooooooh" Star nodded to herself, finally remembering what the big news was "That's right, the car is broken..."

* * *

"M-Marco D-D-Diaz...customer service...H...how can I help you?" Marco tried to make for a cheerful, energized smile but between the 10 minutes he took digging out the bike almost as old as him, filling the completely flatten tires with air and the frantic 30 minute peddle to work (All on an empty stomach mind you) he was dead tired and he was just told he would be working an extra 2 hours to cover what he missed earlier. He wouldn't be getting home until 8.

The young adult stared at him, dumbfounded and confused like he was unable to understand what he was looking at.

"Sir?" Marco panted, trying to keep his words steady while his heart tried to slow down and relax already.

"You got a pink shirt on"

Marco gave the man a tight smile "Yes sir, I know. My wife gave it to me and..."

"Pink is a girl's color."

Marco's smile widen only to hide the fact he was roughly chewing on the side of his cheek "Pink is a color. Nothing more and nothing less."

"No, it's a girl's color."

"Sir, why are you here?"

"Oh...I want to pay for this."

Marco threw the most passive aggressive glare he could towards the man, eying the soda he casually plopped on the counter like it was a dead, rotting corpse of some unpleasant animal.

"Sir, I can't ring this item up for you" Marco explained carefully, making sure he was speaking as simply and clearly as possible.

"Why not?" the man muttered, his voice filled to the brim with annoyance "there's a register right there"

Marco gritted his teeth "Yes but that's for exchanges and returns, not for items not yet purchased."

"Are you stupid?" The man mocked "I'm exchanging the soda for money so obviously you can ring it up."

Marco openly shot a dirty look towards the man, clawing the underside of the counter, his fingers already settling into the well made grooves from his previous scratches.

"Usted es un perdedor y huele como una mierda!" _(You are a loser and you smell like shit!)_

"Speak English!" the man shouted angrily.

"I said the girl behind you is open and she's pretty cute."

The man gave a half happy stare, half look of loathing towards Marco, strolling his way over to the only available cashier

Marco chuckled happily, watching the man attempt to flirt with the female cashier only for her to roughly pull his hair and twist it, telling him to cut off the sweet crap and buy the damn thing.

Michelle never did like any guy trying to hit on her.

Marco let out a dejected sigh, rubbing his temples in hopes to alleviate the pain building in his skull.

7 years. 7 years of hard work, countless, seemingly endless hours of labor, lord knows how much funds put into food, textbooks, supplies and tuition with pretty much a dead in the water social life and eating junk food, constantly on the go since he had no time for anything else to get his psychology degree. A literal priceless piece of paper (Since even he didn't know how much money had gone into it.) that he had for 5 months and has gotten him nothing. Absolutely nothing and now he was forced to work for this gigantic, corporate void, forced to deal with people who could be so rude and unsympathetic it was pretty terrifying for the future of the human race.

If it wasn't for Star, he would probably karate chop everyone right in their no good, egoistical face!

There was no way this day could get any...

"Marco"

Marco winced at the sound of the voice, his brain instantly connecting the name to the face.

It was Bryan.

The day manager.

Marco turned around, trying to keep his glass like fragile smile in place, straining to curve his lips upwards to sell the lie.

Bryan was not a bad guy. Not really. But he liked to think his position of power and his countless years of servitude to Best Shop gave him some sort of superiority to everyone else, especially Marco the newest lost soul in the dark abyss known as work. Marco didn't know if he knew it but Bryan had this really nasty habit of talking to you like a child, slow clear dictation and a falsetto friendliness that was more fake than an honest politician.

Bryan was about 45 years old, thinning black hair with these super dull brown eyes. He wore his usual puke green dress shirt under the clashing yellow vest all Best Shop employees were forced to wear.

Bryan had already chewed him out for coming in late so Marco could not come up with a reason why he would be talking to him again.

"How can I help you Bryan?" Marco was not in the mood for whatever was coming.

"Hey buddy" Bryan said calmly, gripping his shoulder like a friend but with a gentle touch that was more akin to a police interrogation "I got to say you look sharp in your nice shirt."

Oh no, Marco thought to himself, here we go again.

"Buuut, pink? Kinda clashes with the whole color scheme of the store, you know?"

Marco's false smile was up full force as he thought to himself, have you seen what you're wearing? It hurts my eyes just looking directly at you. It's so horrible, so tacky it simply must die.

"Sorry sir, it was the only shirt I have. My wife and I just moved into a new apartment and..."

"It's cool, I totally understand" Bryan's mouth said while his eyes screeched 'I don't care' "but still, company policy. I'm gonna have to give you a second strike since you were late today after all and you're going to have to come in Saturday."

"Saturday?" Marco failed to keep the whine out of his voice "But I asked for Saturday off! Star and I have tickets to a show she's being dying to see!"

"Well" Bryan clicked his tongue disappointingly "I guess you should've thought about that when you came in late buddy. See you Saturday."

Marco smacked himself with his hand, trying ignore the unhappy grumbling of his stomach

"me too buddy" Marco told his belly "me too."

* * *

Marco could not believe his luck, his gaze vacant, nobody home as he stared blindly towards the vending machine.

There it was, his lone source of food, the only substance he was going to receive for the next 5 hours. Hanging there, mocking him, swaying back and forth teasingly, testing his resolve to hit the machinery that it lay within. It was toying with him, feeding off his suffering, bathing in it as it swung freely, caught in the claw that prevented it from free falling to sweet, sweet freedom and Marco's mouth.

That was his last 2 dollars. His last 2 dollars until he got his paycheck at the end of the day. Wasted, trapped inside a metal tome of yummy, stomach pacifying treats forever beyond his grasp.

Marco pounded his head against the machine until lunch time was over.

* * *

Marco peeled off the disgusting pale yellow vest with reckless glee, power walking through the crowds that remained at Best Shop, ignoring any cries or shouts of assistance or help. His paycheck was tucked away safely in his wallet, his shoes were on, his jacket was left at home but that was okay, the cold never bothered him much anyway.

Marco could feel his entire body scream in exhaustion, his eyes twitching at the sight of his bike a few inches lower than it had been this morning when he parked it, the tires flattened to the point where they looked like smashed pumpkins, grounded and trampled by the feet of thousands of unruly children just before a steamroller completely crushed its dimensions

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, he couldn't even analogue correctly.

"This can't get worse" Marco muttered to himself, content that this was the bottom of the rock. There was no possible way this could get...

Marco just stared, just stared blankly at the floor as one drop, two drops, dozens and dozens of drops fell upon his head, soaking his entire body in a drowning torrent downpour that made him feel like he was just dipped into icy, cold water.

It was raining. It was raining the middle of summer...freaking raining!

Well at least no one could hear the colorful and very vulgar swears slipping out of Marco's mouth over the loud downpour the city was swallowed by.

* * *

Marco opened the door, almost 10:30 at night and feeling the absolute worst he'd ever felt. His bones were tired, he was 95% sure he was going to get sick, his stomach was growling loudly and all he wanted to do was go, kiss Star, and take a nice long hot sho...

Marco pulled at his hair angrily, having remembered that the water heater was probably still broken.

Still, there was no way, no way in hell this day could get any...was that burning he smelled? Was something burning?!

Marco leapt into action, tumbling, skidding and nearly tripping over everything in the living room as he raced towards the kitchen, loudly calling for Star.

"Star!" he shouted, trying not to let himself be paralyzed by fear "STAR! STAR ANSWER ME!"

He ran into the kitchen only to find a crying Star at the foot of their brand new stove.

Well nothing was on fire, Marco told himself, trying to solace in the small things before cracking at the big ones

Their brand new pots, the ones they paid an arm and leg they didn't actually have for, were half melted, metal bubbling and bubbling. Marco should've been mad, angry, just lost it but the sight of the metal just reduced to a sludge? Well...it was kinda cool.

"Star?" Marco asked gently, taking a seat next to his wife and taking her in his arms, happy he was almost completely dry due to his walk up the 8 flights of stairs "Star, are you okay? What happened?"

"I.." Star sniffled, shame and guilt etched onto her face "I knew you were havi...having a bad day, so cooking and..."

Star cried loudly, burying herself into Marco's shirt. Marco let out a sigh. As bone tired and as shitty as this day as, he had to be strong for Star. He loved her too much not to give her his best. Even if she was being unusually emotional lately.

Marco held her tighter, stroking her hair, whispering softly that he wasn't mad, it was just a long day and accidents happen but they now had money (having stopped and taken another 15 minutes getting a soggy check into the machine) and they could just order take out.

Star calmed down, dry tear trails staining her rosy, pink cheeks but she still seemed heightened.

"I'm sorry Marco. We just wanted to give you a better day and we really Star'd this one up."

Marco laughed, genuine warmth and love filling the room as he kissed the top of his wife's head.

"it's okay Star." he smiled brightly towards her "We're mess up twins remember? Haha you were due for one anyway, besides I'll order some pizza and we can stay up watching movies and cuddling and making out and..."

Star's sentence finally sunk in, Marco's brain finally decoding and analyzing every single word Star had just said.

"wait, we?" Marco questioned, looking curiously towards the suddenly shy Star "we who? What do you mean we?"

Star nervously played with her fingers, her habit of nervously chewing on things revealing itself as she anxiously chewed on a nearby wooden spoon

"Well...I...I know money is tight" Star began, obviously avoiding telling Marco what was going on for as long as she could "and this isn't the best place. It's small and cramped and our jobs are testing our patience a lot...and...it's just going to get harder from here and I really wanted to tell you sooner but I didn't know how..."

Star looked at Marco, uneasily fidgeting under his unmoving stare, his face frozen in indifference and giving no indication as to what he was thinking.

"I...I know this is like the worst time" Star tried ease the blow "and really we're so young...and..and...you work a job you hate until something opens up in your field and I haven't been making it easy and it's going to be worse because I'm gonna be so emotional and and more Starry and Staring things up and I...I.."

"You're pregnant..." Marco said numbly. It wasn't a quizzical question, it was prodding probing dance around the bushes, it was a statement. A straight forward and simple statement.

Star bit her lip, unsure what was Marco's reaction. She knew he wanted to wait until they were more stable, more secure before even thinking of having children

Marco finally moved his head, his light brown eyes looking directly into her bright blue ones, repeating softly "You're pregnant..."

Star slowly nodded, finally decided to just tell him "Yes Marco...I'm pregnant."

"I know it's so soon and we're not where wanted to be money wise or job wise or anything else wise" Star tried to explain but it was clear Marco was hearing any of it.

Tears began pooling in Marco's eyes, his faraway look filling Star with dread. He finally cracked, the day's toll finally broke her safe kid into a million, unfixable pieces. He wasn't okay with this, this wasn't a part of the plan. It was going to go so horribly...

"I'm going be a dad?"

Star blinked, confused at his scared yet excited tone, the small smile of pure joy dancing his lips as he began gently laughing, his tears running over and sliding down his face.

"I...I'm going to be a father?" he leaned closer, his happiness evident in every feature of his face "Me? A dad?"

Star nodded cheerfully, giving him her own small, warm smile.

Marco let out a cheer, laughing wildly like this was the best news in the world. Forgotten were the days troubles, hunger faded out of existence.

"I'm going to be a dad!" Marco yelled, rising to his feet and lifting Star high into the air, twirling and spinning her as he shouted even louder "We're pregnant! We're going to have a family!"

Star just kept nodding, the relief washing over her in waves as Marco brought her back to ground level, taking her in his arms and dipping her, kissing her lovingly and deeply as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He pulled her back to her feet, laughing and smiling like he just won the lottery.

"We have to celebrate. I-I'll get the wine we've been saving, you know my parents gave us for the wedding? Wait, what am I saying!? You can't drink. We can't have sushi for 9 months because I mean if you can't eat, I'm sure as hell not. Shit I'm gonna have to cut back on the swearing. Shit, I did it again! Oh damnit."

"Marco, calm down!" Star put her hands on her husbands shoulder, unable to believe those words ever come out of her mouth "We have plenty of time, okay? How about you get the movies ready and I'll order the pizza?"

Marco stupidly nodded, and nodded, and nodded, the excitement of the news overwhelming him

He held Star close, tight in his embrace, whispering into her ear softly "This is the best day of my life..."

* * *

Of course he was wrong one last time that day.

The best day of his life came when his little baby girl Nova was born 9 months later

and it came again 3 years later when his baby boy Sol came into the world.

And every single day he spent with the love of his life and their beautiful children has been the best day ever until the next one came.

* * *

author's notes: basically the request Star was pregnant and wanted to tell Marco and what was Marco reaction. Then the whole super bad day was thrown in and viola this request. I really hope you enjoy Deadshoot please let me know if you did or if you want me to rewrite it. and readers let me know Ladybug Starco or Covy? have an awesome weekend you awesome people!


	64. Star writes Starco (request)

_Hello fanfiction!_ Mr.E here, hope everyone is doing good. Thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and honestly really helped me this week. i'll let you know in a minute.

a special thanks to h mae- haha it was a bit obvious but that's what deadshoot wanted. I am glad it was funny yet awful. that was what i was going for. yep! and they grew up to try to kill each other. haha

MaFx- i explained right? well i am glad you enjoyed the chapter! hope you are doing good. and im glad i know marco and star well enough haha

godlegend- i heard the best form of comedy was a little dash of misery. yes you did spell it write and im glad you liked it. of course not i always read as many fanfictions as i can.

deadshoot- yeah i can't pick either because they both fit. i dunno that would be really awesome if they somehow made it inside the show. im glad you enjoyed your request.

lost; wait i...i need to check if starco insurance covers ocean drinking...i...i'm not sure. man, being an insurance agent is really tough.

Lupus- such feels, many trains im glad you liked it!

Finn; many tears, so cute.

guestavo- that is very clever name. thumbs up and yeah the starco train has no brakes. so...choo choo!

guest; No worries my dear reader, i was already planning on it and its next! and thank you i shall try to keep up the good work

sonicelite: umm well you're not crying but would you like a tissue...in case?

Anoymins- wow, more not crying. have a tissue! Well i am actually doing covy and Starco for v day but the ladybug im not sure who to give it to covy or starco.

Idc1314- aww (HUG)

grim- i know there's only so much i could do with it but iam glad you enjoyed it! yeah i actually write pretty fast but a series of events kinda forced my hand this week.

romantic sloth- thank you for your kind words. they make me feel all kinds of good when you readers let me know how much you enjoy my stories and makes me strive to do the best i can for you wonderful people. I always try my best

Arsenal- YAY! you're alive. busy being a super hero huh?

guest; haha okay covy it is, they have their own chapter now.

shadowgem- no worries, i understand sometimes its just too much sign in. and you are very kind but i'm not that great. keep on writing and reading, enjoying what you do and you'd be surprised how far you can go. i believe in you shadow gem! :) haaha yeah that was a decoy

Raindragon: I know right? haha coffee shops are cute when they're not starbucks. I am really glad i can break the fourth wall well yay! deadpool

princessxgilex- thank you for your review and noted.

Cartoonlover: she knows, she's just scared. We're getting covy and starco but ill take your vote as starco ladybug. also you have to pick one request because everyone gets one. well for now until i do the next round of requests. hmm i am doing a genderbent for someone else though you can add your own story if you'd like and the star as an idol would be a nice reverse on an earlier work i did. let me know via pming which you want first my dear reader!

smitty theories- well it's a reality now. Sol has been officially included in Nova's universe. haha i did. did you see his favorite spanish word? I think starco will be canon but given hard they ship it and their not even a couple yet, something bad is gonna happen. haha but the captain knows a good ship when he sees it :) that is an insanely cute idea and hope you write it since it is yours. you have some TK PANDAS TOO!? no way!

whatif- Okay i'll try but you really should read the warning label. just saying its long but very detailed. haha that sounds cute and in character. hope you're doing good healing wise.

misfortune- no worries, things happen. hope you're doing good. I love psychnauts and its humor is just too funny. yeah i wasn't going to kill him but he was gonna get hurt but i decided to keep the first ending i had planned. haha thank you i laughed too and resisted the urge to play the opening song to up. Roman is pretty chill with everyone and actually admires Connor since Connor can create things with his hands. Roman knew Nova wouldn't actually harm him and yeah i thought it was a very Marco thing to do. yeah i had to make it really horrible so it would be amazing at the end. haha i hear you. i can give them out but receiving makes me very red and embarrassed, my modest senses take over and im like thanks! im glad you liked it. hide now.

Fabio- haha don't worry they are not going anywhere. any time my good sir, i shall keep the starco burning bright until the show returns, this i swear!

and now starco corner. Sara over on i drawcartoons1314 on instagram has some super cute pics of staco up, give them a look, star-marionettej2x on tumblr has some many cute drawings even a really pretty one of Janna without her beanie flirting with tom. she also drew Star and Marco's daughter as an adorable cute child thingy. honestly that's how i would picture nova as a little girl. i mean its not nova but that's how i'd see her. great job Bernadette! must not gush over cuteness. of course some great work can be found on SVTFOEheadcanons because they are soooo many wonderful artists and just not enough space to give them credit. here on FF. hmm nice list. Hearts and hoodies from chimicherrychanga, what you have from sonicElite, STARFALL from golfalphamike (read, read now!) thank your lucky stars from anoymins, wands and weirdos from sonicElite, Star's hero from achievement hunter guy, Star vsthe forces of evil beach trip from amazing turtle, back to the mewture from Nr36. nothing comes easy from Axis, is it hot in here or is it just me thinking of you from luluabu, can you sing from godlegend,star vs the forces of mystery from 12 days of misfortune (the word tweleve not number) weird from terraeca, and princess and the safe kid from PFtones.

Okay a few little side notes before the big reveal. I just put up the first chapter of Nova vs the forces of adolescence up, my little oc is growing up. so just in case you didn't know, it finally happened. another thing i wanted to clarify is that Covy and Starco are getting their own v-day story and the ladybug au was going to be its own little thing. so no worries what you vote, starco and covy are getting their moment but right now who gets the ladybug au is tied at 2 to 2 so. let me know or ill just stick with starco for the win.

finally i am letting you that you may not get another chapter this week. see i was supposed to write marco diaz vs the world and starco academy last week but my family suffered a loss and...well its been hard. i'm good and everything but that's also why i wrote nova so early because i wanted to spread some happiness around but the other stories, well they were at parts that were more serious than funny and happy. so that's why nova got pushed up. I am going to busy for the next few days setting up webcams for the memorial, making a slideshow etc etc. no worries Mr.E is tough and doing good but i will be busy these next few days so i cannot promise a covy and starco v-day story by v-day. they will happen but maybe not before the actual day. if you have any messages for me, those i will still be answering and dont be afraid to send them to me. it is no bother at all and i honestly dont mind.

so today's story comes from the creative mind of Rayfe who asked a story where Star writes Starco and i thought it was so cute and we need a little happiness around that did it before the bad boy au. so here we go, Star has taken up writing little starco stories about her and Marco and it's starting to get out of control can the princess keep herself in line or will she try to live out her little fantasies? I hope you enjoy Rayfe, if you didn't or it wasn't quite what you wanted, please tell me. This might not be my best work and i honestly don't mind if you ask me for a rewrite. I really don't. _This means Star's writing_

thank you all, next up is the starco and covy v day specials then Bad boy with some other stuff flying around but for sure a undertale request in march. I will try to update my stories next week so look forward to that. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they really helped me keep my spirits up. enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

 _It was a pretty night out. The moon was lazily drifting overhead, the stars bright and shiny, everything perfect for a first date._

 _He looked adorable with his little bow tie cutely wrapped around his neck, a well kept collared shirt pressed perfectly as usual, his black pants as dark the night around them._

 _He was lacking his jacket however but that was because like a true gentleman, he had taken off to shield the magical princess from another dimension from the icy and freezing cold air._

 _Star looked absolutely cute with a little bow on her hair, wearing her best dress she owned as the two sat at a table overlooking the rest of the town, the quiet night the perfect setting for a romantic date._

" _Marco" Star said with a smile (a special one only meant for him) "This is amazing! How did you come up with all this?"_

 _Marco replied with a sly grin on his face "Well it's a secret princess."_

 _Star could feel herself blush at his comments "But still, this must've taken so much time and effort!"_

 _Marco waved it off, the confident smirk never leaving his face, giving him a very attractive allure to the normally goofy safe kid persona he casted._

" _Don't you worry about that Star. I'd do anything for you."_

 _Star smiled at her best friend, trying to stop her burning cheeks from melting her hearts clean off her face._

" _Marco. I really like you. Alot" Star confessed, staring at her best friend with her lovely blue eyes._

" _I...I like you too Star. Every since you got here." Marco admitted, nervously scratching at his cheeks, drawing attention to that mole on the left side of his face._

" _Really? But I thought you liked Jackie."_

" _I did" Marco agreed "but...I don't know. I think we fit better? I...I feel so different around you. Special. Like a hero...your hero."_

" _Marco" Star started slowly, anxiously playing with her hands "I...I want to be completely honest with you."_

" _Aren't you always?" Marco teased._

 _Star gave him a small smile before it disappeared into a serious stare "Marco I...I never told you this but...you mean a lot to me."_

" _I know Star"_

" _But that's it" Star cut him off with usual recklessness "you don't...You don't know how much you mean to me. You're the only guy who ever liked me for me. You let me be wild, crazy, reckless. Rude...pushy...umm try untested spells on you. You are just so great and...I'm...I'm me..."_

" _You're Star" Marco said, holding on to Star's hands tightly "and you're all I need."_

" _Marco" Star whispered, leaning closer to close the distance between them._

" _Star" Marco replied, also closing the gap._

 _The best friends eyes were closed as they softly and gently kissed the other with..._

"Star? Staaaar! Class is over, c'mon!"

"Wha?!" Star snapped out of her daze, flailing uncontrollably, unintentionally rocking the desk back and forth in a crazed panic before gravity caught one side of the unsteady seat and sent it crashing to the floor, scattering Star's books, papers and various other items across the floor.

"Star!" Marco couldn't keep the worry out of his voice, knowing full well Star was perfectly fine but unable to stop his concern from overtaking his actions.

Marco quickly rushed to Star's aid, gently but firmly holding onto her arm as he guided her to her feet, quickly gripping the princess's cheeks in his hands as he began to check for any bruises or cuts.

Star could feel her heart beating wildly at the warm touch of Marco's palms as he held onto her, unsure what was burning her more: His warmth or her blood pooling into her face.

Star stared into Marco's caramel brown eyes, trying her hardest not to get sucked into their rich color that seemed to hypnotize her into a serene, calm state.

Why can't I be that artistic when writing? Star asked herself as she slowly leaned closer to Marco's anxious face.

"Well you seem to be fine" Marco concluded, pulling away from Star and began picking up her things, unaware that the princess's lips were trailing after him.

Star giggled absentmindedly to herself, Marco called her fine.

"Star, what's this?"

Star could feel her heart stop at the sight of Marco gingerly holding one of her papers, the chewed sides letting her know it was her little story she had been writing instead of her notes during class.

Star gave a nervous chuckle as Marco's eyes scanned the page, a look of confusion and uncertainty filling his face.

This was not how she wanted him to find out. Actually, she didn't want him to find out at all. Like ever. Like never, ever ever in a million Mewni lunar cycles.

But here he was, reading her little starco story about them. About how she really felt about her best friend. About how she yearned and starved for his romantic affection for so long that she began writing about the two them as a couple. Going on dates, fighting monsters together, doing everything and anything as long as they were together.

Star couldn't recall when she first began writing her starco stories (hee Starco, Star felt very clever coming up with that one) but it had started innocently enough. Just fantastical adventures of her and Marco, both real and make believe. Just two best friends being best friends.

Sometimes she used to write angry stories about him when she was furious with him, sad stories whenever he accidentally hurt her. But most of the time it was simply Star and Marco.

Then Star realized her feelings for her best friend.

It had came out of nowhere, the realization, the epiphany that shook her world and opened her eyes to a truth she did not realize. She liked Marco. A lot. Like more than a friend. And it didn't happen like it did in the fairy tales. There was no perfect dance, no meeting of the eyes or just sitting under the pale light of the moon, stars twinkling at the unsuspected pair as Cupid notched his bow and struck.

It happened during Zombies Slayers 3: The zombieing.

One moment Star and Marco were laying on top of the couch, lazily stretched out like the teens they were, mindlessly enjoying the c horror/action film with budget poor make up and just subpar, so bad it's cheesy good acting while munching on Marco's legendary nachos, cheeks puffed out as they shoved as much as they could of the delicious treat into their hungry mouths.

And then it happened, Star brushed against Marco's hand.

She had done it a million times, each without a second thought or notice but this time, she did notice something she hadn't before. She felt the electricity surge through her body, the spark that ignited her heart blaze with longing and affection.

She pulled away from the bowl but Marco failed notice, putting more nachos into his waiting maw as the movie played on.

Star stared at her hand, wondering if there was something wrong with her, the sudden urge to grab Marco's hand becoming painfully overwhelming.

She spent the rest of the night in a frenzied state, trying to simultaneously act on and suppress her powerful needs.

Writing became her outlet, her way to pour out her feelings without having them consume her very being. She wrote small little things like Marco holding her hand, Marco hugging her. Friendish things but they soon morphed into grand romantic gestures: kissing and make out sessions, hand holding in public, holding each other as they slept peacefully through the night.

Each day her writing became more passionate (even if her vocabulary lacked what she truly wanted to say about Marco) and each day her feelings became stronger, growing despite her best efforts to keep them hidden.

She wanted to tell Marco

but not like this. For the first time in her entire life, Star felt embarrassed at her little secret hobby, the idea Marco reading a story she wrote about them enough to make the princess want to die on the spot.

Marco said nothing as his eyes peered up from the paper, his gaze still and indifferent.

Was he going to tease her? Laugh at her? Wait, he wouldn't do anything of the sort, he was Marco her best friend and they didn't joke about each others feelings like that.

But that just made Star uncertain. She prided herself on being able to guess Marco's reactions, emotions, knowing her best friend like the back of her hand even though they've only known one another for a few months now.

Yet she was unclear how Marco was going to react to this piece of news. Star had never seen him show interest in any girl that wasn't named Jackie Lynn Thomas. He even seemed indifferent to Janna, who was a pretty girl in her own right and obviously crushing hard on Marco. There was no way he could...

"Not bad Star" He nodded in approval "Needs a little work."

Star couldn't believe her ears: Marco was critiquing her work? Not freaking out that she was writing Starco stories? Or the fact that Star liked him? Did he already know? Had Star given herself away some time before and he was humoring her to spare her feelings because he simply didn't like her like that?

Star opened her mouth to respond but was caught off guard when Marco turned the paper around, showing not her soul baring fanfiction but rather a doodle she had done of herself and Marco tightly hugging and posing for a nonexistent camera.

"Though I think you should be writing notes and not doodling no matter how cool they are" Marco warned, carefully handing her the paper before reaching down to pick up more of Star's scattered things.

Star scrambled to the floor, rapidly snatching up every single paper she could before Marco even had a chance to reach for them.

Marco stared at his best friend's strange behavior before simply shrugging, helping Star to her feet once more.

"Come on Star! It's Taco Tuesday!"

Marco let out an elated cheer before dashing out of the room, leaving Star to cool her flaming cheeks and calm her racing heart.

* * *

" _Really?" Star couldn't keep the hope and joy out of her response, unable to believe Marco would promise such a thing._

" _Of course! When you go back to Mewni, I will visit you every weekend. Promise!"_

" _Best friend promise?" Star reached out with her pinky._

" _Best friend promise" Marco nodded, taking her pinky with his own and giving it a little shake._

 _The pair slipped into an easy silence, peaceful and content before a question began tickling at Star's brain._

" _Marco" Star asked hesitantly "can I ask you a question?"_

" _Shoot Star" Marco smiled her way, softly brushing her hair out of her face so he could see her better._

 _Tonight they decided to hang out on the roof of the Diaz household, enjoying a peaceful night with one another under the watchful gaze of the silent moon._

" _Marco, what is your favorite Star?" Star asked, peering curiously at Marco's scrunched up face, concentration overtaking the once calm look that played on his face._

 _Marco bit his lip, causing Star to lick her own in response, the desire to kiss him becoming too much to bear._

 _Marco turned to her with a mischievous grin, gently bopping her nose while answering "You. You are my favorite Star!"_

 _Star opened her mouth to retort how that wasn't a real answer when Marco leaned up, slinking his arm around her neck and pulled her forward into his waiting lips._

 _Star couldn't stop her eyes from widening in surprise but she quickly closed them, running her hand through his soft light brown hair and pulling him deeper into the kiss._

Star let out a little sigh, smiling brightly at the words she scrawled across the formerly blank piece of paper. She was getting better at writing and even her English teacher was commenting on her improvement.

Marco was proud of course but also suspicious, wondering where Star's new found grasp of writing had came from.

Star told him the truth. Sorta. She had told him she had been practicing writing, using various short stories instead of stuffy, boring English stuff since she knew she wouldn't like doing it that way.

Marco bought it. Or most of it anyway, a shred of suspicion still etched in his eyes but if Star was improving and it wasn't harming anyone, Marco really couldn't complain.

Maybe the teacher's praise was making her cocky, maybe it was her increasingly weakening resolve to keep her feelings hidden away from Marco or maybe it was the fact her urge to make these stories come true was starting make her bold in her actions.

Like the fact she was writing a starco story inches away from Marco's sleeping form.

They were on the couch, the tv screen showing the dvd menu for Frozen, the scenes repeating in a silent loop. It was late at night but that was no problem, tomorrow was Saturday and aside from a date..er...outing with Marco at the park, the teens hadn't had anything really planned.

Marco was dead tired from the battle with Ludo, embarrassing himself in front of Jackie, trying to pound Jeremy into a pulp and the general tiredness that came with being Star's best friend.

He had his head on her lap (willingly, Star had nothing to do with that), his light breath shot upwards, tickling Star's face and reminding her of his presence.

Star wrapped a cozy blanket around the two, Marco scooted closer to share the warmth and he just fell right off to sleep.

Star quietly laughed at her best friend, taking every feature of his slumbering face and engraving it into her memory as she used the arm of the couch as a desk.

Star began running her fingers through his hair, reenacting her story in some small way. It _was_ as soft as she expected it to be, no doubt to all of Marco's intense care for hygiene.

Star knew she should've stopped, to cease this small display of affection before Marco woke and caught her not only lovingly stroking his hair but also spotting her starco story, half-haphazardly hidden from view.

she couldn't help it, the dam had broke and she was struggling to build it back up but the syrupy, goodness of this simple act was tugging at her heartstrings in the worst way possible.

Star let out a sigh, trying to figure out what she was going to do to handle this growing longing that wouldn't leave her alone.

* * *

" _Marco!" Star shouted, trying to stop her boyfriend from making off with her but her protests fell on deaf ears and her weak resistance simply encouraged him further._

" _Nope, we haven't been alone in forever! If I need to kidnap you to get some alone time with you, then so be it."_

 _Star flushed, lightly smacking his back halfheartedly, feeling very self aware in her super cute bikini she wore to tease Marco._

 _Not that she was doing much better with his well developed muscles and the way he was able to easily overpower and carry her off really making her heart beat like a rock drummer's solo._

" _Marco!" Star shrieked but Marco simply inch closer to the water, the quiet peaceful ocean only broken by the occasional shout or cry of a seagull._

" _Hold your breath Star!" Marco warned her, taking a running start into the sea, ignoring Star's laughing pleads to stop as he plunged them into the water._

 _Star broke surface first, splashing the rising Marco before he had a chance to properly fill his lungs with air._

 _"Star!" Marco whined, shooting her a playful grin as she lunged at him, pulling him under water and quickly pecking his lips but before she could pull away, Marco dragged her back, sharing another kiss beneath the waves of the ocean where no one could see._

"Whatcha writing Star?" Janna's voice teased, pulling Star from her literature fantasy

"Janna!" Star yelled as the beanie wearing girl snatched away the princess's notebook.

"What, got your fanfiction on Oskar on here?" Janna taunted, taking a long good read of Star's writing, causing the young princess's to take a deep breath of fear.

The class had taken a field trip to the local marine aquarium. Star practically hovered around Marco like he'd trapped her in their own personal orbit. Star couldn't help but rush ahead her classmates, taking each new and fascinating creature with a child-like wonder and awe, dragging Marco excitedly to each new exhibit (she nearly reached for his hand but only caught at the last second, managing to score his wrist and pulling a small victory for her flourishing feelings.)

Marco didn't even put up a fight, letting the princess drag him around and smiling at her expression with each new creature they saw.

Right now it was a lunch break and Marco mentioned he was going to talk to Ferguson and Alfonzo about something, citing he would be back with their lunches in a short time.

Star wanted to follow but felt the call of the starco settle deeply within her mind, begging her to release more of her feelings onto a page of the notebook she dubbed Starco works.

It was getting worse, the need to write, to pair herself up together with her best friend, her emotions becoming so large that they felt trapped, contained inside herself and were threatening to burst out of her at the seams.

And now Janna knew her secret.

Janna looked carefully at Star, raising an eyebrow at the writings of the princess.

Star let out a defeated sigh, eying the surrounding area in case anyone else decided to stumble onto her secret "What do you want Janna? Gold? Fangs? Marco's house keys?"

Janna's smirk wasn't comforting to Star, a glint of greed playing in her eyes as Star bit her lips anxiously, wondering what thing Janna would want from her.

"I want you to tell him"

Star stared at the other girl like she had gone mad, wondering when the trap was going to be sprung.

Janna handed the notebook filled with incriminating and personal feelings back to Star, a calculated gleam hidden behind mischievous intent.

"You tell him. When I snatch him from you, I want to say I gave you a fair chance."

Star pouted "You won't be snatching him from me! He doesn't like you like that!"

"Doesn't he?" Janna winked at Star, shaking the girl's resolve for a moment "You don't know that. Besides, you've been so caught up in your little starco writings that you haven't been really paying to attention to reality, have you?"

"That he likes Jackie? We all know that Janna. That's nothing new!" Star replied, unable to keep out the hopelessness out of her voice. Marco liked Jackie, not Star. End of story. As true as the fact president Abe Lin Con defeating the Vacuum company Hover in mortal combat over who got to own the rights to top hats.

"Haha whoa Star" Janna laughed at Star's obliviousness, unable to believe for a warrior, confident princess, she could be blinder than a bat during the day "I think your information is a little out of date."

Star opened her mouth only for Marco's voice to cause her body to tense in surprise, his gentle but firm tone appearing by her ears as he said "Hey Star, Janna."

Janna beamed widely at Marco, throwing him a flirtatious wink and taking a step closer to the teen who promptly took another step from the approaching Janna.

"Aww" Janna whined, pouting in a rather cute way "Come on Marco, I don't bite!"

"You do steal though" Marco answered in a deadpanned voice

"Well how else are you going to talk to me?"

"With words Janna, words not wandering hands."

Janna took another step close to Marco but Star butted in at once, clutching her notebook tightly while gripping Marco's sleeve, pulling him away while shouting at the top of her lungs "Come on Marco, I've always wanted to eat on the beach! It's so sandy! Oh, no Sandy I wasn't calling you! Sorry!"

Janna shook her head, smiling at the retreating figures of Star and Marco, making sure the pair were out of sight.

Janna pull opened her clenched fist, a piece of paper she ripped out of Star's notebook bringing a little smile to her face.

"Well it looks like it's time to cause some trouble" Janna told to herself, stuffing the paper into her pocket and began suspiciously whistling, catching the attention of nearby students and teachers.

* * *

" _So...is everything good?" Marco asked, Star catching onto the nervous edge to the question._

 _Star knew something was up: Marco was dressed up a little too nicely for usual attire, the room was dark with only a single candle to illuminate the room and Marco was nervous. Well more so than usual._

" _Marco what's going on?" Star asked curiously, trying to see if she could scare the answer out of him. She loved Marco but he was horrible at keeping secrets from her._

" _N-nothing, can't a guy make his girlfriend a special dinner in a romantic setting?"_

 _Star nodded, her gaze searched his for some sort of clue in his glance but nothing stuck out. He was scared, something about this dinner meant a lot to him but there was no indication what it could be._

 _Star lifted the noodles to her lips, taking a slow bite as to savor her boyfriend's amazing cooking. She was always trying to get him to become a cook, citing he could make some serious money off it and she could enjoy these types of meals all the time but he was dead set on his psychology degree, commenting that he could still cook for her even if he wasn't a chief for a living._

 _Star paused for a moment, looking at Marco, a piece of the puzzle falling into place._

 _Recently, he seemed to be talking more and more about their lives together: What would be a good house, what kind of car Star would like, the color for the walls, if a house in the city or in the country was preferred, if Star wanted cats or dogs._

 _A lot of very homey questions._

 _Marco and Star still lived together at his parents house and such questions had been asked in the past in a moment of boredom or wonder but the intensity and frequency of them now made Star wondered why Marco was bringing up all these subjects in a row. It was almost like he was..._

 _There was a loud ding that broke Star's train of thoughts, Marco rising up at once and rushing inside the kitchen._

 _Star frowned, trying to regain her lost thoughts in an effort to discover Marco's plan, his goal but it was too late. Nothing came to mind which was a shame, Star felt like she was close to figuring out everything._

 _Star let out a defeated sigh, peering at the closed kitchen door wondering what else Marco had prepared for this special, 'ordinary' dinner date. He already made some amazing chicken Alfredo pasta with a yummy side of garlic bread and well cooked veggies. Dessert was left but Star couldn't place her finger on what desert required Marco to seal off the kitchen from all forms of entrance except his own._

 _Marco kicked open the door, the biggest smile on his face as he brought a fresh baked chocolate cake with an insane amount of sugary frosting that was probably not safe for consumption, unless you were a magical princess from another dimension._

 _Marco made his way towards Star's side, placing the cake in front of her in the most distracting way possible, taking a silent joy at Star's bright eyes and watering mouth._

 _Star reached for her fork, gripping it tightly as the hypnotic treat began calling her name softly, saying such things "Staaaar, Staaaar. Eat me. Eat me. I am bad for you!"_

 _Before Star could even dig into the sweet lure of the cake, she noticed Marco shuffling to the side of her, playing with something hidden behind his back._

 _She turned to face him but before she could get a word in, Marco fell to a single knee, looking at Star with hope filled, doleful eyes that made her want to tackle him the floor and suffocate him under a barrage of kisses._

" _M-Marco?" Star stammered, trying to stop the hammering of her heart from pounding loudly in her ears, the instinct that this was an important moment putting her on edge._

" _Butter Starfly..." Marco shook his head, his cheeks dusted bright red at his mistake "I mean Fly ButterStar...oh...I..."_

 _Star held Marco's head gently, smiling at him and giving him a reassuring kiss to calm his nerves._

 _Marco took a deep breath once they parted, his light brown eyes staring into her oceanic blue ones "Star Butterfly...I..."_

 _Star couldn't help the widening of her eyes, the shimmering happiness from appearing on her face as Marco presented a modest yet lovely ring tucked away in the cutest little black box._

" _Will you marry me?"_

 _Star couldn't stop the tears from sliding down her face as she embraced Marco, holding him tightly as she planted a series of kisses on his cheek, unable to believe this day finally came._

" _yes, Marco, I will!" Star replied, planting a deep, passionate kiss on his waiting lips._

"You will what?" Marco called from her doorway.

Star jumped, scolding herself for being caught so unaware.

"I...I didn't say anything." Star laughed, wondering if she was reading her story outloud again.

"Yes you did, you said Yes, I will Marco."

"Oh" Star replied simply "don't mind me, crazy Star talking to myself, acting weeeeeird!"

Marco nodded but instead of leaving Star alone, he took a step deeper into her room, his stride filled with a determined purpose.

"Can we talk?" Marco asked, politely waiting for Star to respond.

Star tucked her starco notebook under her pillow, not even bother to hide its existence from her best friend though its contents remained a well kept secret.

"Sure Marco, what's up?" Star said cheerfully, bouncing her way over to him, a wide smile appearing on her face at the sight of him.

Marco didn't answer, reaching into his back pocket and fishing out a crumpled piece of paper.

"I found this in my locker" Marco explained, handing the little piece of paper to Star so she could see "Found it pretty interesting."

Star mentally prepped herself, ready to see Jackie's fancy handwriting confessing her true feelings for her best friend, forever ruining her chances to be with Marco.

But that was okay. As long as he was happy, she would be fine. Lonely but fine.

Star flipped open the note only for her face to fall at its content, something far worse than Jackie's confession written on its surface.

"Telling by your reaction" Marco stated calmly "This is your note."

"M-Marco, I..." Star tried to explain, unable to believe the first starco thing she ever wrote on paper was now in her hand and Marco had seen it somehow.

"Is it true?" Marco quietly, a hopefully tone to his question.

Star remained quiet, unsure if it was time to finally let loose her feelings onto Marco despite the fact he did not know the true depth of her emotions towards him.

"Because I really hope it is."

Star found herself drawn in as Marco cupped her cheek softly, leading her closer as they shared a kiss. It was soft, gentle, filled with promise and longing and fear. The fear of rejection.

Star wrapped her arms Marco's neck, deepening the kiss as she tried her hardest to convince herself this was actually happening.

Marco placed his hands on her waist, grinning like an idiot as the two teens shared their first of many kisses, the paper Marco received falling to the floor, ignored and forgotten with a simple poem. The first Starco thing Star had ever wrote on paper.

 _Your hoodie is red, my eyes are blue._

 _My name is Star and I love you._


	65. Failing to resist (Future V day)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here wishing you all a late v day greetings. thank you for every single follow, review and favorite. they make me feel so happy and remind how lucky i am to have some awesome readers!

A special thanks to Godlegend: Cheesy? CHEESY!? I SHALL GIVE YOU CHEESY! i am glad you liked it.

Finn: i'm glad you enjoyed it! thank Rayfe for coming up with such a great idea.

Lupus: no worries, thank you for the review. i appreciate it. have some covy to tide you over while i get starco ready.

or-ian-do626: i know right!?

Mr. Drawer: Thank you so much, i hope to keep doing good work.

guest: i am a sucker for romance and I've study it's art very well.

MaFx: it was a brilliant idea from rayfe and i am honored to write it. 4 small starcos and one big one! YAY! it's pretty good. most of the dialogue is good and the battle animation is pretty sweet, faces scare the shit out of me but ya know. there's also anime version coming out soon if that's more your speed. thank you but i have done my grieving and she'd hit me with her sandal if she knew i was still crying. probably still getting that when we met again.

Pascter: i'm glad you liked it! and it is done

sonicelite; her loss is indescribable but forward i must move on and she lives in my memories. no worries, i'm good

cartoonlover: fainting. that's new. i mean low key compared to the others but still new. well..umm...this is more sugary so...yeah

shadowgem: thank you. i am very lucky i had as much time as i did with her but still i do miss her. haha i'm glad you liked it.

princessxgilex: thanks for your review. let me know if you want me to respond in spanish.

xboxrica: i'm glad you enjoyed it and sometimes the simple messages are the best.

grim: thank you but we're not done yet. still got a lot of story telling to do!

whatif: Janna is janna, there is no stopping her. I know right? i guess rayfe just made starco official. Starco ception. i'm trapped in the deepest level and i don't know if i'm in reality! hope your arm has healed well!

smitty theroies. Right? i knew this guy who sucked at speaking but he could make some amazing works of literature. haha lame joke i know and i'm pretty much for show

guest: thank you for your kind words.

misfortune: honestly, that was my favorite part too

guest: i may or may not have a star vs Marco fight at school cooking. in some way or form. in an undertale au

riderz: hiya! thanks for the review. well here's a new chapter and it's covy. and super sugary and...yeah

deadshoot: thank you and old habits die hard. in formal english writing, if you write any number above 10, you write out the actual word, not the number.

Wookie: i'm glad you liked it and i thought rayfe's request was very clever. I...am tempted to do that now haha

so on starco corner, my good friend h mae has tasked me with an au and i sent her a preview build and...she drew it which in turn has made me want to finish the au earlier than scheduled (I'm resisting but dang is it tempting) she also has some other sketches but if you're curious at what she drew for starco, check her out at hains-mae on tumblr and keep this clue in mind: Megalovania. That's right, she asked for it and i'm doing it and it seems to be going well so far. Sara over at idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has some awesome drawings up including a certain show we...we shall miss. and kuzco! SVTFOEheadcanons has some awesome stuff from so many sources over the net on tumblr. also at weeklystarcoprompts on tumblr, they asked me for one and i offered up the little things star and marco love or hate with one another. over here on ff we have another awesome chapter from hearts and hoodies by chimicherrychanga,matchmaker from , can you sing from Godlegend (which is now a series of oneshots, ill leave a review asap) starco damage control by thesunglassesgamer, wands and weirdos by sonicElite, Thank your lucky stars from anoymins, weird by terracea, back to the mewture by Nr36. so much to read so little time.

So first of all happy valentine's day! sorry it's late i had somethings to do. hope you had an awesome holiday.

Second. gravity falls. no spoilers in the reviews but...wow. just wow. especially with the theme song in the middle of the episode right? wow. i cried. just so much. now to start the petition for Dipper and Mabel to find their way to echo creek or spin off future gravity falls. NEXT GEN PINES!

okay i am sorry i was gone so long but i am back and all sorts of good. i was going to put this v day and the starco v day up at the same time but time escaped from me. had to track it down. the current line up is starco v day tomorrow, bad boy au after followed by, depending on the day and time frame (Since next week i will be working my series including nova vs) an undertale request. (which there is a preview on my tumblr mrevaunit42 if you are wondering how that's coming along. shameless plug done)

So here we go. Covy's valentine's day oneshot. i want to remind everyone that now that Nova has her own series, this is now noncanon and the two exist as two different stories. sol and rocky are not in this one because this is the futures au but they are in nova vs. poor planning for the win.

extra warning, this is pretty sugary, like insanely so. so...you all read the starco warning label. a lot of stuff can happy to you. like a lot. stuff i didn't even know could.

okay so with that in mind a gentle remind, Star and Marco are married, have a kid name nova who is best friend's with connor. Roman is Oskar's son, Missy is Jackie's daughter.

 _This means someone is singing, yes there is singing and the song is Fly me to the moon by well i think Frank Sintra but there's a lot of fun covers._

So thank you so much for all your reviews, favorite and follows, they mean the world to me. Rayfe i hope you are doing great. please let me know how i did on your request and if you want me to rewrite because it wasn't quite what you were expecting, let me know. I honestly do not mind at all. with that being said, enjoy some covy v day love while i go get Starco ready and I own nothing but covy which is weird to say. like so weird.

* * *

Nova couldn't hide the blush that played across her heart covered cheeks, the vacant, blank stare simply throwing her off due to its rarity. The only time she's ever seen him like this was when they were 10 and he had caught sight of her wearing a Santa hat, the words "you look cute" tumbling out of his mouth and igniting her face.

"You keep staring four eyes and flies are going to use your mouth as a runway..." Nova mumbled, turning her head and shifting her gaze from Connor who remained transfixed at the mere sight of her.

Today was Valentine's day, the day of lovers and friends. Of last minute gifts and overly grand gestures of affection.

For most people anyway, not Connor. Connor had never put much stock into the holiday before given how unpopular he was with the female population of the school. They used to tease the heck out of his failed inventions and his need for glasses throughout middle school and he doubt they had changed much now that they were freshmen in 9th grade.

Nova would normally have been in the same boat as her best friend, simply shrugging off any and all suitors for the holiday in favor of hanging out with Connor for its entirety, the pair silently teasing the others for their often poor attempts at romance (A cup of noodles and a messy card was not a great gift for anyone. For most people) though the two were fair to those who effort and devotion shone through. At the end of the day, the two of them would sit in a comfortable silence and watch the sun disappear into the horizon.

But that was before Nova met Roman and was struck by cupid's arrow.

Connor was dressed in his usual attire: White t-shirt with a sliver crescent moon design in the center, brown khaki shorts with his sneakers. His messy wavy jet black hair with his forest green eyes peering from behind his wire frame glasses.

Nova had decided to go all out.

Her long, light brown hair had been combed to perfection, straightened before twisted into a single long braid that fell down her back with no sign of her mother's devil headband in sight, instead a beautiful white bow was attached to the back of her hair. Despite her hated for all things dress-like, she was wearing a thin shoulder strap pink dress with a white trim at the bottom that fell down to her knees, a light blue sash wrapped around her stomach with a pair of mary janes in lieu of her usual shark boots.

She looked beautiful and her appearance was playing around with Connor's heartstrings.

"Connor, if you don't stop staring, I will blast you" Nova's electric blue eyes narrowed in false anger as she secretly basked in Connor's stunned silence.

"Well I've never seen you so dressed up before..." Connor began, rolling his eyes and breaking from Nova's spell when she coughed in skepticism "Willingly I mean."

"Well I think it's a nice change of pace, you know? Throw in a splash of something new and nice once in a while."

Connor was barely able to hold in his laughter, eying Nova carefully as he said "I think you mean wanting to look nice for Roman on Valentine's day"

Nova's pinked cheeks were the only conformation Connor needed though the yelp and startled jump were added bonuses.

"I..." Nova opened her mouth before closing it weakly, opting to mutter under her breath "so what?"

Connor fought back the jealous barb that stung his heart, simply shaking his head "You have to kind of talk to him to get a date with him"

"I DO FOUR EYES!" Nova screamed at the top of her lungs, the entire hallway of students ignoring her since this was nothing new. Something about Roman and Connor's jealously poking fun at his best friend/crush,

Nova fumed as the pair made their ways to their neighboring lockers

"Look Nova" Connor told his best friend simply "Sending him funny pictures and saying one word sentences while you're on the phone with him does _not_ mean you actually talk to the guy."

"Hey!" Nova's voice took on a defensive tone, swinging her locker wide open and finding a sea of pink, red and white v day envelopes pouring onto the floor "Those are icebreakers. I am simply getting a feel for what he likes four eyes."

Nova gingerly picked up the pile of letters from admirers, carefully sliding them into her empty backpack to read later. She might not be interested in anyone other than Roman (and Connor) but she could at least give the common courtesy to read them and thanking those who had the courage to sign their names.

"You're just nervous and shy, which I don't know why you are." Connor countered, lazily twisting the combination of his locker slowly "You are like the coolest girl in the world and it's very clear a lot of guys noticed and would love to take you out on a date."

Nova said nothing while she dolefully looked at Connor, her glance slowly turning into a dazed, dreamy stare at the word date coming out of his mouth.

"you wouldn't..." Nova mumbled quietly, trying to stop her heart from skipping a beat at the vision of her best friend.

"What was that?"

Nova snapped out of it, realizing Connor staring at her with concern, his hand hovering over the handle of the now unlocked locker.

"Nothing Four eyes, just open your locker already! It's almost music class."

Connor's small smile sent goosebumps to spreading across Nova's arm, her heart sighing dreamily at the sight of the gesture as Connor turned and finally unlocked the storage place of books and homework.

"What the F...?" Was all Connor managed to let out before a good amount of cards, chocolates and other sweet treats rammed into him at top speed, sending him sprawling to the floor and burying him under a handful of cards.

Nova could feel her blood boil at the sight of the smileys and winking faces lovingly scrawled across the different cards. She was so enraged she hadn't realized she had already pulled out her magician like wand and had cast a spell.

"Best Friend Savious. Againous."

A pink magical field surrounded the declarations of 'love' and floated into the air, some escaping the pull of the spell and fluttering back towards the ground.

The now freed Connor took a large gulp of air, coughing when his lungs were overfilled and spitting out pieces of aluminum foil and half eaten chocolate that managed to shove themselves down his throat.

"Well that was new..." Connor choked out, weakly climbing to his feet, his arms outstretched in a blind attempt to find something to support his rise.

Nova couldn't suppress the grin that danced on her lips as she reached for her best friend's arm to steady him only for Connor to grip her hand instead, covering her cold palm with his warm one and holding onto it for dear lie.

With a flick of her wrist, the pile of deadly gifts and paper plopped to the floor, the handful of V-days forming a small mountain at their feet while Connor leaned over to observe this strange new phenomenon.

"What the hell is this?" Connor questioned, picking up the closest letter and holding it to the sun like he was examining for forgeries.

Nova could hear the slight girly giggling echoing from behind, her wandering gaze finding only dust clouds where students had once been when she turned to look

"My guess, you got some admirers." Nova said with a clenched tone, jealousy filling the princess from head to toe.

He probably was making googly eyes at every single girl who looked his way, Nova seethed, chewing on the inside of her cheek to prevent Connor from noticing her envy.

"Why?"

The incredulous tone that Connor's question took shook Nova out of her overzealous anger, the confused and lost look on her best friend's face throwing her off even more than his blank stare earlier.

Nova scoffed "What do you mean why? You're smart, you make cool inventions...when they decide to work and you...umm."

Connor raised his eyebrow at the sight of Nova freezing up, her hands held together firmly.

"I'm?" Connor added, in hopes Nova would finish her train of thought.

"You're..umm...you know...kinda cute" Nova answered, her voice dropping off once more of the words escaped her mouth "I mean not to me, o-of course but other girls find you cute four eyes and you know I could kinda seewherethey'recomingfrom..."

Connor's laugh was not what Nova expected to hear no matter how amazing it sounded. She expected hear some teasing about how _she_ thought he was cute or some light poking at her embarrassment but she never thought Connor would straight up laugh at her.

Nova's face fell into a pout, sharp, barbed words racing through her head, ready to be unleashed against her infuriating best friend.

"Nice one Nova" Connor said with a wink "But come on, I'm serious. why would anyone give me this many fake V-day cards and candy? This seems like they put too much effort into the joke. I mean it's only about dozen cards and some candies but still, this was just so overkill"

"Connor?" Nova asked, unable to believe what came out of his mouth.

Did Connor really think so lowly of himself? Did he not notice the wandering gaze of some of the girls whenever he passed? Nova knew that in middle school many girls wouldn't even give him the time of day but this wasn't middle school any more and they weren't the awkward pre-teens they had been. They were awkward teenagers now but even Nova couldn't deny that her best friend was slowly growing into a handsome man.

And Nova was already barely fighting off the syrupy urge to plant a big one on his stupidly cute face, she did not need the appearance of future Connor to tempt her even further.

"Ugh, I wish they would stop wasting money on all these fake props." Connor mumbled, annoyance clear in his voice as he gathered the wayward letters and treats and carefully shoved them back into his locker, his automatic robotic hand beginning to sort them according to height and width.

Connor's disbelief was genuine, that the idea that anyone would willingly give him any sort of romantic attention was clearly beyond his ability to comprehend or come to terms with.

Though Nova could show him how much affection she truly held for him.

Nova blinked out of the fantasy she accidentally thrust herself into, still reeling from Connor's mindset and wink

"Connor..." Nova began, trying to stop her throat from drying up "Those girls actually find you...y..you know...cute...and things like that."

"I doubt that. C'mon Novy, we're going to be late for music."

Nova could only stare at Connor's retreating figure, still unsure how to take his self defeated response.

* * *

Nova bit her lip, her arm tucked under her head as she stared from her seat on the second row, the stand she was using as support far less sturdy than a table but it was enough to serve her purpose.

Normally the first period band room would be full of poor attempts of musical harmony and sounds, squeaks and note cracking filling the air in equal measure to passable audible music but since it was Valentine's day and everyone had the attention of a small, coffee crazed rodent, Mr. Greason decided to give the students a free period.

Well almost all the students.

Nova forgot how much she loved watching Connor work on his inventions or fixing anything he hadn't created himself. His green eyes narrowing concentration, the way his tongue stuck out the side of his lips as his arms flexed and tense while he twisted a screwdriver or turned a wrench or the way he bit his lip whenever he paused and became absorbed in thought.

His project today was Mr. Greason's stereo, a greatly needed device that was used to play cds so the students could actually hear the impossible goal of quality they were striving for. In true educational fashion, the school couldn't bother to spare funds to replace the ancient and barely functional device (Its existence predated her own parents time at Echo Creek Academy and it was rumored to be have been there since the beginning of the school's creation itself.)

Luckily Mr. Greason had Connor and while his own experimental projects were hit or miss, his work on anything premade was top notch and high quality.

"Thanks for doing this Connor, I really appreciate it dude." Oskar nodded with a hint of approval and gratitude, his well pressed suit wrinkled from leaning over his young student, waiting for instructions on how to assist him.

"No worries Mr. Greason." Connor shot back, carefully checking his work before replacing the back cover of the device "that should do it."

Connor pulled away from Mr. Greason's desk, the rare gleam of pride and confidence shining every inch of his triumphant face causing Nova's heart to whistle loudly at the sight of it.

Oskar walked forward, flipping on the switch and letting out a content grin as the sounds of a soft drum beat began quietly filling the room.

Connor felt his body tense at the song floating through the speakers, the urge to burst out in singing slowly overwhelming his willpower.

"Oh hey! I forgot I had that cd in there." Oskar said, more to himself than anyone else while the flurry of saxophones and trumpets filled the room, lyrics from the singer taunting Connor even further.

"G-great" Connor murmured anxiously, the urge to rush back to his seat conflicting with the desire to sing.

But he couldn't. Not in class, not in front of Mr. Greason and especially not with Nova just a few feet in front of him.

"Hey" Oskar asked suddenly, turning to face the young teen "you like this song don't you?"

Connor let out a nervous chuckle, waving his hands in a dismissive manner "Me? N-nah. Ha ha."

"Yeah" Oskar pressed on "Your parents told me you like singing it. Said you were pretty good at it."

Nova's back straighten as she lifted her head away from her arm, curiously glancing at Connor. She never knew Connor liked to sing. She never knew Connor _could_ sing.

"I...I...I'm not good" Connor stammered, trying his hardest to deflect the quizzical attention he was gathering. He could hear the shuffling seats and scraping of shoes on the carpeted floor, everyone's interest now peaked by Mr. Greason's words. He could even feel Nova's electric blue eyes focusing solely on him.

"Nonsense, who wants to hear Connor sing?" Oskar asked, smiling brightly at the unanimous response of the students.

Connor could feel his body freeze in place, sweat building on his forehead while Mr. Greason strolled over to stereo and pressed the button once more, the soft drum slowly filling the room from the top, the jazz band prepared to jump in a few beats.

"And to really make sure you don't cheat" Connor let out a frustrated groan when Mr. Greason twisted the knob, lowering the volume of the music to ensure everyone could hear Connor properly.

Connor took a deep breath in, cursing the rest of the close for wanting to watch him look like an idiot. He closed his eyes and kept his back towards the rest of the room as the flourish of the piano cued him in.

" _Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars."_

Nova felt her cheeks redden, Connor's voice full yet soft, filled with a gentle warm touch that made the young princess dreamily sigh, her arm catching and holding her head once more.

" _Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars."_

Connor wanted to die, Connor wanted to run out of the room and move back to Canada. No, they were expecting that. Maybe he could move to France. He'd always wanted to find the other members of his family tree, this seemed like the perfect time to go. Never mind he didn't speak a lick of french or lack the funds to safely reach the country. Perhaps he could trade work for transportation on a fishing boat or cruise ship.

" _In other words, hold my hand."_

Nova gave a dopey smile towards the back of her best friend's head. She would love to hold his hand.

" _In other words, baby kiss me."_

Nova's blush worsened, the idea of kissing Connor latched onto her thoughts and clung on tight, refusing to let go of her no matter how hard she tried to shift her thoughts away from her best friend's lips.

" _Fill my heart with song and let me sing forevermore."_

Connor was losing it, his mind slipping into a relaxed state despite the amount of embarrassment he was feeling. He was usually in such a state whenever he was inventing or tinkering with things. It was a force of habit. During stressful situations, Connor would slip into what he dubbed inventor mode and his body and mind would react accordingly.

" _You are all I long for, all I worship and adore..."_

"Me too..." Nova whispered in response, leaning forward against her will, her resistance crumbling with each passing note.

" _In other words, please be true."_

"I will..." Nova responded, hypnotized and falling completely under Connor's spell.

" _In other words...I love..."_

"I love..." Nova said softly, the words perfectly synced with Connor's voice "Y.."

The bell rang loudly, startling everyone in the room out of their daze.

Nova leapt out of her chair, breathing heavily like she just ran a marathon. She could feel the chills running down her body, Connor's song hauntingly echoing in the back of her mind, calling to her. Looks like she was going to be having a Connor dream tonight...

Connor stopped at once, head tucked low as he raced for his bag, grabbing it without stopping and rushing out of the room.

Nova quickly gave chase, trying to cool her burning cheeks.

* * *

"And that is class" Marco told the eager students, the bell signaling their freedom cutting his speech a little short "So no homework tonight but I want you all back in one piece for tomorrow's test!"

The crowd of students gave no indication that they heard him, the siren call of sugary snacks and sickening sweet romance just too much for the class to resist.

Marco shook his head as he began preparing to lock up so he could go get a snack until he spotted Nova nervously make her way towards her best friend, her face stuck between lost and found.

"This...is going to be interesting" Marco muttered to himself, taking his seat once more, watching his daughter interacting with her crush.

"I know I suck Novy" Connor said without looking at Nova, putting his stuff away carefully, prolonging looking into his best friend's eyes for as long as he could "I didn't warm up, I have horrible range and I was caught so off guard I.."

"I liked it."

Connor turned to face Nova, her eyes shinning with joy and some sort of affection.

"Thanks Nova..." Connor whispered, the lure of his best friend's face scrambling his brain and sent him reeling.

"It was nice." Nova told him "and you did good..."

"I...I'm glad you liked it..."

"C..." Nova coughed, shyly grinning his way in hopes he didn't make fun of her at this crucial moment "I was wondering..."

"Yes?"

"C-could you sing for me? Later!" Nova quickly added, waving her hands in a panic "Not now of course! A-and not that romantic junk either or else you might give me the wrong idea!"

Nova mentally face palmed herself, unable to believe she literally told him not to sing those sweet, loving songs for her. Like he would even agree to her request. The singing he did was clearly personal, something he wouldn't do just for anyone. Only someone special, someone who meant a lot to him, maybe someone he had strong feelings towards. Someone who wasn't her.

"Sorry Nova" Connor replied as quietly as he could. Nova's heart fell at his rejection. She had to open her big mouth and tell him not to sing those endearing, wonderful "but...I kinda only know romantic songs. I...it...helps me focus when I'm inventing. I mean I'll sing for you if you want! But sorry, only romantic junk...yeah I guess you don't want me to..."

"That's fine" Nova said forcefully, the need to kiss Connor becoming unbearably painful. Even if her father was in the room, she would've done it if she had one ounce less of self control "Whatever. I'll probably be asking you to do that whenever I need to sleep or something."

"Saying I'm boring?" Connor baited, teasing despite the fact he was scared of her response.

"I'm saying I like your singing four eyes" Nova conceded, deciding not to press her luck at such a wonderful arrangement "And don't expect me to admit it again. No need to get a big head."

"That's okay, I'd only sing for you anyway."

The room became charged, both teens cheeks ablaze at Connor's unintentional confession.

Nova and Connor stared at one another, both searching for the others reaction to the words that were spoken.

Marco tried to keep as quiet as possible since this was a major milestone coming up in his young daughter's love life. His fatherly instincts were raging at him, yelling and screaming at him to stop this before they kissed or toss Connor out or something! but he knew he had no right. Nova was growing up and while she wouldn't always be his little girl, she _would_ always be his little girl and he admitted there was no one more perfect for her than the boy across from her.

"Connor" Nova took a deep breath, finally succumbing to the tug at her heartstrings just looking him brought, her heart exposed and unable to contain her feelings any longer.

"Nova?"

Nova opened her mouth when a loud thud broke the silence, a loud cheer of excitement ruining the moment and allowing Nova to seal up her emotions once more.

"HI MARCO! Oh and Novy and Connie are here, HIIIIYA!"

Marco face palmed himself as his lovely wife ran at him full speed, dropping a picnic basket onto the desk before launching herself at him, sending the pair of the into a twirling ride, Star wrapping her arms around Marco's neck and straddling his hips before kissing her husband with deep, passionate and totally embarrassing affection that caused Nova's cheeks to reheat at the sight of her parents kissing public.

"MOM!" Nova cried, covering her eyes and wishing she hadn't seen what she'd seen.

"I'm going to go! I'll meet you at 3rd period" Connor told Nova, wrapping his arm around her for a quick one armed hug before bolting from the room.

Nova's body tightened against her will, the hug from Connor affecting her more than usual due to the influence of Connor's voice still weakening her resolve.

"Happy Valentine's day Marco" Star kissed Marco's nose gently, a Cheshire grin playing on her lips at the sight of the completely awestruck Marco.

Marco giggled idiotically, placing his hands on Star's hip while drawing her in for another kiss.

"Best Valentine's day gift ever." Marco told Star dumbly.

"You mean yet wild man" Star counter, playfully flickering at Marco's nose before kissing him once more.

"Guys, I love you and all but please don't do this in public" Nova told her parents, making sure to keep her eyes shut the entire blind walk over.

"What, kiss your father like this?" Star teased, making a large muah sound as her lips descended upon Marco's once more.

"Yes...yes that..." Nova answered simply.

"Hee, sorry honey but I cannot resist the allure of your father." Star muttered in the school girlish voice she could muster.

"and I cannot fight the beauty of your mother." Marco responded in a tone that made it clear he wasn't all there.

"Ugh, mom! DAD!" Nova complained.

"Oh lighten up, here, come share our picnic with us."

Nova removed her hand from her eyes, shaking at her parents while wearing the biggest smile on her face as Star untangled herself from Marco and began unpacking the treat for the Diaz's

* * *

"Thanks man, you're a life saver!" Roman patted Connor's back excitedly, his trade mark greaser look and slicked back hair catching many wandering gazes of the student population.

"No problem Roman" Connor waved off the older teens praises "We all could use some help from time to time."

"Still, this is math. I hate math." Roman frowned at his homework.

"I do too" Connor admitted, stretching and trying to get rid of the knots out of his neck.

"But at least you're good at it" Roman told Connor.

"You're not that bad at Roman. And to be fair, you're a hell a lot better at English than me."

"I guess."

"Still you've come a long way since I began tutoring you." Connor gave Roman a thumbs up "And your grades are improving."

"Only thanks to you man."

"I only helped you understand the concepts, you're the one who actual put in the hard work."

Roman conceded his head in agreement, two boys sharing a grin at their success.

"Oh shoot, it's almost time for class" Roman frowned, peering at his watch in disbelief "Did you want me to get you some food before the bell rings?"

Connor thought about Roman's offer, shaking his head upon realizing that was only a handful of minutes away "Nah it's okay."

"Come on, it's the least I could do for all the help you've given me this last week."

"it's okay Roman. You don't owe me anything, we're friends"

and the funny part was Connor meant it. True Roman was Connor's rival for Nova's affections but he was still a friend. It wasn't Roman's fault that he was better in every way: Handsome, smart and funny. The whole package. Many girls would've gave their right arm just to talk to him. Even with math the only reason Roman was failing was due to the poor explanation of the teacher rather than his self preconceived skill at the subject.

"Fine but I'm buying you lunch" Roman said with a friendly final say sort of tone.

"You sure? that means you have to buy Nova's too."

"Sure, she's pretty cool too. When she can talk to me."

Connor laughed, still trying to wrap his head around the fact Roman knew Nova's feelings for him. Granted she wasn't being subtle about it but Roman gave her the courtesy of pretending to be in the dark about it so Nova could muster up her courage at her own pace.

Connor wish he knew how Roman felt about the princess but he was rather difficult to crack. Sometimes he was certain Roman also had feelings for Nova and others he felt like Roman was pushing some sort of other agenda out of kindness or fairness.

"Well, I'll see you later" Roman waved goodbye to Connor but before he got very far, Connor shouted for him to wait.

"Hey Roman, wait a minute."

"S'up Connor?"

"What are you doing today?"

"Sorry buddy but you're not my type."

Connor flushed in embarrassment, friendly glaring towards the smirking face Roman was giving to him.

"ha ha. Not what I meant. I mean..."

"Nova right?" Roman guessed.

Connor stayed quiet, gathering his thoughts to make sure he didn't pitch this idea wrong.

"You know there is a movie she wants to see today" Connor started, a plan slowly forming in his mind "and even if it wasn't a date date, it would really make her day if you went with her to see it."

Roman's smile was one he would wear if he won the lottery "oh yeah? Wait." A frown overtook the smile "aren't you coming?"

"I...I don't want to be a third wheel."

"Dude, I don't..."

"it's okay" Connor rose his hand to stop him "Just make her day okay?"

Roman's frown didn't leave his face, his face clearly torn between spending some alone time with Nova and leaving Connor out.

"It's cool man, I promise" Connor held an open palm while placing his hand over his heart "Scout's honor."

"Alright man..." The bell rang, making Connor really wish he could disable to the stupid system. Its timing seemed perfect for dictating emotional shifts "But why don't you ask out Missy?"

"Missy?"

"Yeah, she really wants to go to some tech fair thing. It's today and doesn't want to go alone. She might be appreciate a fellow inventor offering to go with her."

"I'll think about it." Connor replied, wondering if it was the right thing to do.

* * *

"So what do you say Nova?"

Nova was rendered speechless by Roman's appearance at her locker and that was before he causally threw out he wanted to go to see a movie Nova had been dying to watch for weeks.

Nova chuckled anxiously, silently praying for Connor arrive and save her from the paralyzing state of embarrass she found herself in.

But he did not arrive despite the fact school was over and he should've been here by now.

"I..." Nova weakly answered, the butterflies swarming her stomach making her feel faint and light headed. "I...'

"Connor told me you wanted it to see it."

"Connor told you that?" Nova asked in a daze.

"yeah, he told me you wanted to watch it but he was busy today and couldn't make it."

"Busy?"

Nova felt sadden at the idea of Connor busy on Valentine's day. Was it possible he had forgotten their traditional sunset view they hadn't missed for the last 7 years? It was never spoke outloud but Nova thought it was agreed upon by the both of them that if they had no plans for Valentine's day, they would watch the sun set together.

But if Connor had plans...

Nova peered across the quad only to stop Missy and Connor talking.

She frowned at the sight of Missy lightly placing her hand on her best friend's shoulder, Connor nervously rubbing the back of his head like he always did in high stressed situations.

So he had plans with Missy. She should be mad but Connor had gone out of his way to score her a date with Roman. Even if this wasn't a date date, it was progress to becoming Mrs. Roman Greason.

That was Connor for you, always looking out for her.

Nova let out a sigh but before she could respond, she saw Connor wave his hand like he routinely did when he was apologizing, Missy's disappointed face morphed into a hopeful one as she hugged him tightly and bid him goodbye.

Connor did not make his way across the quad once he spotted Roman and Nova talking, having not realized she was looking his way. He gave a slight small in their direction and turned about face, disappearing beyond the school's gate.

"Well Nova, what do you say?"

Nova turned back to Roman's hopeful gaze, still nervous and tongue tied but allowing the word to tumble out of her mouth.

* * *

"It looks as great as always" Connor told himself, the slowly sinking sun basking him a warm orangery glow.

He peered longingly to the empty seat beside him on the faded, old rusty bench, letting out a defeated sigh as the sun began to fade away.

Connor was at the nearby park, about halfway between his house and Nova's. When they were younger, they used to play all the time here. They hardly visited the park as they grew with more locations and options becoming available to the teens, they did make it a point to always return to this bench every Valentine's day with the agreement that if they were both alone for the sappy romantic holiday, they might as well be alone together.

Not that was Nova coming this time. Her prince was sweeping her away on a date or not date date and Connor had no one to blame for it but himself.

But that was okay. He knew it would make her happy and Nova _was_ happy and that's all that mattered. True he was alone for Valentine's day but he never expected to win the princess's heart. He was just Connor. He wasn't magical or cute or funny or even amazing like Nova. He...he was just himself and Nova was just...perfect.

"You know" Connor froze at the sound of Nova's voice appearing from nowhere "They should really fix up this bench. I mean it's not really ascetically pleasing to the eye and honestly, it's as old as us!"

Connor said nothing as Nova sat next to him on the bench, closing the distance between the two at once.

"I thought you had plans" Connor said with a conversational flair.

"and I do. I'm spending time with my dorky best friend. Less you don't want me here."

"No, no!" Connor added quickly "but..."

"Roman wanted to take me out" Nova replied calmly "I told him I was flattered but I had something else planned."

"You said that with a straight face?"

"I...may have stammered and hid a bit before managing to get out the words. Don't you dare laugh four eyes" Nova threatened as a laugh nearly came out of Connor's mouth.

The pair said nothing, watching the sky shift from a cloudy, fiery yellow to a calm, relaxing twilight purple.

Connor turned to see Nova and was surprised that she seemed more...dressed up than earlier. She still wore the pink dress with the white bow on the back of her hair but now she was covered with the black jacket Connor gave her from Christmas with the long blue and pink stockings he got her for her birthday tucked into her trademark shark boots. Looking like a cross between the Nova he knew and the Nova she was going to be.

And she was going be even more breathtaking, to the dismay of Future Connor's resistance.

"See something you like four eyes?" Nova teased playfully, taking a quiet joy at his flustered face

"The sun. of course." Connor answered, looking forward and trying not to openly stare at his best friend.

Nova gently placed her head onto Connor's shoulder, letting out a comforted sigh as the best friends stared into the sunset, content to be in each others presence.

Connor could feel his heart beat rapidly against his will and no matter how hard he tried, he could not force it to slow, the fear Nova would hear it growing every passing moment. It did not help that Nova's long light brown hair tickled him despite it's softness and he could feel her cold magical birthmark cheek press against his increasingly warming body, a scent that could only be described as his best friend wafted through the air and made his entire being long for her. There was no way this could get any worse no way in...

"Connor" Nova's voice softly broke the silence, shy yet quizzical in it's tone while her breathing tickled his ear.

"Yes Nova?"

"Why is your heart beating so fast?"


	66. Operation V-day (canon V-day)

Hello fanfiction Mr.E! here thanking you all so much for every single review, follow and Favorite. they mean the world to me and make me so happy.

a special thanks to h mae - haha sorry mae no part two but feel free to fill in the blanks however you choose to. awesome i'm glad they're as cute as starco makes me wonder if their ship sails itself. guess not since i'm the one sailing them haha I'm happy you enjoyed it! got your birthday coming up to and i'm going all out. because you gave me a story i could. so yeah you know heads up haha

SoniceElite- Awesome I cannot wait to see it. i'm looking forward to it immensely. seriously it is the greatest honor when any of you readers draw inspiration from my work or even draw something for me. it makes me incredibly happy :) stay cool friend.

Finn- i thought of that line as the ending then made my way to it.

Godlegend: I did warn you to check the starco label. seriously there are just too many side effects for me to properly state. just too many things happen to you wonderful people! I told you and i never go back on my word as long as im reasonable about it. Don't be jealous, i'm just me and i'm nothing without you awesome readers. sorry i heard go even higher with sugar content! don't worry i'll have your replacement heart ready to go. time for the main event!

IDC1314: you're very welcome and i guess because I live by the motto go big or go home.

MaFx-i honestly wouldn't doubt it given my stories previous track record. i know so many tears that day. I know right, any takers for next gen pines? Connor is used to failure so hes okay with not winning. haha sorry but i couldn't resist and i needed a starco moment. sorry i'll let you fill in the blanks on what happened. you are very welcome and thank you for your review!

Romantic sloth- haha i guess we can call it a ship tease. is that even a thing? I am glad you enjoyed, wait for more moments like that in nova vs.

Anoymins- that's pretty much how i serve most of my stories. and hopefully it will be by then but in my experience in shows, if you want to pair a couple so much despite it not being official or even an idea in the characters head, they will be together soon. and something horrible will happen. it is almost time it returns.

misfortune- haha i know right? you should see the sketch star-marinotte did that was cute. i'll be mentioning it later.

king of france: i'm sure connor would be more than happy to go but you would also have to take Nova because there is no way she'd let him go without her. thank you! i did a random lot from my playlist and there were two wins. i gave covy that one because as much as we like them, the main event is starco and the other song fit better with Starcp better.

grim: I'm sure someone's done it before. I love this song but i admit frank's version is my favorite because of my experience in jazz band and i'm a sucker for a good big band. there's actually several lots across various dimensions. Star is really hoping they win because she kinda put about 2 grand on covy. Marco doesn't know.

Cartoonlover: haha not yet

princessxgilex: thank you for your review and as you wish :)

whatif- well i guess i have to delete my account because i've been found out. Better tell star to pack it up and set up a new...er...i mean not a new account. haha i'm glad you liked the ending, i thought of that and i was just too happy with that ending line and since i was already teasing you a bunch through the story, i figured to go for broke. Actually my original draft, Mcgucket was going to be related to Connor (the crazy distant cousin) but i decided to leave him out because i already have a gravity cross over but if it makes you feel better, Mcgucket Connor is canon according to me. haha awesome story as ever. can't wait for you and smitty theories to write once more. really got the hang of my characters huh? awesome! YAY! have starco to celebrate your arms sweet freedom!

Smitty theories- it happens. even i am sometimes haha. you've been forewarned thank god starco insurance covers everything. haha yes the santa's hat the very same one used earlier in the year at Christmas. i couldn't resist star bursting in.

muffinduck: yep, her solo series explains why her wand takes that shape.

Dm: thank you i am happy enjoyed it but i'm just pretty good at writing, still got a long way to go. I don't plan on stopping any time soon!

Imnukeyourface- i'm glad you enjoy them. still surprised how much you readers enjoy their stories. I know right? Covy brand cereal, now with 50% added starco because we know you want them both. we know. you keep being awesome too!

Lupus- well i too am single and i was writing this on v day so...yeah. don't worry we shall find others some day. till then time to drown ourselves in stories. next is the main event of starco.

so on starco corner i got an amazing surprise from Bernadette over at star-marionettej2x on tumblr who actually drew a scene from the covy v-day one shot. check it out it's amazing and great and i really appreciate that Bernadette, it meant so much to me. thank you again. I think sara over at idrawcartoons1314 one instagram has a sketch of gravity falls. Umm i think that's it really but SVTFOEheadcanons usually has some awesome artwork pouring in like crazy. check it out on tumblr and don't forget weeklystarcoprompts on tumblr if you feel like writing or arting about a subject. i was asked for a prompt and i said the little thing marco and star love and hate about each other. either or. I'm going to try to get one in this week. on FF we HAVE STARFALL by golfalpha mike. READ IT NOW no really, stop reading this and go read that amazing piece now. right now! we have another chapter of can you sing? by godlegend (Who has turned it into a one shot series and it's very cute so far. still need to leave review.) and starlight and shadow a force awakens au by anoymins.

So this is the big one, Starco v-day. i wanted it up earlier but yesterday my internet was acting weird and because i wanted to write, work made me end up in 2 hour traffic for a five mile trip. not fun. but here it is the main event, starco v-day! _this means someone singing and the song chosen today is fresh feeling by the eels._

So next week i will be working on my other stories but i'm trying to get the bad boy au out before then. after that it might be a ladybug au (I decided to give it to starco) a request )need to check my list to see who is next) and depending on the time, the undertale request from my good friend mae. i'll let you know as we get closer.

so thank you so much i hope you enjoy starco v-day! thank you for every follow, favorite and review. they mean so much to me. Rayfe, i would still love to hear from you and even later down the line when you do get back, you can ask me to rewrite if you didn't like your request. i own nothing and please enjoy!

* * *

Marco let out a weak groan, practically hissing at the rising sun peering through his window and blinding the young man with its sunshiny rays.

"Why are you so happy today mr. sun?" Marco angrily asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he added "Annnnd I'm talking to a giant ball of flames an innumerable amount of miles away. I've been spending too much time with Star..."

"NONSENSE!" Star's cheerfully, overly excited voice called from the other side of his closed bedroom "There is no such thing as too much time with Star!"

Marco shook his head, grinning to himself as he made his way out of bed, stretching his tense, tired body into alertness while searching for some clothes so he could change out of his pajamas.

Star gently knocked on the wooden barrier to be granted permission to enter: Star learned early on that if there's one thing you did not to with Marco, it was simply barge into his room. Not that actually stopped Star but she figured out it was easier to gain Marco's forgiveness if she pretended to adhere to the rules for a bit.

"Hold on Star, I just need to tidy up a little." Marco replied, quickly moving a certain object out of sight before the princess's grand entrance.

"What was that?! You can come in bestie?! OKAY MARCO!" Star smiled mischievously to herself as she pulled her leg back, biting her lip in concentration before lashing forward with all her might

"No! WAIT STAR!" Star frowned, not used to the desperation and panicked cry that seemed to fill Marco's voice this time. During her months in the Diaz household, she's never heard Marco's tone mixed the two emotions. He really didn't want her to come in.

Too late now, Star thought, her rhino boot connecting the door and forcing it groan in defeat as it struggled to withstand Star's blow. But very few things could stop a determined Star and the door crumpled under her assault, giving way and swinging open with so much force that it echoed loudly when it collided with the far wall.

Star twirled inward, closing her eyes and getting lost in the feel of soaring through the air, her hair free falling, gravity losing its pull on the young magical princess for a brief moment.

Star couldn't wait for her wings to grow large enough to support her weight. She longed to feel the gentle breeze of the air on her face, whipping her long golden locks into a frenzy while she soared through the sky, hand in hand with Marco just enjoying the freedom that came with being an avian creature, no longer bound the laws of Earth.

Star landed gracefully as ever and opened her eyes wide and in shock, the thought of Marco intruding on her formerly solo fantasy of flight sending her reeling and kicking up a nest of restless namesakes deep within the confines of her stomach.

That has been happening often as of late, random images and thoughts of Marco filling every fantasy, dream and train of thought, invading every possible facet of Star's mental process and she couldn't fathom why. Was it simply because she spent so much time with the young Latino? They were basically attached at the hip at this point despite the fact they knew each other only for a few months. It wasn't even halfway through the Mewnian Astrological cycle and she already felt more in tune with Marco than she had ever been with Pony Head and the pair of princesses had been best friends since birth.

In moments of weakness, Star usually reached the conclusion that she was falling for Marco, that her best friend was slowly winning her heart and she didn't know how to feel about that. Don't get her wrong, Marco was great! He had that really cute mole on the side of his face, he was more hygienic than most boys she knew (perhaps too hygienic given his borderline OCD tendencies with organization) and even with brown the most common shade of eye color on Earth, Marco brown was still uniquely his. He was fun to hang around and even funner to tease. He knew how to fight and cook and his nachos were probably her favoritest food of all time.

But they still couldn't work.

A major road block was their rare fights. The two complimented and fit together so well that it was surprising to many people that the best friends _did_ actually get into the occasional fight. And boy did they. Their fights were vicious, perhaps to make up for the fact there were so few of them.

Marco would cite her recklessness, obsession with having nothing but fun or lack of general concern for bodily harm as a major source of problems while Star would throw his over cautiously nature back in his face along with his lack of courage about telling Jackie his true feelings (something that caused her to boil with jealousy and frustration. Marco was an amazing guy! What the heck did he have to be scared of?!) and his inability to just relax.

The two would then trade half jokingly, half truthful barbs towards one another before someone caved and angrily stomped towards their room with the other following suit.

Then after a few minutes of self-isolation (this used to be hours but each fight brought a shorter cool down time with it for some reason) the pair would reunite, apologize and make a point to say something good about the other as a way to make amends.

Marco usually told Star he admired her courage, her straight forwardness, her drive, her bubbly nature and her faith everything would work out even if it seemed impossible and how much he wish he could be more like her. Star would tell Marco she appreciated his concern for her safety, his willingness to challenge her despite how much he knew she would get angry at him for it, his guidance through the turbulent times of life and of course his patience with her recklessness and how she strove to be more patient and understanding like he was.

And then Star would demand nachos and movie marathon and all would be right in the world.

Though it wasn't, not really. Star could feel, and she was certain Marco was aware of it, an underlying tension between them. Intense but not...aggressive or resentful. Something far from those negative emotions but Star couldn't place her finger on it.

What was it and why did it make talking to Marco so difficult? Why did it twist her tongue whenever he spoke her way or send electricity coursing through her veins every time they barely touched one another? Why did it make her long for any shred of attention he was willing to give for her? Why did it make her internal heart race at the mere idea of seeing him and make her cheek hearts glow with a soft light barely visible to the naked eye? Even her former crush with Oskar didn't cause her to act in such a way, affect her like she was put under some sort of spell.

That's right former. Somewhere along the way, Star lost interest in the bad boy with the record. She still found him cute and his music absolutely heavenly but he didn't seem as... _interesting_ as before and there was another puzzle Star was unable to solve.

This was too much thinking for this early in the morning.

Star shook her head and peered happily towards Marco, her smile frozen upon her lips and her eyes nearly popping out of her sockets when she finally comprehended what she was seeing.

"STAAAAR!" Marco shouted weakly, not with anger but embarrassment, tired breath and...fear?

"...Awkward..." Star murmured softly, feeling the blood rush to her face and triggering her heart cheeks to glow with the near invisible glow.

"You could say that again!" Marco glared, his cheeks dusted with a bright red tint, his arms crossed to cover his exposed upper body

Star wanted to something though she wasn't sure if she wanted to tease how cute the single strain of chest hair was or simply apologize and slink her way out of the room. Both seemed viable but her body wasn't responding to any idea her mind, each time her brain was telling her to pick up, the heart would just shoo it away with a come back later message.

A half naked Marco really made her feel embarrassed in a way she never knew she could before. Star Butterfly got embarrassed for sure but her response was to say how she star'd it up or laugh loudly, brushing it away like it was nothing. This was the first time she ever wanted to run and hide, burying herself under fort pillowton or rugopolis and just hope the world forgot about her.

"Stop staring!" Marco yelled, quickly racing for a gray undershirt from the closet, avoiding Star's eye contact as much as he could but Star couldn't stop staring because there was something wrong with this picture.

Now if she took Marco's word at face value, he supposedly was changing when Star decided to burst into the room. Open shut case.

But why was the room telling another story?

All of Marco's clothes are in the closet, far away his current position by the bed and Marco was too self-aware to change halfway to his destination, especially since he was well versed in Star's habit of bursting into the room. The knock was warning enough to let him know he should stop changing because she was coming in whether he was ready or not.

Next was his lack of breath. Such an action hints that he was rushing, perhaps to hide something given his heightened state and defensiveness. Something he would hide evern from Star. A gift for Jackie? But Star knew his feelings for the other blonde in his life and he felt as ease with her knowing about it. So not for Jackie but no one else fits in the Marco crush/shyness response scale. So for now Jackie remained as the only suspect until Star could gather more clues.

Star felt a little hurt Marco didn't want her know about the gift but it wasn't his fault she wasn't used to him keeping secrets from her. Everyone was entitled to them, Star just forgot that everyone also included Marco.

She wanted to question what he was really doing but such an inquire would cause him to react automatically, shutting down any probing and leaving her in the dark about the mystery gift.

No, best to act normal and gleam from the subtle clues he was no doubt going to drop. Marco would slip sooner or later, needing a Star pep talk to perform his gesture of affection.

"Haha wow Marco, chest hair? Its so..."

"Don't finish that sentence Star!"

"Cute! Aww, look at it!'

Marco mumbled angrily, tossing on his gray undershirt quickly before to face Star, all set to face the day with her green sea dress with the adorable purple octopus in the center.

"Could you get out now before I die from blood loss?"

"Aww but then I can turn you into a zombie! And you can be all rawr, noms, I'm going to eat your brians!"

"Brains Star" Marco corrected, the grin slipping onto his face despite his best efforts.

"Riiiight, brains. Those pink squashy things humans have" Star clicked her tongue at Marco, pointing with finger guns and winking his way while she made her way out of the room, letting out the anxious breath she was holding onto only once the door had been shut. And she was in the other room...downstairs...into a couch pillow.

Marco pounded his chest to stop his heart from going a million miles an hour. Star nearly found him out and dying first thing in the morning was not really in his win over Star plan. Not that he would ever perform that plan. He had no shot with the magical princess and he wasn't going to live up to the cliché and tell her on Valentine's day. No better to remain friends and enjoy their time together. One day she would return to Mewni and he didn't know how they could make it work from completely separate dimensions. Not that they would ever reach that point. And now he was going in circles.

Marco shook his head, leaving backpack in his room for the time being to ensure he had everything before he and Star left for school.

"haha squishy pink things humans have" Marco repeated, chuckling lightly as he made his way down the stairs before a terrifying thought occurred to him. What color were Mewnian brains if Star knew a human brain was pink? Did...did Star have a brain? Wait how would she know what a brain looked like? She didn't...actually eat them did she?

"I'm going to need my football helmet" Marco told himself, retreating to his room as quickly as humanly possible.

* * *

"Marco, why are you wearing your football helmet?" Angie asked her darling son, trying to stifle a giggle at how adorkyble Marco looked in his white and red helmet, a shifty glance sent towards Star who was just singing the word "la" over and over in a melodic loop.

"Nothing mom. You don't mind, do you _Star?_ " Marco's questioned, an accusatory edge to his inquiry.

"nope!" Star replied cheerfully, moving her head back and forth, resuming her song from where she left off. Angie thought. She wasn't sure if this was a Mewnian song or maybe just a Star thing. It was really hard to tell the difference not that Angie minded. She loved Star and hoped Marco did too though given how odd he had been acting around the princess lately, Angie Diaz was starting to suspect she found her future daughter-in-law.

"Thanks for the ride Mrs. Diaz!" Star cheered, waving her hands in the air like she didn't care.

"yeah thanks mom but aren't you busy today?" Marco wondered curiously, finally removing his helmet. Normally his mother already gone at the break of day to do the various errands that required her attention.

"Oh not today. Your dad took off work and volunteer to do the errands for me so I could have the day to myself and relax!" Angie answered, a smile forming on her face.

"Aww" Star cooed "that's so sweet of Mr. Diaz!"

"So what do you think mom? Home date or fancy dinner?"

"Dinner given how determined he was to get out of the door" Angie answered with a smile.

Marco laughed, shaking his head at how obvious his father was despite all his attempts to remain cool and secretive.

"oooh date? What's the occasion?" Star asked quizzically "Did you get into a fight? Did he accidentally burn the castle down again? OH! Did he let a werebear in again?"

"Fight?" Angie repeated, the word tasting foreign on her tongue.

"Burn down the castle?" Marco latched on to, wondering how exactly do you burn a castle down.

Marco and his mother shared a concerned look, uneasily repeating the word "Werebear?" together before shaking it off. Somethings were better left unknown.

"Nothing of the sort Star" Angie told her with a nervous laugh "It's Valentine's day!"

"Valin Tine day?" Star repeated, butchering the pronunciation, eyes narrowed in focus.

Marco shook his head, leaning closer to yet again explain another holiday to his best friend when Star chirped up "We must prepare the battlements! Is the army ready to go?has the city been evacuated?"

"Star?"

"What! you just told me you too have Valin Tine day! How else am I suppose to react?!" Her face was fierce, blood lust and pride seeping into every pore of her angelic face "I will not let him burn Earth to the ground. His terror will stop here and now"

Star paused, finally stopping her self-righteous rant to realize that Marco and Mrs. Diaz were staring at her in a curious way, their faces a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Valin Tine Day?" Star started slowly, searching their faces for answers "The day that occurs every 10,000 Mewnian Astral cycles where the dead warlord and master of the undying Valin Tine rises from his grave and attempts to plunge the living world into a state of chaos and darkness for the next 996 years? I...is it another Valin Tine you guys have?"

Angie burst out laughing "My what a terrifying event. Good thing that doesn't happen here...right?"

Angie thought to herself, her face scrunched in thought as she tried to answer her own question.

Marco eyed his mother's behavior wearily "No Star. Valentine's day is different. And not at all about undead warlords rising from the grave."

"Oh" Star said simply, pouting disappointingly "Well that's a bummer. I was looking forward to narwhal blast him in the face."

"Well while we don't have undead lords rising from the grave" Angie explained "Valentine's day is all about love! Being with the people that love you and that you love"

"LOVE!" Star squealed loudly, leaning forward to better hear Mrs. Diaz's explanation, heart shaped pupils wide and giving her the most adorable look.

Marco flushed at the sight of the excited Star, twisting his head and scrunching up his face in a passive disinterested look out the window.

"And what happens on this Valentine's day?" Star questioned, unable to hold back her excitement any longer.

"Well some people like to give gifts. Chocolates, stuffed animals, heart shaped balloons. Things of the sort."

"Gifts you say?" Star turned, glancing at the back of Marco's head knowingly "You don't say..."

Angie giggled at Star's not so subtly look towards her son. Star was so crushing on her little boy.

"Yeah though some people go with more grand gestures like singing, dates, even confessing their love during the setting sun, alone together on a bench, just the two of them enjoying each others presence, hearts secretly racing at the idea of being so close with someone they love so dearly."

"That sounds like the most adorable thing ever" Star said, completely awestruck by the description of the Earth holiday "I hope my daughter gets to experience something like that some day. After I do of course."

"I know right! Anywhere, here's the school."

"Thanks Mom"

"Thanks Mrs. Diaz"

"Oh Marco" Angie quickly added, making sure Marco was making eye contact as the two disembarked from the car "You nearly forget your gift!"

Marco could feel his face pale. No, no his mother didn't! She couldn't have known about the gift! It was impossible! He worked so hard to ensure no one knew, that no one found out.

"G-gift mom? I don't know what you're talking about" Marco stammered out nervously, hoping that his mom didn't just pull the present from out of nowhere in front of Star.

"The gift for your valentine. You know the little heart shaped box? I put it in your bag to make sure you didn't forget it."

"Thanks mom" Marco mumbled under his breath, staring straight ahead while trying to ignore Star's curious stare, just her bright blue eyes looking at him with eagerness and the desire to help him.

"You're welcome!" Angie replied cheerfully, unaware of what kind of situation she had just put her son in. With a nod and blissful ignorance blanketing the older woman, she hummed joyfully, pulling away from the school and trapping her son with his well meaning but aggressive best friend.

Star took in a large gulp of air, ready to scream her lungs out when Marco rose a finger cautiously

"No"

Star deflated, tucking her lip out in a pouting formation.

"Why not?!" Star whined "I'm a great match maker! I could totally help you on your quest to woo Jackie!"

Star twirled dramatically, landing backwards with her hand pressed against her forehead while Marco caught her in his waiting arms without much thought.

"Come on!" Star pleaded, wobbling her lips as she tried to puppy pout him into submission.

"No. I'm not going to give the gift today or ever for that matter and that's final" Marco shook his head, helping Star to her feet before casually walking towards their first class.

"Oh come on Marco!" Star shouted after him "aren't you angering the valentine's day god or something if you don't do this?"

"First of Valentine is a saint."

"A wha?" Star couldn't keep the confusion off her face.

"And second of all, it's not happening. So drop it" Marco replied with a hint of finality.

"Marco! You have to do it! This is your best chance to tell Jackie how you feel!"

Marco stopped out of nowhere, turning on his heels and faced Star down causing the princess to skid to a stop, inches away from her best friend's face, his caramel brown eyes reflecting the morning sun beautifully.

"Stop it Star. Just drop it okay? Thank you."

Marco was off but this time Star didn't follow, took caught up in the daze of being too close to Marco. It left her scrambled a bit the rare times the personal spaces were crossed to the point of near touching.

Star shook her head, her long blonde mane mimicking her movement as she placed her wand on his chin, anxiously biting on it while she thought of a solution.

"Who else would Marco tell his grand valentine's day plan to...?" Star wondered, the hearts on her cheeks becoming twisting, turning hourglasses morphing light bulbs once the name escaped her lips "Ferguson!"

* * *

"Hey Star" Ferguson greeted cheerfully, Alfonzo, himself and the rest of the string orchestra gathering their things to prepare for band class.

"Hey Ferguson, Alfonzo. Can I ask you a question?"

"Aren't you ditching first period Star?"Alonzo asked her, fixing his glasses as Star waved it off

"Psst, no. of course not. I'm using the hall pass"

"Oh, okay"

"Anyway" Star continued "Soooo Marco didn't happen to tell either you his grand romantic plan for his valentine?"

Star didn't know what to make of the conspiratorial gleam the two boys shared

"Yes" Answered Ferguson

"No" was Alfonzo's.

The two shared an argumentative look, a silent clash of wills playing out before Star but as she was to inject about what was going on, Alfonzo let out a defeated sigh, Ferguson pumping his fist in the air in victory.

"He did..." Alfonzo whispered softly "We had it all planned out but he chickened out yesterday, saying he couldn't do it."

Star clicked her tongue disapprovingly "Classic Marco. Wait, you two were a part of the plan?"

Ferguson puffed his chest out proudly "Not just us, an entire string quartet. He wanted to sing for her and we were going to play the background"

"Really?" Star laughed manically, rubbing her hands together as an idea hatched inside the folds of her brain.

"Yeah" Alfonzo chimed in "but I guess he got cold feet at the last second. Called us yesterday and said he was out."

"Well luckily Marco has me and I say we're back in!"

"Awesome!" Ferguson grinned excitedly "I can't wait to impress all the ladies with my mad cello skills."

"Okay, what was the original plan?" Star leaned closer when Ferguson motioned for her to do so.

"We were suppose to gather at lunch. Marco would invite her over and we would begin to play. Then Marco jumps in with his awesome voice."

"Wait, Marco has an awesome voice?" Star couldn't stop the longing in her heart, how badly she wanted to hear her best friend sing.

"Oh yeah, he is very good. Though very shy"

"Right. Okay, you get the band ready and I'll lure Marco over to the spot. And then all we have to do is go get Jackie and we'll be set!"

Alfonzo opened his mouth to say something but was quickly elbowed by Ferguson "Sure Star but what if Marco runs?"

"I'll be there to make sure he doesn't" Star nodded, trying to ignore the whining and whimpering of her heart. Why couldn't Marco sing to her? Why couldn't she get a super romantic song on the holiday she just learned about?

It didn't matter, this was about Marco, not her and her unrequited feelings."

"Okay Star, meet us by the band quad at the start of lunch, we'll take care of the rest" Ferguson finalized, giving Star a thumbs up as a show of support.

"Even Jackie?" Star eyed the pair carefully.

"Sure."

Star didn't like that response but she was out of time. Any longer and she would be in big trouble in class and she couldn't afford lunch detention today. TRUE LOVE NEEDED HER AND HER FREEDOM!

"Okay" Star agreed "See you at lunch and don't be late Ferguson!"

"Hey!" Ferguson replied but Star had already ducked out into the hallway, vanishing from view as she made her way back to the classroom with all possible haste.

Alfonzo coughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head "Are you sure this is a good idea? Marco didn't want to sing to Star..."

Ferguson gave a cocky grin "I know! She has no idea. Neither of them do. This is going to be such an awesome prank!"

"Seriously dude?"

"What? they need to know and technically this counts as a prank."

"They're going to murder you"

"Nah" Ferguson said with a knowing smile "They love the Ferg."

* * *

Marco knew Star was up to something the moment she locked his hand in an iron grasp when the lunch bell rang.

He knew that Ferguson must've ratted him out when she began steering them towards music quad, each step brisk yet determined.

He knew he was in trouble when he spotted the string quartet waving mischievously his way, A violin, voila, cello and bass prepped and ready to play. More impressively they managed to rope in some of the jazz band rhythm section (Drummer included)

"Star..." Marco began, trying to find a way to chew off his hand quickly without hurting too much.

"No Marco! You can't keep hiding. You need to tell her how you feel and the sooner you do that, the sooner you two can be happy together!" Star told him, her tone firm yet supportive.

Says the hypocrite who won't even admit she's in love with her best friend, Star told herself

"Shut up me"

"what was that Star?"

"Nothing" Star muttered quickly, finally having reached the others and tossing Marco forward, trapping him between a wall of instruments, chairs and stands and Star barring the only way out of the semi-circle of music.

"Star, please don't make me do this!" Marco pleaded, the grinning smiles of the band causing his nerves to go into overdrive.

"No Marco. You are an awesome guy and the only reason you won't do this for Jackie is because you don't think you are!"

"Star..." Marco breathlessly whispered but Star wasn't done.

"You are smart, you're kind, you're so much fun to hang around and unicorn darn it, you need to believe in yourself! Any girl would be lucky to be with you, now just prove to her that you _want_ to be with her!"

Star paused and took note of everything she needed to keep being the best matchmaker ever.

One Marco, check.

One band, check.

Outside the band room? Check

and one Jackie Lynn Thomas...

"Ferguson" Star growled angrily "Where's Jackie?!"

"OH, she's probably hanging out with Janna."

"And why" Star muttered slowly, trying her hardest not to blast Ferguson in the face "isn't she here?! How is Marco supposed to sing to his valentine if his valentine isn't here!"

Marco suddenly found his shoes very interesting, the uniformed smiles the band were sending her way made Star feel stupid like they were all in on some obvious joke and she was the only one wasn't getting it.

"Who said Jackie was Marco's valentine?" Ferguson smirked slyly at Star as Alfonzo began cuing the rest of the band in with a "1...2...1..2..3..4"

Star could feel her hearts warm, the soft sounds of the strings tuning together before the melodic music began, washing over her, surrounding her in a cocoon musical bless, relaxing her into a calm, peaceful state while she became lost in the sound, the drummer softly tapping away on his set, the strings rising and falling softly like waves against the beach.

Marco shifted uneasily, unsure if he was able to do this. He wasn't ready. He couldn't risk it all just because he had deep, unrequited feelings for his best friend. It wasn't fair to her from him to spring this out of nowhere on her. They only knew each other for a few months and one day she was going to leave. Plus she was this super cool princess and he was...was just him. There was no way they could work. They couldn't be a thing and Marco didn't want to lose his best friend. Not over this, not over anything.

Star stared at him, her sky blue eyes hopeful with unrestrained longing. She looked like this was a dream made real, a fantasy never once dreamt of becoming an actual moment in her life. She wanted to believe this was real but Marco's hesitation made her doubt, made her question, made her fear rejection.

Prove to her you want to be with her, Star's words echoed in his mind.

Marco closed his eyes, taking a calming deep breath. Time to go big or go home and if he already came this far, he might as well go all the way.

" _You don't have a clue, what is it like to be next to you"_

Star let out a soft sigh, Marco's voice sinking into her very being and igniting the longing in her heart. She clutched her hands against her chest, closing her eyes as she fell deeper under Marco's song.

" _I'm here to tell you...that it is good, that it is true."_

Memories flooded into Star's mind. Every moment shared with Marco. Running through the plains of time, the dance under the blood moon, sitting on the roof and simply watching the stars twinkle high above them. It felt like she had spent a life time with Marco and she didn't realize how desperately she _wanted_ to spend one with him

" _Birds singing a song. old pain is peeling._ _This is that fresh, that fresh feeling"_

Marco took a step closer to the silent princess, trying to etch detail of this moment into memory. He had no idea how she was going to react, how she was going to come to terms that Marco Diaz had fallen for her. But he wanted to remember the moment he tried because in the end that's all anyone could really do. Have a little faith like Star always did and go for it.

" _Words can't be that strong. My heart is reeling. This is that fresh, that fresh feeling"_

Marco couldn't remember when Star started making him happy by simply calling his name, the sweet sound it made coming from her lips. When did a simple praise from Star sent him scrambling to regain thought and control? When did a simple good morning from the princess set his heart ablaze? When did Star became the person he would long most for? When did he fall for Star and why didn't he realize it sooner?

" _Try, try to forget. What's in the past, tomorrow is here."_

Star remembered every accident, mess up and failure in her entire life because she was always reminded of such things. Her whole life was nothing but what Star did wrong, how improper Star's behavior was, how the other royals would avoid her in case disaster struck upon them.

" _Love, orange sky above. Lighting your way, there's nothing to fear"_

but not here, not on Earth. Here she was the coolest person in the world, loved and respected. Accepted. And wanted. Everyone wanted to be her friend and everyone wanted to bask in the coolness that was Star Butterfly but the one who enjoyed her presence most was Marco himself, leaping into action after the Face Stealer princess kidnapped her. He didn't even hesitate, he just ran after them, unwilling to let anyone take her away from him.

" _Birds singing a song. old pain is peeling._ _This is that fresh, that fresh feeling"_

Star didn't like Oskar anymore. He wasn't a bad guy, not like Skeeves had painted him out to be but he wasn't the angel Star built him up as either. He wasn't right for her and everyone knew it.

" _Words can't be that strong. My heart is reeling. This is that fresh, that fresh feeling"_

When did Marco became the person she wanted to be with most? When did her name escaping his lips sound more beautiful than any song she's ever known? When did seeing him became the highlight of her day? When did she fall for him and why didn't she do it sooner?

Star opened her eyes, slowly making her way towards Marco who stopped just shy of her, reaching inside his bag for the gift that she thought was for Jackie but was really for her.

Marco turned around to see Star standing in front of him, waiting patiently for him to take the next step.

The band kept playing, true to their word about becoming the very background this scene was about to take place against.

"So..." Marco coughed, slowly handing Star her gift "Happy Valentine's day.

"For me?" Star said with mock surprise and a wink "you shouldn't have"

Marco held his breath, trying to calm himself as Star ripped open the package, shredding the hours of carefully measured wrapping in seconds but Marco was too scared to care about that right now.

Star's eyes watered as she gingerly pulled out a bright yellow star necklace with two pink butterfly wings attached the star in the center, outstretched like it was ready to soar high into the sky.

"Do you like it?"

Star nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around Marco's neck, squeezing him like he was about to disappear into thin air.

"I...I'm glad." Marco whispered, relief flooding his body as Star broke the embrace "Star?"

"You know I didn't get you a gift." Star muttered softly, her hand finding its way to his cheek

"I-it's okay Star, you didn't know about the holiday a-and nobody told you so..."

"Still" Star said with a sly grin "I think you deserve one. Something special."

"Stmph" Marco could feel every brain cell he had shriveled up and died when Star's soft pink lips briskly and softly touched his. He was entirely in her control, letting her lead him forward with her hand to deepen the kiss.

The two broke apart, matching bright wide smiles with equally tinged cheeks.

"Happy Valentine's day Marco" Star said, wrapping her arms around his neck once more.

"Happy Valentine's day Star" Marco replied, placing his hands on her hips and drawing her in close.

"Marco"

"Yes Star?"

"Be my valentine?"

Marco ran his hand through her hair, brushing a loose strain behind her ear as he replied gently "Always and forever."


	67. What I hate (and love) about you (prompt

Hello fanfiction. Mr.E here. thanking every one of you for every single follow, favorite and review. they mean the world to me and make me so happy to write for you wonderful people.

a special thanks to: Finn- haha i know. i fell a little behind for personal reasons but i'm glad you liked it anyway

Godlegend: okay. umm so that's one missing starco story. umm okay. have fun! enjoy! and i love that quote. even if it was from a cookie first haha

dannysexbang- aren't you in a band? with a ninja? a few stories are set after storm the castle like call of star whatever chapter that is. i might do an actual storm the castle inner thoughts or something or i might saved that for the reverse role universe (still haven't forgotten)

shadowgem- haha covy is sweet but starco is sweet. you should check out the drawing star-marionettejx2 did on tumblr of a scene. yeah it was perfect. especially how they fought back. beautiful. I try to upload 3 times a week so i keep a constant flow. not sure about that time though. haha don't worry starco has you covered. haha well there's worst things to be late for and earlier to.

MaFx: well you should've read the warning labels. no one ever reads the warning labels! i guess i should make them bigger. i felt the shut up me was very star. i am sorry for keeping you waiting though. oh no...no no no no why did you say that?! ugh brain wanting to create tyrone and Starshine Pines. no no no no UGH must not plug into nova vs. why must you tempt me?!

King of france: Well originally the two were supposed to be released the same day, valentines day as companion pieces so the idea was the two would be connected. or what i planned didn't turned out as i hope. oh well, i am still glad you did enjoy though and yes that song is just so bad. horrible.

princessxgilex; thank you for your review i'll try to keep the blood sugar content low. no promises.

grim- haha i know right? hmm well if you readers really want to see the undead warlord and master of the undying Valin Tine rise from the dead to plunge the world into darkness. let me know

SonicElite: FLUFF ATTACK EVERYWHERE it is super effective. like you're awesome picture.

Anoymins- you haven't been watching the futurama episode naturama have you? because if you have. awesome! thank you for your review and your stories as well. i'll review soon i promise!

whatif- oh good, monster arm is scary let super scary. yay congrats for freeeeeedom! i think we all got it. hmm good question. i wonder if Star knows. oh he knew he'd be out of breath from hiding the gift last second and needed an excuse so he was hoping to embarrass star from prying further. clearly forgot who he was dealing with. haha it's like that one thing where they fade to black mid...Nova fell for Roman in 8th grade and COnnor fell for missy in 3rd. and...one lazy summer afternoon. well you know how covy comes from :)

harutora: You want MORE MORE YOU SAY!? okay here you go.

an obsessed fan: i am happy you enjoyed it. mushy insides. added to the warning label.

Lupus- well i guess you aren't crying since these are words on a screen and not real. and there's no way to prove that you are in fact crying in reality. so i guess you're not crying. do you need a blanket for your corner? it gets pretty cold!

muffinduck: i could always explain using aliens or time travel. cuz it's one of those things, not poor planning.

IDC1314: i am happy you enjoyed it sara! KP is coming up soon.

Imanukeyourface: Well he's too busy loading the cannons and reading starco. so...you know. haha

Fabio- really? it took this long. huh...okay. i guess i need to step up my game. thank you i always strive to better my writing and try new things and ideas plots all that jazz. haha details are the best weapon literature has. thank you for your kind words and your support. wouldn't be much of a writer without you amazing readers. i hope you had a wonderful v-day and have a great week.

Misfortune- i think even if she wanted marco for herself, she would care more about him being happy than anything else. though jealousy would probably come in soon too.

deadshoot- sorry, feels are a part of the starco package.

okay we have some pretty awesome art works. Cartoonlover187 actually did a sketch of covy, little blurry but still cool. it's over on her account jesus girl 101 i believe on Deviantart but i do have a link to it on my tumblr mrevaunit42. also i got an awesome drawing from SonicElite and their version of the after events of covy vday also on my tumblr. and crazymustache also took a screencap of Star and Marcoand highlighted to make it look like nova connor which looks cool. it also on tumbr. lots of self tumblr promotion. whoops my bad but seriously the fact you readers would draw covy means more than i could ever probably describe. actually whenever you draw any of my stories makes me feel great. seriously i can think no word good enough to properly express my gratitude and love for you all. Star-Marionettejx2 also has some more star drawings up on tumblr. sara over on idrawcartoons1314 has some sketchs of genderbent Marco that are pretty cool. spatziline on tumblr doesn't have any starco i think but she has some really cute ladybug drawings you should check out. and gravity spoilers. like morningmark on tumblr who too ships wipper with me. sorry. also check out SVTFOEheadcanons for some awesome works from all over tumblr. on FF we have a new chatper from PFtones the princess and the safe kid. Star vs the forces of mystery from tweleve-days-of -misfortune. information superhighway from anoymins, a very very musically awesome phantom of the opera singing that just exploited the hell out of my musical side from chimicherrychanga. wands and weirdos from sonicelite. sweets from godlegend. weird from terracsa and last i checked we're just friends right from aniimeguy

so before we start. i have something to ask you readers. i am going to do the ladybug au and it will be given to Starco. but i have two questions before i go ahead on that. first Marco is going to be adrien and Star will be Marionette. but what i was debating if i wanted to switch up their superhero persona. Keep Marco as chat noir (There was this really cool alleycat design i saw that gave me robin vibes but i don't want to use that without permission) or make him ladybug (Which he changes to gentlebug until he finds a better name.) Chat noir persona will remain the same. but if marco was gentlebug, i was thinking he would be wearing a black vest, slacks with either a white or red collared shirt with a ladybug style tie and mask. no jacket just vest shirt combo. still on the fence on which hero i want to give marco. So whatcha think flirty star and resistant Marco or vice visa.

the second is who do you want to see as the baddie for the 'episode" Jackie as slipstream or Ferguson as the Fergudor. so let me know what you readers would like to see.

Alright going to be honest with you, this is short. like the whole thank yous and messages are probably bigger than it. but I did this for a prompt for weeklystarcoprompts on tumblr when i was asked to select a prompt. I gave the little things that star and marco love and hate about each other and this was my submission. I wasn't going to put it up here but Golfalphamike convinced me to do it so thank you for that good sir. so that's pretty much it for this little story. I didn't feel like it was my best work but i hope you enjoy it nevertheless.

this week i shall be working on my solo series so look for that. Next week we're going to an undertale Au requested by my good friend H mae for her birthday. and i am having too much fun with it. too much fun. probably gone off the deep end after that will probably be bad boy or ladybug with another request from the vault.

everyone have a great week, take care. keep being amazing. rayfe hope you enjoy the story and please let me know if you didn't. and that's it i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

He hates whenever she gets angry at him. The moments he deems too dangerous because he worries about her safety, because he's worried she'll get hurt and it will be his fault he didn't try harder to stop her. He hates the glare she sends him, the curve of lips bent downwards in disappointment or anger instead of her bright, happy go luck smile. He hates how he seems to be the only one on earth to draw out her ire...

She hates when he tries to protect her, to stop her from doing things she's done all the time back home. She knows he means well but she also feels like he's underestimating her, like he doesn't believe in her enough to be alright, to watch out for herself. She hates that he forces her to lose her temper, to glare at him, cheeks hurting from bending in the opposite direction of a smile she's so accustomed to. That he's the only person on earth that has ever forced her to frown...

He hates how ashamed he feels whenever he sees Star causally walks up to Oskar and despite being nervous and frighten, manages to stay by his side the entire lunch break without once losing her cool, her Starness. He can't even talk to Jackie without looking like an idiot, fumbling his words, flushing scarlet as she stares him in confusion. He wishes he was cool, collected and calm like Star is, content to simply be there with her crush and be so confident in her actions. But he's not. He's a bumbling idiot.

She hates the jealousy and envy she feels whenever Marco makes any small progress in his plan to win over Jackie while she remains stuck at the starting line with Oskar, no character depth, Greason. Yeah he's cute and he plays the best songs but...so far nothing. She sits there and it's the same every single day. Meanwhile Marco is over there being adorkyble cute, shyly tripping over himself as he tries to make conversion with Jackie. Is it embarrassing? Totally but it's effort, it's action, it's clear he's trying. It's not playing your keytar blindly ignoring your adoring audience. She wishes she could embarrass herself to get a reaction out of Oskar like Marco does with Jackie. But she can't. She's a silent fan stuck with nothing to show for her efforts.

Marco wishes he was as confident as Star. Her belief that everything will work out, be great and stick with that faith. How she can charge into every situation and just be relaxed no matter how badly she could fail. But he can't. He can't help but worry at what could go wrong, what harm could befall them, how embarrassed he'd get. Star would just go for it, despite her (If any) reservations and he would feel guilty for doubting his best friend. He is sick of being the safe kid.

Star wishes she was as smart as Marco. She's so...not that. She falls for traps, she leaps before she thinks, charges headfirst through a wall without looking for a door and finds herself making everything worse no matter how pure her intentions were. Marco would warn her, question her and just make sure if she really wanted to go through with her plan. She would go through with the plan to just to prove Marco wrong, her pride getting the best of her time and time again. She wish she'd stop Starring everything up

Marco loves staring at Star. Even if she was his best friend, he could not deny the unearthly beauty that was Star Butterfly. Even though there was no shortage of blue eyed blondes on Earth (though you couldn't tell judging by his hometown) there was something different about Star. Her hair seemed to be impossibly bright, rivaling the sun itself in terms of illumination (The sun brightening his world but Star brightening his life). Marco couldn't hazard a guess what shade her eyes really were. Sometimes they were deep and as encompassing as the entirety of the ocean itself. Other times they were filled with such limitless possibility and like the endless sky, it felt nothing could contain or stop Star. Of course Marco was just a regular human with the most common colors traits in the gene pool. Nothing special about him.

Star couldn't help but look at Marco whenever she got the chance. The cutest mole on the left side of his face was something she just could stare at for hours. His light brown hair was perfect and well kept in ways that made the magical princess was jealous of and his eyes? Oh those brown colored eyes that Star could, and did, get lost in. a shade only described as Marco brown. They were the color of the yummiest chocolate, of the sweetest caramel on an apple, of the calming forest bark of Mewni. In one light they were lighter, beautiful and reflecting Star's awed face back towards her and in another they were dark and mysterious.

Marco would love when Star randomly decided to hug him. He was never much for physical affection but Star had long since been exempt from that. She had a way of drawing you in and you couldn't help but go along with the gesture and he loved his Star hugs.

Star loved randomly hugging Marco, knowing full well that he wasn't a hugger. She reveled in the feeling she got when he held her back, his embrace matching hers perfectly because she knew she was the only person in the entire planet who could bask in such an emotion, such an act. She was the only person ever who knew what a Marco hug felt like. (psst, it's amazing!)

Marco loves running his fingers through Star's hair, a false annoyed look pasted on his face for show. He felt honored to be trusted with such a task (despite her recklessness nature, Star took great pride and care of her hair). Star's hair felt like silk, soft and gentle on his fingers and those little content sighs she made whenever he did a good job? Well it's a good thing Star can't see him or she might mistake his beet red face for something with more romantic implications.

Star loves when Marco agrees to help maintain her large and sometimes unruly hair, well aware that his scoff and eyeroll are simply for an invisible audience he believes to be real. She feels her heart race as his gentle, soft hands run themselves through her source of pride, so careful yet precise like she was the most important thing in the world to him. And when he gets the strokes perfect? (which is always) she can't help but let out a little puff of a content sigh, her body calm and relaxed in a way she never knew she could achieve. Of course she's lucky that Marco can't see her face during these moments or he might be confused why she's biting her lip so nervously.

Marco cherishes when he and Star sneak up to the roof of his household, laying side by side, staring up into the endless night sky, a million of his best friend's namesakes glancing down on them, twinkling with a glow that only one Star could beat, his favorite Star. And it takes every he has not to just stare at her and her radiant glimmer, opting to settle for corny jokes and simple talks to mask his intent.

Star can't wait when she and Marco sneak up to the roof of his house, laying next to each other and watching the cosmos drift by. She used to hate looking skyward, the universe feeling like an impossible to grasp concept (like the bathroom. Where does the water come from?) and it made her feel small, worthless. But when Marco and her talk excitedly, smiling and simply being silly best friends, she realizes it doesn't matter if the universe is inconceivable to understand, that she is small and worthless because Marco doesn't think so and that makes her feel like she has real worth to her.

Marco hates her lips. They tease him every day. Every moment they are so close together that he is certain Star could hear his heart rattling in his chest, the soft cool touch of her breath on his face sending shivers down his spine when she talks to him. They look so soft and pink and when the curve into that perfect little smile? That's when he just wants to crash his own against them to find out, the longing and curiosity of it all driving him mad.

Star wishes she could cut off Marco's lips because they are so distractingly infuriating. They taunt her when she leans over her sleeping best friend, sending waves of cool air onto her burning cheeks. They wink at her when he bites them in concentration. They stick their tongue at her whenever she sees him talk. She wants to cut them off so she could finally find out if they are as amazing as they look because she knows she'd never have the courage to try with Marco's lovely brown eyes focusing on her at point blank range, making her mouth dry and courage fail.

He drives her crazy in weird ways

She drives him insane in wild ways

And they wouldn't trade it for anything.

Yet anyway. They can't hold in their feelings forever. One of them is bound to crack. maybe both at once. during a very public event with lots of camera phones present. My wouldn't that be embarrassing. And absloutely perfect.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading, another awesome thank you for alphagolfmike who convinced me to put this on here. watch out for his maybe finale to starcofall coming soon! Now remember let me know if you want Marco as ladybug(Gentlebug) or as chat noir. also let me know who you want as the villain Jackie as slipstream or Ferguson as the Fergudor!

and a little reminder, the next time i will try to update this story will be next tuesday in time for my good friend h mae's birthday and that story is a nice, sweet little trip through Undertale a video game that is very meta and self aware and reminds me so much of my favorite rpg Earth bound.

So stay awesome everyone, have an awesome week and...

hang on, oh look I have a message! from flowey . exe huh, hmm sounds familiar. I'll open it tomorrow or something. remember undertale's next!


	68. Author Warning (Undertale)

_Howdy friends! Flowey here with a special message from the now missing Mr.E I do hope he turns up soon. I am soooo worried about him. Eh, he's fine. And now here is his message about the next chapter!_

Hello fanficiton! Mr.E here with my first ever author note warning chapter. Weird.

Anyway, the following is a AU request about Undertale.

Undertale is an indie developed RPG game created by Toby Fox in the style of Earthbound (A popular Nintendo RPG that had a direct influence on the game) and Bullet hell games such as Gradius (The games where you're usually a ship trying to shoot down and dodge waves of enemies in an auto scroller)

In Undertale, the conventional, traditional RPG troupes and gameplay are played around with in very unique and interesting ideas. Coupled with the fact that there are several paths with different endings, engaging boss fights, deep lore, interesting and loveable characters, excellent retro-style music and of course fourth wall breaking, self referencing humor with some characters actually aware they are in a video game and you have one great game.

With that being said, this story is not the full Undertale experience. A handful of characters will be in this story due to the plot of the request and a good chunk is the beginning part of the game. That was the best way to tell this story as requested but the second half what I came up with. There are references from the game but all in all if you want to experience Undertale at your own pace, this story can be read by anyone with minor spoilers about the game, stuff you can find out very early on so no worries about that.

That being said, this is fanservice. Jumping straight into the story. No explanations hence this warning.

I am thinking of doing a Undertale Au of my own because Sans and Marco are hoodie brothers and Star must meet Papyrus and widely considering adding some undertale members to Nova vs but i don't want to seem like I'm using them to boost my own ocs you know? I really do them in a story and nova's setting and set up is perfect for it and i think the interaction would be great but I don't want seem like i'm cheating. still on the fence so i have no idea if i should. tell me your thoughts about such an idea

The cast for this story is Toriel, Sans, Flowey, and a special guest that hasn't gotten back to me yet.

This story is going to get crazy so I advise you to keep in mind its video game, RPG roots.

I also apologize because I had a lot planned and structure but due to the formatting and limitations of FF, I had to change some stuff and others got squished together when they're supposed to be spaced out so sorry for that.

Last note is this story's format is different than usual. you don't have to leave a review for part 1 because part 1 and 2 are one long story and i do my usual thank yous and answers at the end of part 2 for story telling purposes and not break the flow of the story. Part 2 will be posted the same day as 1 i just need to finish it.

Well you have been warned, I've done my job. I hope you enjoy and keep your hands and feet in the ride at all time!


	69. UNDERTALE, Origins

_Howdy friends, Flowey here! I am so sad tell you that the author Mr.E has been killed in a tragic accident involving a comically oversized X and a boulder. With his dying, pathetic last breath, he asked me to take over his duties and keep writing Starco stories for you wonderful, amazing readers and I humbly accepted his last request because...hey, wait a minute!_

Hi! Mr. E here. Despite the fact that SOMEONE tried to kill me, I'm still kicking. So that message I opened from Flowey? Well yeah worst mistake ever. I don't know what's going on but he's gotten into the story and he's trying to destroy everything! I'm trying to stop him but he's just so wiggly and annoying! Just stay here, don't read further on okay? I'll come back when I finally gotten rid of the pest. Just stay here!

…

…

…

 _You know you want to read on. You know you're curious. Go on, read. It'll be a fun experience. I PROMISE._

* * *

Marco felt like he just fell from a fifty foot drop, his mouth dry with the strange, metallic taste. His body felt sore, his bones ached and the normally cushy, foamy bed he came to expect felt rigid, tough yet a little puffy like he was laying on a stone floor ontop of a pile of flowers or something.

Marco groaned weakly, trying to piece together what happened. One minute he and Star were leaping through the dimensional portal like they had a million times, happily discussing every day life topics like where to go next, if they had left the stove on, how Star could not bring home the flesh eating werewolf no matter how cute it looked with a bow to now feeling like he'd been hit by one of Star's narwhals.

The blinding sun above wasn't helping either. Marco instinctively covered his face with his free hand, trying his hardest to will himself to move but he just wasn't feeling it. Whatever happened drained a lot out of him. He couldn't remember a time he felt so tired.

Well laying down wasn't going to help any and he needed to figure out what went wrong.

Using every ounce of self control he possessed, Marco removed his hand away from his face, allowing the sunlight to bask him in a warm, bright glow.

It was strange sensation, he thought to himself, when sunlight and the air vastly contrasted from one another.

The air was cold and damp, chilly and frozen with the strange of moisture within, almost like it was coming from somewhere deep in the ground, so far below that no source of light could reach it.

Marco made it to his side, groaning with effort as his hands felt something soft underneath his touch. Whatever he was felt smooth puffy like some sort of plant or foliage.

Marco opened his eyes slowly, his vision focusing in and out as it was assaulted with a sea of yellow.

"Wha?" Marco gently held the object in his hand.

It was a large, wild bunch of sunflowers nestled cozily under his body.

Marco glanced around the room curiously, the darkness of his surrounding making him feel uneasy.

He was in a circular cavern, thick smooth stone walls covered every inch as the sun poured in from a hole in the ceiling, so high that Marco couldn't see an edge or how far away the entrance to the hole was.

Marco glanced around only to spot Star across from him, her body turned his way but not paying attention to him at all. She was awake and on all fours, staring at something with keen interest, her sky blue eyes wide with wonder.

"Star?" Marco asked groggily, wondering why the magical princess hadn't tried to wake him.

"Shh" Was Star's response, soft and gentle as her face did not even move an inch.

Marco frowned, annoyance filling his features as he followed her gaze to see what was so interesting.

"Oh..." Marco whispered, curiously watching the unconscious child in between the two.

The child was sprawled out on the bed of foliage like they were napping on the surprisingly comfy flowers, their eyes closed as their body rise and fell letting both Star and Marco know that they were still breathing.

The child's eyes were closed, looking more like two lines than anything else but that could be to due to the near darkness of the cave. The child had medium length straight brown hair with short bangs. They wore a magenta and blue striped shirt with blue pants and some brown shoes. But any other description of the child was...very difficult to describe.

Marco couldn't tell if the child was a boy or girl, their gender very hard to discern. Marco was certain the child was a boy but every so often the child would shift just ever so slightly and the image of the girl replaced the boy.

And it wasn't just the child's gender that was impossible to deduce, it was everything about them. Their age could've ranged anywhere from 8 to 12, their skin color shifted with every subtle, sleeping movement they did.

The expression of the child made everything worse. Even fast asleep their expression was blank, as smooth and emotionless as the walls of the room were. Everything about this child was a mystery and it was maddening to decipher.

"Aww" Star finally spoke up, her voice still low as not to disturb the sleeping child "She's soooo cute!"

"Umm Star" Marco replied nervously, hoping he did not some how offend Star with his observation "I think she is a boy."

"No, she's a girl. See the hair?"

"But boys have hair styles like that too"

"And her adorable shirt?"

"I wore that type of shirt growing up."

"Umm, those shoes are so not guy shoes."

"Star, they're just plain brown shoes. Lots of people wear brown shoes."

"But her face. It's so angelic! So calm so..."

Star pouted, biting her lip while she tried to figure out the puzzle of the child's gender.

Marco stared too, hoping that with 2 people on the case, the mystery would be solved sooner than later.

"Well I guess in this angle she does..." Marco started as Star muttered at the same time "He does look a little..."

The two best friends shared a confused look with one another

"Should we just...?" Marco began uneasily.

"Yeah it's not important" Star agreed, standing to her full height with Marco following suit.

"What is important" Star continued, putting her hands on her hips confidently while staring around the cavernous room "Is how do we get...umm her out of here"

"The real question" Marco added, putting on his hand gingerly on the cool, slick surface of the walls "Is where are we."

"Psst" Star scoffed, closing her eyes and waving off Marco's statement question "Easy, we're out of here!"

Star held up the dimensional scissors only to pale at the sight of the bent edges of the blades, their awkward angles filling the princess with dread.

"Oh no" Star muttered, twisting her body to prevent Marco from seeing the damaged magical item and freak out like he always did.

"Star?" Marco asked quizzically, trying to peer around her to see what she was hiding.

"Soooo." Star stalled, slowly turning and holding the broken scissors in her palms "The scissors are broken..."

Marco didn't say anything, his face slipping into a mask of disbelief

"We're trapped here!" Marco shouted, forgetting all about the sleeping child for a moment.

The two flinched at the sound of Marco's voice bouncing off the walls of the cave, growing fainter and fainter the further it traveled.

"Marco" Star harshly scolded with a whisper "He's sleeping!"

Marco eyed the child carefully "I don't think she is getting up anytime soon. Besides, what happened? Why are we even here Star?"

"Why do you make it sound like I brought us here?" Star shot back, a defensive edge to her voice.

"Because you had the scissors!" Marco argued "You're the one that knows how to use them."

"But I didn't bring us here! Or at least I didn't mean too" Star concluded, nervously chewing on her wand while she tried to determine if this whole side trip was truly her fault. All she wanted to do was take Marco on a secret trip, not the spooky cave of cave things.

"If you didn't bring us here, how did we end up here?"

"Hmm...I opened the portal, we jumped through, you said you forgot something and poof we're here!" Star mindlessly nibbled on her wand, her brain working as fast as it could to give Marco an answer "Maybe there was a large surge of magic that attracted the scissors to this place! I mean I heard it happens but such a force would have to be a huuuuuuge surge of magic. Like rewinding and alternating the very flow of time itself and there's nothing in the known universe that could do that."

"So..." Marco asked, making his way over to Star's side "What do we do now?"

"Easy, we find someone to fix the scissors!" Star cheered excitedly

"And is there someone who can fix the scissors?" Marco questioned.

"No idea" Star admitted "but we won't find out if we simply stay here all day. Come on Marco"

Star turned on her heels, eyes sparkling at the entrance away further into the cave,

A rectangular doorway with elegant and detailed columns on either side, the archway held some sort of family seal in the middle, some sort of creature in flight but Star had never seen such a family crest before.

"Star, what about her?"

Star stopped walking, turning to face both Marco and the sleeping child.

"...Maybe it's safer for him if we leave her here...him...her..." Star's head dully ached, the gender of the child causing her great confusion.

Marco nodded in aggrement "We don't know what we will face. It'll be safer this way. We can't protect her...er him...if we're distracted."

"Bye sleeping gender ambiguous child!" Star happily waved goodbye before the two made their way through the entrance way and deeper into the cavern.

"Ugh, why is it so dark in here?" Star whined, the luminous pink glow from her wand the only thing allowing either of them to see through the dark, shadowy tunnels of the cavern.

"Because it's a cave Star. Caves tend to be underground and dark, you know lack of sun and stuff like that"

"Why did the scissors bring us to this gloomy, dark place!" Star complained, pouting cutely "Who would be willing to live here?"

"I would!"

Star and Marco shared a concern look as they came into another circular room, another ray of sun shining down on a small patch of grass and on that small patch was a yellow sunflower but unlike the ones from before, this one was different.

It had black eyes and thin line of a smile, like an old cartoon character. It moved like it was alive, its little petals waving this way and that excitedly as if it had never seen a person before.

"...umm...hi" Marco waved towards the eager and seemingly alive sunflower, unsure how to proceed with this whole talking to plant life plan.

"Howdy!" The flower responded, moving a petal like it was waving to them "My name is Flowey. Flowey the Flower!"

Marco opened his mouth to question how a flower could get sentience, let alone talk, when Star violently shoved him to the floor, rushing over and crouching over the cute little sunflower.

"Aww...you are so cute!" Star cooed, smiling brightly at Flowey.

"Yeah..." Marco chimed in, deadpanned and obviously irritated at Star's antics "Cute."

Marco made his way over to Flowey and Star, something about the little tiny flower setting him on edge.

"Wow you sure are pretty!" Flowey beamed joyfully at Star.

"Aww thank you! Such a sweet little flower."

"You two must be new to the Underground, ain'tcha?" Flowey asked his rhetorical question, looking up and down Marco and Star's like he was searching for something.

"Is that what this place is called little flower?" Star asked, leaning over Flowey, giving him her undivided attention.

"Yep! Golly, you two must be so confused what's going on"

"A little" Marco agreed

"Well someone ought to teach you how things work around here! And I guess that's going to be little old me" Flowey told the pair with a playful wink.

"Thanks Flowey!" Star let out a happy cheer "That's so nice of you!"

"Are you two ready?" Flowey asked with a mischievous smile.

Marco felt chills run down his spine at the sight of the innocent grin.

"Wait..." Marco stepped forward to stop Flowey from going on but it was too late as Flowey let out an excited "HERE WE GO!"

Marco and Star felt odd as the flickered between color and black and white repeated before the world remained in a colorless filter.

"What is going on?" Marco questioned, his train of thought grinding to a halt when a faint, mild red glimmer began radiating from his chest.

Marco glanced down to see a small, bright red heart in the center of his chest, superimposed on top of his hoodie like a pasted on logo.

Marco turned to see Star's lips shaped like an O, her eyes lost in a child-like wonder as her pink hearts that rested upon her cheek became blue, her fingers carefully pinching and touching the now different colored hearts.

"See that heart? Er hearts?" Flowey explained, a strange gleam in his eye s "That's your SOUL, the very culmination of your entire being, entire existence!"

"Whoa!" Star pinched harder, trying to see if there was some way to peel off the blueness of her hearts and put it a frame or photo album.

"Your SOULs start off weak but you can make them stronger with LOVE!"

"LOVE!" Star squealed, love was her favorite thing in the entire world!

"Yep! LOVE! And we share LOVE through these!"

Marco wearily stared at the small, seed-like pellet that appeared over Flowey's head.

"And those are...what exactly?" Marco questioned, body tense just in case.

"Friendliness pellets of course!"

"YAY! Friendliness pellets" Star clapped with childish glee "I want some love!"

"Okay, make sure collect the pellets to grow your LOVE!"

Star closed her eyes, trusting Flowey completely as she spread her arms open wide, cheerfully singing her favorite La la la la song as the pellet slowly inched its way over to the waiting princess.

Marco narrowed his eyes, the eagerness on Flowey's face was strange, off putting even.

"Star" Marco gently pushed his best friend out of the way of the approaching pellet, ignoring her frustrated and annoyed cries "I think maybe we should..."

The pellet made contact with Marco's body, disappearing into thin air. It was a light tap, barely a touch. So why did it feel like Marco's shoulder was being ripped off, why did his mind become hazy, any attempt to remember any small detail nearly impossible?

"Marco, MARCO WAKE UP!"

Marco's eyes shot open, his breathing heavy as he felt warm, almost like he was on fire. When did he close his eyes?

Marco stared upwards into Star's blue eyes. Her long blonde hair tumbled down the side of her face, a frightened and worried look filling out every corner of her body.

Marco opened his mouth to respond to Star's calls only to realize they weren't alone.

Next to Star was a humanoid female goat. She was a little taller and a little wider than the two young teens though that easily could've been due to how massive her blue robe with white sleeves seemed to be. She had two small horns coming out of the top of her skull, her droopy ears fluffy and cute. Her hands and feet were paws as well and she stared at him with a motherly glance.

"My child" she spoke slowly, making sure Marco was coherent enough to properly understand "Are you alright? That horrible creature did not harm you, did he?"

Marco shook his head, trying to ignore the ache in his shoulder. He didn't want to worry Star or goat mom too much.

Star offered her hand, letting out a sigh of relief when Marco gripped it firmly and allowed Star to help him to his feet.

"Where's Flowey?" Marco asked, eyes blazing with righteous fury at having been tricked.

"He just left, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. Maybe it was just an accident."

Marco faced Star, unable to believe she was defending the psychotic flower after he tried to hurt her!

"Children" Goat mom interrupted, forcing the passive argument to be shelved for the moment.

Star and Marco gave the kindly goat their full attention, hoping that she could help them get out of this place or perhaps fix the dimensional scissors.

"I am Toriel" Goat mom explained "I am keeper of this ruins. I search them every day to see if any humans have fallen down here though I must admit I am surprised that I found two living beings instead of one. Normally you tend to travel solo up the mountain."

"Actually" Star cut in "I'm Mewnian, not actually human."

"I know, I can sense your SOUL. It is very similar to my own."

Star was surprised at this information "What but...aren't you a...?"

"A monster, yes" Toriel filled in, nodding to her politely.

Star stayed quiet at this revelation forcing Marco to take up the conversation.

"We actually didn't fall down from the mountain."

Toriel stared at them, confused and lost at what Marco was saying.

"I don't understand my child..."

Marco held out the bent scissors "It's a magical item that lets us travel between dimensions. Somehow we got trapped here and they broke."

"I see" Toriel simply replied "I am not familiar with this magic and I have never seen anything such as this before. I am afraid I cannot help you"

Marco couldn't stop the disappointment from showing, sliding the broken object into his pockets

"Is there any way out of here? Of the Underground I mean?"

Toriel said nothing, her sudden silence causing Marco to anxiously await her response.

"Come with me" Toriel told the pair quickly "I know a place you shall be safe but we will have to pass through the ruins to do so."

And without warning, Toriel left, her figure disappearing beyond the archway across the other side of the room.

Marco took a step forward only to feel Star grip his hand tightly, holding him in place to gather his attention.

"Star?" Marco questioned, wondering what was Star up to.

"Marco, you're not seriously going to follow her further into the ruins?" Star's tone made Marco feel stupid, like she was questioning his intelligence or something.

"Of course I am! We don't have any choice, besides she seems nice enough."

"She's a monster!" Star shouted, trying to make Marco realize what a terrible mistake this was "And she's hiding something! Did you hear how she hesitated? She knows there's a way out but she doesn't want to tell us!"

"Look Star, trap or not, we're not going anywhere on our own." Marco explained, hoping Star could see his reasoning "We need to play along for now and we'll figure it out as we go."

"Oooooor we can narwhal blast her!" Star suggested helpfully.

"We're not narwhal blasting Goat mom! I mean..." Marco shook his head "Toriel."

Star cutely giggled at Marco's slip up "Hee Goat mom"

Star let out a defeated sigh, motioning for Marco go first "Your plan safe kid, you first."

"I was going to be a gentleman but I think for the moment I'll stow the chivalry"

Marco and Star walked side by side into the darkness of the ruins, Star quickly breaking the silence of the moment "You know Marco, the code of chivalry only has one part of it that says respect women. The rest is protocols for medieval combat."

* * *

"Whoa" The teens said as one, the elegance of the ruins overtaking both of them. The outside of the ruins may have been a simple cave but within, there with well crafted brick walls of a purplish tint. It was small but far more inviting than the outside cavern.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent children" Toriel bowed gratefully as Star and Marco made their way deeper into the room "Let me educate you in the operations of the ruins. Beyond are many puzzles designed slow or halt your progress but you needn't worry, I have already solved most of them. Just follow my instructions and all shall be well."

"Toriel, I'm a magical princess from another dimension and Marco is a karate master of whirling death! I'm sure we can handle anything in the ruins" Star boasted, leaning against Marco and giving him a playful wink.

"Oh dear" Toriel sounded deeply ashamed "I am sorry your highness, I did not realize I was speaking to a fellow royal. Please forgive my rudeness"

Toriel bowed respectfully towards Star causing the young princess to shift guilty, her earlier accusations about Toriel now seeming petty and unfounded.

"It's okay Toriel...wait you're a queen?"

"No...not anymore" Toriel responded cryptically, turning and venturing further into the ruins without another word, Marco and Star following in her wake.

* * *

"Seriously?" Star scoffed, feeling insulted at having been treated like a small child. Not only were the puzzles absurdly easy to solve, Toriel was true to her word: She had indeed solved all them beforehand. From the yellow signs telling Marco and Star which lever to pull to Toriel guiding the two, by hand mind you, through retractable spiky floors, Marco and Star had barely lifted a finger to bypass the trials of the ruins. Even now Star could see Toriel hiding behind a pillar, having told them to simply walk to the end the hall by themselves as some sort of final test

Overly protective goat mom was overly protective.

"At least she's not trying to kill us" Marco told Star, hoping to curve Star's annoyance towards their benevolent, if overly cautious, guide.

"Marco, she wanted me to talk to a practice dummy."

"Well..."

"You know what practice dummies are for right? For fighting!"

"Umm..." Marco started but there was no fighting Star's argument.

"I feel like a child. No, I feel like like a baby because as a child I was already stealing treasure from ogres and learning to fight with a sword."

"Look she's just showing how much she cares, that's all"

"She's suffocating that's what" Star murmured low as the duo passed the pillar that was Toriel's spot, unsurprised when the female goat came out, robes sweeping, her hands held together as always.

"Greetings my children, do not worry, I did not actually leave you" Toriel said a smile.

"You don't say..." was Star's deadpanned response.

"I do say!" Toriel answered cheerfully "I was merely behind this pillar, testing your independence. Thank you for trusting me for you see I need take care of some things and you two must stay alone for a while."

"Really?" Star's voice filled with an unsubtle level of eager craftiness. Marco face palmed himself.

"Yes, you two must remain here" Toriel went on, not catching wind of Star's intent "It is far too dangerous ahead and I have not yet written out the answers for the puzzles."

"Oh, I see" Marco couldn't tell what he couldn't believe more: Star's overly agreeable tone or the fact Toriel just was not catching on to any of it.

"I have an idea! I shall...oh dear" Toriel's face morphed from joy to despair "I was going to give you this device. You probably haven't heard of it. It is called...a cell phone. I was to give it to you so I may keep in touch with you both but alas I only have one and it is not right to give it to one and not have another prepared for the other. Dear how could I have been so thoughtless?"

"It's okay!" Star chimed in, reaching into Marco's pocket and fishing out his cell phone to see "Marco has a cell phone! You can use your phone to call him!"

Toriel looked completely awestruck "Oh my, you have a cell phone? Where ever did you get it?"

"Umm...Verzion." Marco answered sheepishly

"Hmm...I must speak to this merchant Verzion. Perhaps he could sell me more cell phones in case I need to hand them out. Some monsters do not have any and I feel terribly guilty for it."

Marco chuckled nervously "Good luck with that, Verzion is only in the United States."

"Oh..." Toriel replied, pouting a little bit "Well I suppose this will have to do. Please, Marco was it? May I have your number so that I may check up on you?"

Marco gave Toriel his number, suppressing his stranger danger urges despite the fact Toriel has been very trustworthy but sometimes, old habits die hard.

"Thank you Marco" Toriel beamed happily at the two of them, the goat's face reminding Marco of his own mother for a moment "I shall contact you when I am done with my errands. So for now, do not move from this spot."

"Sure mom..." Marco replied automatically before flinching "I mean goat mom! I mean Toriel!"

Toriel stared back at Star and Marco, face set in stone before a small smile played on her face, the best friends feeling a little guilty as Toriel was swallowed by the darkness of the ruins.

"Man, she really knows how to make you feel bad. She's so sweet. Like a puppy! Or cotton candy..." Star paused for a moment before snapping her fingers "or a cotton Candy puppy! Nom noms!"

"ugh, I know right?" Marco agreed "man she has a way of making you feel bad for not doing what she says. Come on we need to..."

Marco and Star jumped out of their skins as Marco's Space Unicorn ringtone filled the silent room.

Marco checked the caller I.D only have a row of question marks fill the screen.

"Hello?" Marco answered, putting on the speaker so Star could hear as well.

"Hello, this is Toriel, you have not left the room have you?" she asked curiously

"Nope!" Marco replied "Still here, where you left us 10 seconds ago"

"Good, there some puzzles ahead I have not yet explained. It would be dangerous for both of you my children."

"Right Toriel."

"on an unrelated note, which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?"

"Cinnamon!" Star answered

"Butterscotch!" Was Marco's reply.

The two stared at each other, unsure what to say next.

"Would either of you mind" Toriel began slowly "If I put the two together? I know your have your favorites but I suppose it would be best to compromise in this situation"

"I'm okay with if Star is"

"That sounds yummy!'

"Thank you so much for your patience, please remain where you are. I shall be there shortly to pick you up"

Star and Marco shared a conspiratorial look with one another, knowing while goat mom meant well, they weren't defenseless children. They needed to get out of the Underground and return home as soon as possible.

"You ready to break some rules safe kid?" Star teased, nudging Marco's side playfully while winking his way.

"You are such a bad influence on me."

"I think you mean fun...luence?"

Marco let out a joyful laugh "Come on Star, let's go. How bad could these ruins be anyway?"

* * *

Marco stayed as far away from Star as he could, eying both the magical princess and the doughnut she was scarfing down with equal parts disgust and disbelief.

"Amre Yspu surm; do Whna any Mmaco?" Star offered her half eaten doughnut to the increasingly uncomfortable Marco.

Marco could feel his stomach churn unhappily at the sight of the pastry, his face becoming pale as his body threaten to throw out what he had for breakfast.

"Ugh, Star you bought that at a spider bake sale!"

Star shrugged, not seeing what was wrong with the picture "So what Marco? It's pretty good."

"Star, it was brought down from a web...by spiders!"

"Those spiders really know how to bake!"

Marco gulped, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down, Star taking a huge bite and finishing the rest of the spidery treat in one go.

"Ah!" Star let out a satisfied sigh, patting her belly contently "So good."

"So gross" Marco countered, trying to find away to active the repression reflex of his brain.

"This place is pretty cool!" Star went on, ignoring Marco's green, vomit colored cheeks "Those puzzles were pretty fun."

Marco stared her, annoyed "We fell down a hole. Twice. And that fourth rock gave so much trouble."

"Yep!" Star continued, still completely oblivious to Marco "Fuuuuuun!

"Well at least that ghost was cool"

"And it's little top hat? So cute!"

"The Underground isn't such a bad place huh?" Marco said casually

"Yeah" Star agreed, her tone distant and sad "But we can't stay here..."

Marco nodded "We have to get back home."

Marco and Star made their way through the ruins, taking the only path they had not yet dared tread.

In the next room, directly in the center was a darken, silhouette of a tree, dead, branches twisted upwards as if searching for the sun.

"You think anyone _could_ leave the Underground?" Marco asked quizzically, the dead tree making him feel uneasy "I mean who would willingly live here? It's so dark...cold..."

Star shrugged, trying to remain calm though the idea of these monsters trapped here began tugging at her heart strings "I don't know...but we're not going to find out just standing here..."

Before either of them could react, Marco's ringtone went off once more, breaking the silence and the thoughts of the teenagers.

"OH!" A familiar called from beyond the dead tree "How did you get here my children? You are not hurt, are you?"

Star and Marco quickly found themselves wrapped in a furry embrace, Toriel gripping and holding onto them like she would never see them again.

She let them go after a moment, staring dolefully towards the best friends, almost as if she was asking for forgiveness

"I should have not left you alone so long" Toriel frowned, clearly ashamed at her actions "It was irresponsible of me to have done so, even if I wanted to get your surprise ready. I am sorry children, it will not happen again."

"It's okay Toriel" Star tried to explain, the guilt in the goat mom's eyes too much for her to bear "We're okay! Me and Marco managed to avoid any monsters and the puzzles were really simple! We..."

"Well" Toriel turned away from Marco and Star "I cannot hide it any longer. Come children."

and once more Toriel vanished but not into a cave like the other times but rather into a cute, cozy little home just beyond the dead tree.

* * *

"Do you like your new home children?" Toriel asked excitedly, motioning to her house humbly "I am sorry for the mess. I did not realize I would be having company over. You may find some things scatter about. Please simply put them in your pockets until you find a place to store them."

The house was much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside: In front was a stair cause that descended further into the Earth. To the hall on the right were 3 sets of doors, hastily written signs held by their doorknobs. To the left was a large living with a chair resting next to a warm fire and beyond that seemed to be a kitchen given how some thin, black smoke was pouring from it.

"Surprise! Welcome to your new home!" Toriel told Marco and Star with a bright smile, holding out a delicious looking pie in front of them, the scent of butterscotch and cinnamon wafting through the little home and causing Marco's stomach to grumble with impatience.

"Thank you Toriel! This is amazing!" Marco politely told their host, eagerly reaching for a slice of pie and hungrily consuming within seconds.

Star took the pie offered to her but she made no motion to eat it, Toriel's words not setting well with the magical princess.

"Toriel...what do you mean our new home?"

Toriel peered at Star like she was confused, that Star's question made no sense or at least had an obvious answer.

"Well my child, I simply mean this is your new home. Where you will live from now on...with me."

"What?" Marco managed to get out before a piece of the pastry went down the wrong pipe, choking him and causing him to wildly gasp for air.

"Toriel, you can't keep us prisoner here" Star threatened, slowly reaching for her wand in case goat mom tried something.

"Prisoner?" Toriel looked appalled, like the mere idea of keeping the teens trapped here was sickening to her "You are not my prisoners, you are my guests."

"Then help us leave the Underground!" Star shot back, hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of her wand.

"You cannot leave child" Toriel told her, worry and concern in her eyes.

"W-wh...AH! Why not?" Marco coughed out.

"Beyond the ruins is the rest of the Underground" Toriel explained, her voice solemn and stricken with grief and sorrow "Here you are safe. You may live your lives in peace. But if you go beyond...they...Asgore...will kill you."

Toriel closed her eyes as if the mere memory of this Asgore brought her great distress.

"Why?! We haven't done anything to those meanie pants!" Star shouted, her wand fully visibly to all parties involved.

"You are human Marco, and you Star are human enough. They are still bitter, still angry at the loss we have suffered. They would kill you on the spot simply to satiate their anger, their rage, their vengeance."

"But there must be a way out of the Underground! Please Toriel, tell us"

Toriel said nothing, simply frowning and releasing a defeated sigh, one that made it seem like this wasn't the first time she had this conversation.

"I am tired children. I apologize. I will rest. We...we will discuss this tomorrow. I am afraid you two will have to share a room for the time being. As I said...not many humans fall into the Underground and I have never had two beings at the same time."

and like that, Toriel left, passing Marco and Star without another word, retreating into her room with hardly a sound.

* * *

Marco and Star made it to their room, a nice well kept room with a bed large enough to fit the two of them comfortably.

Marco fell on the bed at once, letting his tired body finally relax since the first time this adventure began.

Star sat on the edge of the bed but did not make any attempt to lay down next to Marco.

"Star? Star what's wrong?" Marco asked, the fact Star was so silent bothering the Latino greatly.

"We need to go home Marco" Star told him bluntly "We can't pretend house and stay here until Toriel decides to tell us how to get out of the Ruins."

"Star" Marco frowned, trying to figure out the best way to explain this to his hotheaded, reckless best friend "We have no idea where we are, we have no idea what's going on and we have no idea what's beyond the Ruins. What if it is as dangerous as Toriel says?"

"Psst" Star scoffed, jumping to her feet aggressively "That doesn't matter. We can handle anything and if any monsters try to stop us, we'll kick their butts!"

Star made silly, goofy karate gestures and noises in hopes to pacify Marco, to get him to go along with the plan but to her dismay, Marco simply started at her, uncertainty in his eyes.

"Star, these monsters aren't bad. We can't simply fight our way out of every situation we come across."

"Sure we can! We always have before!"

"But that was against Ludo, Toffee. Toriel is nice, if a little over protective."

Star looked hurt, tears building in her eyes, lower lip trembling

"Are you saying you trust her, a monster, more than me, Your bestie?"

"Star...that's not it at all." Marco answered, unable to look upon the sad Star face he accidentally caused "I'm just saying she might know a safer way home, out of the Underground without running into Asgore. If we show her how responsible we are, how much we can take care of ourselves, I'm sure she'll tell us how."

Star laid down, turning her back towards Marco, not saying a single word

"Star?" Marco asked, outstretching his hand to grab her shoulder.

"We'll talk about it later Marco" Star spat, her tone hurt and sharp "I'm going to bed."

"Star..."

"Good night Marco."

The finality of her tone was enough to stop Marco. He pulled his hand back and turned away from his best friend, unable to holding the cold, silent treatment she was giving him.

They had a long day, they were just both too tired and cranky. It be better in the morning. It be better then.

* * *

Marco let out a sleepy, content yawn from a good night's rest. He stretched his weary body, his eyes blinking once...twice...three times trying to rid the sleep out of them.

"Good morning Star" Marco called sleepily, turning fully expecting to see the long mane of Star's golden hair only to be met with empty space.

"Star?" Marco tried to keep the rising panic from spilling into his voice "Star!"

Toriel appeared in the doorway, her face sad and lost.

"I am sorry Marco, your friend has left..."

"Left?" Marco repeated, his mouth tasting like ash and dust "Left where?"

"Beyond the ruins, to the Underground."

Marco rose to his feet at once only to be stopped by Toriel's hand

"You will not follow her. I cannot allow both of my children to be in danger."

"Star's my best friend!" Marco shouted "I can't stay here knowing she's out there in danger!"

"Do not argue child" Toriel said firmly "I will destroy the exit from the Ruins...no one will be heading to the Underground any more..."

"You can't!" Marco yelled "I need to go! I NEED TO FIND STAR!"

Toriel said nothing, only turning her back towards Marco making him feel sick. That was the last time he saw Star, her back turned to her best friend...

"Do not fight me child. Stay here. Stay safe...I will return shortly and we shall go over the curriculum for your education."

Toriel left, her soft footsteps echoing dully through the hall.

Marco raced after her but goat mom was already descending the stairs, moving far faster than he had anticipated.

Marco gave chase, skipping as many steps as he could, the staircase leading deep and deeper into the cold, harsh Earth, the air becoming icy and chilling him despite his warm hoodie.

Marco found himself in a long, seemingly endless corridor. Silence was his only companion as he rushed to catch up to Toriel, the fear of Star's safety gnawing at him in waves. Why did he fight with her? Why didn't he hold onto her last night, tried harder to make her understand! Now she was gone and Marco had no one to blame but himself.

He burst into the room, Toriel standing stoically in front of two purple, massive doors, her symbol on her robes plastered in the center where the two doors met.

"They come..." Toriel spoke the moment he entered the room "They leave...they die..."

Marco took another step forward, hoping Toriel would see reason.

"...always they die..."

Marco tried to stop the beating of his heart, each passing moment brought pain and shame coursing through his vein. Toriel was so happy when Marco and Star arrived...overjoyed there were two more people to share her home with her...

But now her voice was cold, distant like Star's had been.

Marco just ruined everything didn't he?

Toriel faced Marco, her long flowing robes sweeping through the air gracefully.

Her emotionless eyes reflecting Marco's sinful image back towards him "there is only one solution for this..."

Toriel lifted a hand to the sky, closing her eyes as a fireball flickered into existence above her. And another. And another and another until dozens of fireballs hung in the air, just waiting, the cackling of the flames the only sound heard in the room.

"You want to leave so badly?" Toriel opened her eyes once more "Prove yourself"

The fireballs inched forward, slowly closing in on Marco from every angle.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive" Toriel's hand shot forward and with it, so did all the fireballs, hurtling themselves straight for Marco "Prove to me that you are strong enough to save Star"

* * *

Star felt guilty, hurt that she left Marco behind but given how much he was disagreeing with her the night before, she couldn't risk him sabotaging her plan. He could stay here and play the waiting game all he wanted but Star wanted to go home. She wouldn't be gone long, she'd come back for Marco as soon as possible.

Star let out a dejected sigh, trying to figure out where to go. Everywhere was dark and she could barely make out any features of anything.

"Golly, is that you Star?"

Star glanced around, wondering who had just said her name.

"It's me! Over here Star!"

Star turned and found herself staring at a spotlight of sun, Flowey the flower eagerly waving from within, his cheerful smile causing Star to return it with one of her own.

"Flowey? Is that you?"

Flowey nodded "Gosh Star, are you okay?"

Star fell her knees and looked at the talking flower at his eyes level.

"No...I'm not. Where did you go Flowey? And why did you hurt Marco?"

Flowey looked shocked, the news that he hurt Marco rocking the tiny flower to his core.

"Gee Star, I'm sorry. I had to go take care of some business but I didn't mean to hurt Marco though it was his fault you know."

"What, how?"

"Well..." Flowey said, his tone similar to a child attempting to seek forgiveness from a parent "I knew you and Marco were different beings so I adjusted my friendliness pellets accordingly! That pellet was for you and only you and would've helped your LOVE grow! But silly Marco got in the way. That's why it hurt him. It wasn't created for his human body."

"oooooh." Star nodded, still not sure what Flowey was talking about but finding his sincerity comforting "I knew it must've been an accident!"

"Marco's okay right?"

"Marco's fine Flowey" Star gently told the flower, lightly patting his head "Marco's fine..."

"Are you okay Star? You seem down."

"Marco and I got into a fight about how to get out of the Underground. He wanted to wait for Toriel to show us a safer way."

Flowey's eyes blackened, looking sinister for a moment upon hearing Toriel's name but quickly switched to his cartoonish features before Star could notice.

"and I don't think she ever would..."

"Golly Star, that's horrible. But lucky for you ran into me! I know a way to get out of the Underground!"

"You do?!" Star cheered, taking Flowey into her palms and rising to her feet "Thank you so much Flowey! OH! I need to go get Marco!"

"Wait Star!" Flowey stopped her before she went racing back to Toriel's house "We don't have much time! The exit will be closing soon and if we go back to the ruins, we'll never make it back in time..."

"Marco..." Star whispered softly. She might've said it in anger before but she could never willingly leave Marco behind. They were besties.

"Don't worry Star! When you leave, I can cast a spell on you so when you return, you'll come back to the exact spot you left! That way you can come and get Marco back once you fix your scissor thing!"

"Thanks Flowey" Star gave the flower an appreciative grin "You're the best. Which way do we go?"

"That way Star, through the Snowdin forest. I'll guide you the rest of the way."

Star turned, the large towering dead trees doing nothing to deter the princess, her boots crunching against the snow covered floor as she headed deeper into the lifeless woods.

"Hey Flowey, when the world turned black and white, why did my hearts turn blue? And why did Marco have a red one?"

"Oh that's simple Star! Non-Monster SOULs have different colors based on your personality. Blue is associated with twirling, hopping, jumping and dancing!"

"Dancing? I'm a great dancer!"

"I'm sure you are Star...I'm sure you are..."

* * *

Please take 15 to 30 minutes breaks for every hour you read a video game based alternate universe crossover story. Seriously though this is a long story. Take a break, get some food, some water. Go ahead, it's not going anywhere.


	70. UNDERTALE Comic relief

Marco said nothing, guilt filling every inch of his entire being as Toriel let loose a single tear, her fireballs steering themselves away from the approaching boy.

He knew she couldn't hurt him, that she was trying to scare him into giving up, into hurting her to get past. He could've but he didn't, choosing to spare Toriel every chance he got until...she gave up.

"It is pathetic...is it not?" Toriel muttered softly "I cannot save a single child..."

Marco said nothing, deciding it was best to stand in front of her, unsure how he could comfort her sorrow.

"I wanted to be a teacher...obvious when you look back on it...but...how could I ever become a teacher...if I cannot save a single child..."

Toriel let out a defeated sigh

"I understand. You would just be unhappy here. The ruins are small once you are used to them and without Star, you would be consumed by your worry...she is your bestie after all...your feelings for her go far deeper than you know."

Toriel closed her eyes as if to shield Marco away from her pain.

"My expectations...my loneliness...my fear...for you my child...I will put them aside."

"Toriel..."

"If you truly wish to leave the ruins" Toriel told him, so forlorn and sad that it destroyed Marco's heart "I will not stop you..."

"However" Toriel went on, her face tight with emotion "When you leave...please do not come back"

Marco could feel his eyes tearing up at the sight of Toriel so broken and defeated

"I hope you understand."

Marco's tears trailed down his cheeks, their existence disappearing into Toriel's soft, warm fur as she embraced him, her touch loving and motherly.

"Call me goat mom...one last time child..." she whispered into his ear.

"Good bye...goat mom" Marco cried as Toriel broke her hold on him.

"Good bye...my child."

and like that, Toriel was gone, retreating back into her home, into her self imposed exile in the ruins.

Marco wiped away his tears as he made his way pass the doors that barred his path, pass the single patch of sunlight that reminded him of the first time he met Flowey and into the forest, the dead tall trees looming over him like towers, the snow covered floor making every step have a deep, thick crunch to it.

Marco shivered against the icy temperature of the cavern, unable to believe this was still the Underground.

There was no sign of life, no sign anyone else nearby or any indication where Star had disappeared to. Just nothing...a empty landscape void of anything.

Marco stopped, a strange feeling that someone was watching tickling his senses, someone just waiting for him to notice.

He whirled around suddenly only to find the doors back to the ruins all that lay behind him, his footsteps trailing after him.

Marco frowned, unsure if he was just on edge and paranoid or that someone had indeed been watching him.

Marco faced forward only to find someone who wasn't there a moment again barring his path.

"Yeah" The creature said lazily "it was me kid."

There was a moment of silence before Marco let out a panicked yell, arms flying everywhere which way before dropping into a fighting pose.

The creature was a short, big boned skeleton with a dimpled, permanent smile on his face, something Marco never thought he would say when describing a skeleton. His empty eye sockets had this white glint to them almost like pupils. Strangest thing of all was that he was clothed: He wore an unzipped blue hoodie (with both hands tucked within its pockets) with the hood having a white furry interior. He seemed to be wearing a white shirt, black shorts with a single, vertical white strip on either side of his legs and even a pair of sneakers.

"Hiya kid" The skeleton waved, his tone equal parts friendly and laid back "How you doing?"

"umm..." Marco was unsure how to respond. You think with having Star Butterfly as his best friend he would've been used to strange sights by now but a clothes wearing, friendly skeleton took the cake.

"Well...isn't this a _bare-bones_ conversation?" The skeleton said with wink, chuckling merrily at his own joke.

Scratch that, a clothes wearing, friendly pun making skeleton.

"Sides" The skeleton went on "don't you know how to make a new pal? Shake my hand kid"

Marco gulped nervously at the sight of the skeletal hand attached the skeletal body that once may have been human...or was this creature born this way, without any eyes or skin?

"Aww, don't tell me I scared you? Sorry kid, I can be a real _bonehead_ sometimes!"

Marco anxiously chuckled, swallowing his fear and gripping the skeleton's hand lightly in case it decided to pull him forward and attack.

Marco flushed when the loud whooshing sounds of a fart echoed loudly through the near empty forest

"hehehe...the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick" the skeleton said with a grin, holding out his hand and showing Marco the deflated prop "It's always funny."

"I..."

"You're human right? With the flesh and squishy organs? Hehehe that's hilarious." The skeleton went on, slipping his hand back into the shelter of his pockets "I'm Sans...Sans the _skeletogrin_ "

Another wink

"I'm Marco" Marco managed to get out between laughs. Between Star missing and having broke Toriel's heart, Marco needed a good laugh and while these jokes were terrible, they were helping lift his gloomy mood.

"Anyway, I'm supposed to be on watch for humans right now..." Marco felt his heart stop, the idea of being captured so quickly made him wish he had heeded Toriel's warning "But y'know, I don't really care about capturing anybody."

Marco let out a sigh of relief.

"Now my brother Papyrus..."

"SANS!" another voice called from afar, causing Sans to turn around and peer carefully at who was calling him.

"Actually...I think that's him right now."

"What?!" Marco couldn't keep the fear out of his voice "You got to hide me! I can't be captured, I need to find my best friend Star."

"Huh, best friend? Not girlfriend?" Sans nudged Marco with a playful wink.

"N-no!" Marco stammered, his cheeks bright red from the cold "Best friend."

"I'm just joking kid. Say, you haven't lost your... _funny bone,_ have you?"

"Sans!" Marco motioned to the approaching person, his height making it impossible for anyone to miss his arrival "I need to find Star and go home!"

Sans smile never left his face but he nodded in understanding.

"It's alright Marco, just follow my lead. Put your hands in your pockets and stand like me."

Marco didn't like the sound of this plan but left with little choice, he followed Sans's directions, placing his hands in his pockets and slouching lazily like his skeletal savior.

"Now face the same way and don't say anything."

Marco did as he was told just in time for Sans's brother to make onto the scene.

If Marco thought Sans was strange, that was before he met Papyrus. Sans was dressed for style and possibly comfort but Papyrus? He was dressed to stand out, impossible to ignore.

His skull was anatomically incorrect, much longer and thinner than his brother Sans. He too had an eternal smile and his eye sockets were more slit than humanly possible. Around his thin skeletal frame was a large torso piece with various golden trims and a symbol Marco was certain he had seen somewhere before, something from a video game. He wore a long, flowing red scarf with matching, red gloves with more gold trim, a blue...briefs? With a, you guessed it, gold belt and large red boots. His spine, arms and legs were covered by black sleeves or leggings or...something.

Marco could feel the sweat form on his brow as Papyrus came closer but if he had noticed anything odd about this picture, the skeleton had yet to say anything.

"S'up bro?" Sans greeted his brother casual, like he wasn't hiding a human from his human hunting brother.

"YOU KNOW WHAT IS SUP BROTHER!" Papyrus answered, his voice dramatic and overflowing with unnecessary flourish. "IT HAS BEEN 8 DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES!"

"kay..." Sans replied, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly

"YOU JUST HANG ABOUT YOUR STATION ALL DAY! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?"

"Hanging out with my buddy here" Sans pointed to Marco with his head "New to town."

Papyrus blinked once, twice, a third time "I DID NOT SEE YOU THERE FRIEND! I APOLOGIZE, WHERE ARE MY MANNERS? I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HUMAN HUNTER EXTRAORDINAIRE!"

Sans snickered at his brother "You haven't even seen a human bro."

Papyrus looked appalled "I AM WORKING ON IT! AND WHEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, FINALLY CAPTURE A HUMAN, I SHALL GET ALL THE THINGS I SO UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT, RECOGNITION, MY RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE ROYAL GUARD AND I SHALL HAVE COUNTLESS PEOPLE LINING UP TO BE MY FRIEND! I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES AND PRAISE EVERY MORNING!"

"hmm...maybe my friend can help you, he's a human"

Marco couldn't believe Sans ratted him out so quickly, he knew he couldn't trust a no skin, wide grinning, punning making skeleton!

"SAAAAANS! STOP YOUR HUMORLESS JEST! THAT IS NOT A HUMAN, AND I, THE MAGNIFICENT PAPYRUS, SHOULD KNOW BEING THE FEARED AND WELL RESPECTED HUMAN CATCHER THAT I AM!"

Marco's deadpanned face made him seem like the undead one.

"YOU DISGRACE YOUR DUTY SANS!" Papyrus went on, pointing an accusatory gloved finger towards his brother "YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER WITH EACH PASSING DAY WHEN YOU SHOULD BE WORKING, NOT PULLING YOUR FRIENDS INTO YOUR CHILDISH JOKES!"

"but I did a ton of work" Sans replied "A _skele-ton_ "

Sans gave his brother his trademark wink.

"SANS!" Papyrus shrieked

"come on, you're smiling"

"I AM" Papyrus answered, childishly pouting and stamping the ground in a way that reminded Marco of Star "AND I HATE IT!"

Papyrus let out a defeated sigh "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS I HAVE TO DO MUCH WORK FOR SOME RESPECT?"

"Sounds like you're working yourself... _to the bone"_

"SIGH. I HAVE TO ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES SANS. AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE... _BACKBONE_ INTO IT! NYHEHEHEHE"

Marco saw it now, he saw how these two opposing personalities could be brothers. It was their lame jokes.

Papyrus took his leave without another word, laughing all the way out of view.

"see, told you. My brother may be a fanatic about catching humans but he's harmless. He couldn't hurt you even if he wanted too."

"Thanks Sans." Marco offered his hand to shake Sans's once more

Sans shook his head, all joy and humor leaving his face "Don't thank me yet, we got to find your not girlfriend Star."

Marco flushed a little but decided to ignore it for time's sake "Do you know where Star is? Was she captured by the others? I mean she's really good at fighting and has her magic wand that'll make her tough to beat but still...you never know."

Sans shook his head "No I don't think so but something isn't right with this story. Tell me, did you two run into a small sunflower? Cheerful and 'helpful'?"

"Flowey..." Marco growled, fist clenched angrily

Sans nodded but did not elaborate if such information was important. "I don't know where your friend is now but I know where she'll be in a bit if she's hanging with the flower."

Marco wanted to tell Sans that Star would never go with Flowey but last night's fight surfaced in his mind, how betrayed and angry Star looked at him when he told her to trust Toriel and Marco had seen firsthand how charming Flowey could be.

" Can you take me Sans? I need to find Star."

Sans winked at Marco "Sure skelebro, we'll take one of my shortcuts."

"Shortcuts?" Marco questioned but Sans was already off, disappearing into the thick, dead trees. "SANS WAIT UP!"

* * *

"What...just happened?" Marco's eyes were wild, hair an unkempt mess like he had just gone through a wild car ride.

"Best not to think about it" Sans told Marco calmly, the two appearing over a breathtaking over of a city far below "Your friend will be heading through that door over at the far end."

Marco turned, the door giving him a dark, foreboding feeling in his stomach.

"What is that place?" Marco asked, fright and dread slowly overwhelming him.

The white glint in Sans's eyes disappeared leaving a lifeless, void-like darkness in his eyes "Where everything ends..."

"Sans?"

"I'll stand here" Sans continued, the white gleam returning "Make sure no monsters bother ya. I like you and I wouldn't want to see you captured. Find your friend, come back here and we'll go somewhere I can keep you safe until we figure out how we can get you out of here."

"Thanks Sans" Marco told him, hugging the skeleton tightly.

"No worries Marco" Sans told him, parting from the teen slowly "We're hoodie bros. It's what we do. I wish I could help you but I don't have any _guts"_

Marco laughed loudly at the horrible joke, waving goodbye to Sans as he entered the mysterious room.

Sans felt his grin drop a bit, wondering if Marco could really handle that sociopathic little flower on his own.

* * *

"Star!" Marco's voice rang out, echoing loudly through the empty halls, the sound bouncing off the golden walls, becoming weaker as his voice traveled further away from him into the endless room.

Marco didn't like the silence that remained after his call for Star went unanswered, the clicking of his footsteps the only sign of life in the barren, empty hall.

Marco tried to calm his worried heart as he walked between the two rows of gigantic pillars that held up ceiling of this majestic room as a bright, warm light poured in from the outside despite the fact they were underground, deep within a cavern of mazes. Perhaps the light was not from the sun but rather some other source, the warmth spreading through his body a trick his mind playing on him in response to the solar-like illumination filling the room.

Marco wanted to stare out the beautifully crafted and designed windows, he wanted to explore a bit more but with Star having ran off, possibly with a psychotic flower, there was no time. Who knew what lay in the Underground and Marco couldn't help feel a sickening sense of dread bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

Something had gone wrong, something happened to Star and Marco needed to find her now. She was his best friend and if she was in trouble, it was up to him to rescue her. To save her and be there for her. And the only way to be there for her was to press forward.

Marco's footsteps were the only thing accompanying the worried teen as he made his way through the massive corridor, the near quiet atmosphere far worse than being draped in complete silence.

A deep, thick shadow of a pillar blanketed Marco for a moment, blinding him as his eyes struggled to cope with the sudden contrast between light and dark.

Marco stepped into the glowing light pouring through the unblocked window, his vision finally clearing the multicolored flashes that plagued his closed sight.

Marco could feel his heart beat happily at the sight of Star's turned back though the gloomy dreaded he felt remained. Where had she appeared from?

But it didn't matter. Sans had been correct and there she was in one piece: her devil hairband tucked safely in her long, blonde hair, her sea green dress and purple orange striped stockings looking more...faded than usual.

It had to be the room. That's all. Just the lighting and vastness of the hall simply skewing the color scheme a bit...that's all...

So wasn't Marco believing that? Why was every bone in his body telling him to run as fast as he could away from his best friend? That he was in an unrecognizable amount of danger?

Why did he feel like he was going to have a _**bad time**_...?

"Star!" Marco couldn't keep the relief out of his voice, nearly running forward to embrace his best friend before a subtle movement caught his attention

Marco frowned but before he could say anything, Star pivoted on her heels, staring directly at him with a wide eyed smile.

But this wasn't a regular Star smile, it was far too large and emotionless like someone simply gripped Star's cheeks and pulled them apart and upwards as far as they could to give the appearance of a smile. The hearts on her cheeks were no longer a bright, loving pink but dull, nearly as pale as her skin. Her normally sparkling oceanic blue eyes that were always filled to the brim with life, love, emotion were now dim, glossy with a distant vacant gleam that lay within.

Star was there...but she wasn't really there...

Marco openly glared at what the magical princess held tightly in her palms, the sight of the creature sparking his memories and causing the feeling of dread to grow to indescribable levels.

"You" Marco accused, pointing a finger at the yellow sunflower that nestled itself comfortably in Star's hands "Flowey! What are you doing with Star?"

Flowey's cartoonish smile and eyes were joyful like he just won the lottery.

"Howdy friend!" Flowey voice was laced with cheer and happiness that Marco knew to be false, a front used to simply lower his guard "Fancy running into you two again in this big, empty hall."

Marco's glared deepened "What did you do with Star?"

Flowey chuckled nervously like he'd been caught with his petal in the cookie jar "Gee Marco, I don't know what you mean. I hope you're not accusing me of any wrongdoing. Gosh, that would be terribly mean of you."

Marco stared into the magical princess's face once more, her features seemingly frozen their manic, deranged state.

"I am not asking you again Flowey, what...did...you do...with Star?"

Flowey's bright yellow petals around his face folded, a sadden expression graced the flower's face "You're being mean Marco. Golly I can't believe..."

"Don't!" Marco's outburst rang loudly around them, fading away as Flowey's face morphed from shame into an evil triumphant smirk.

"Well looks I can't fool you like I did with Star here" Flowey's tone was sharp and demeaning "of course makes me wonder which of you is the bigger idiot."

"Don't you talk about Star that way" Marco threatened, clutching his fist tightly, trying to contain his boiling rage.

"I'll talk about her all I want idiot" Flowey sneered, taking pleasure in Marco's anger "She's my puppet and with her at my side, looks like I'll be top monster round here"

"P-puppet?" Marco repeated, fearfully looking into Star's blank stare, no trace remained of the girl he called his best friend "What did you do to her!?"

"Gee, you sure are a dumb one idiot" Flowey mocked "I just told you. I brainwashed her. She's my toy now and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Why would you do this?"

"It's kill or be killed" Flowey responded simply, winking at him as Star carefully placed him on the floor behind her "And now that I control Star, looks like I will be the one doing alllll the killing."

"I won't let you get away with this!" Marco shouted, dropping into his fighting stance "You are not taking Star"

Flowey chuckled, a simple act that sent shivers down Marco's spine in the worst way possible "I will be getting away with this. Because Star's going to be one that stops you from stopping me..."

Marco let out a disbelieving laugh, unable to hold in the wave of chuckles that came pouring out of his mouth.

Marco wiped away a tear, crossing his arms smugly, throwing a sly grin towards the demented flower "I'm Star's best friend. There is no way she'd ever hurt me..."

"Well..." Flowey pursed his lips, concerned with this unforeseen winkle in his grand master scheme "Golly, I guess that is a big problem...except..."

Marco felt his blood run cold at Flowey's knowing smile as the insane flower told Marco "You misunderstood something. Star isn't in control anymore."

Star's grip tightened on her wand, the frightening smile and lifeless eyes never changing as she rose the magical item high into the air

"I am"

Marco watched, terror filling his body as Star took the sky, hovering lazily above Marco, a murderous twinkle in her gaze, passing the wand between her waiting hands like she was playing some sort of game.

Marco felt odd as the world shifted, the vibrant hue of life drained away while everything took on a black and white coloring. Lighter hues of the spectrum became white outlines with skin tone filling in the pale, bright color while clothing, the hall and many background items were filled in different shades of black, their shape and appearance remaining the same despite the lack of varying colors.

Before Marco could question what was going on, Star playfully winked his way, her pale pink hearts becoming dark blue that glimmered brilliantly in the darkness of the hall.

Marco could hear the fluttering melodic sound of Star's magic activating, the center of his chest feeling warm and sending a reassuring wave through his frightened body.

Marco looked down to see the tiny red heart appearing in the center of his now black hoodie, its glow matching Star's hearts perfectly, the two lovely colors shining through a world of black and white.

Marco closed his hands into fists, determination surging through his body. Star needed him. He couldn't rely on anyone else to save her nor should he. He was the magical princess's best friend and he would be damned if he let some psychopathic flower take Star away from him.

Marco fell once more into a ready position, arms and legs bent in preparation while Star hovered above him, swaying back and forth hypnotically with the wand held loosely in her hand.

"Idiot" Flowey said as the glow of Star's wand charging filled the room.

* * *

Please take 15 to 30 minutes breaks for every hour you read a video game based alternate universe crossover story. Seriously though this is a long story. Take a break, get some food, some water. Go ahead, it's not going anywhere. also if you liked a certain joke or idea please let me know. i may or may not be planning something with these characters. Standby for the finale.


	71. UNDERTALE Determination RISING (FINALE!)

Flowey crackled with an edge of insanity to his laugh "Well it's time for some Megalovania!" Flowey looks off into the distant like he's talking to someone "Type it into youtube if you really want to the full experience kids. Go on I'll wait. You need a break anyway."

"Crystal heart attack!" Star shouted at the top of her lungs, swiping the wand across Marco's body.

Dozens of white hearts formed into existence, cutting through the very air itself as they raced towards Marco's direction, surrounding him from all sides.

Marco leapt back as far as he could, the hearts sinking into the blacken ground beneath him easily like a hot knife through butter.

"come on Marco, what's wrong? Don't you like me anymore? don't you want my heart?" Star teased with a wink, twirling her wand like a baton.

With a swipe of her hand and gesture of her palm, a second wave of razor sharp hearts sailed through the air, the loud rustling of the air itself being split in half echoing loudly in the judgment hall, deafening Marco as he dove into a roll, the deadly projectiles cutting into the fabric of his hoodie and narrowly missing slicing into the young teen's skin.

"ooooh" Star cooed, a totally normal Star thing ruined by her unStar like face "Nice foot work Marco!"

Marco gave the brainwashed princess a polite bow "Thanks Star but you're going to have to try harder than that! I know all your moves!"

"That's true Marco!" Star answered, the lifelessness in her face hurting Marco fair more than any attack she could hurl at him "Let's see well you can dance when you don't know the song!"

Star aimed her hand towards the floor, closing it into a fist and violently gesturing upwards.

Marco heard the rumbling of the floor, the snapping and cracking of ground and tiles growing louder and louder. Marco saw a stark flash of a white point clash against the sea of black.

Marco took a step back in just time for a massive unicorn horn to come flying out of the groundwork, its razor sharp tip ripping off the small tip of his hair with effortless ease before sinking into the sea of dirt once more.

But the rumbling didn't stop, in fact in grew in intensity, the entire world seemingly shaking up and down like a massive earthquake causing Marco to nearly trip over his own feet.

Marco ducked in time for 3 converging unicorn horns skewered the space where his head had been a moment ago from several different angles.

"She can use magic without the wand?!" Marco cried, unable to believe what he just witness.

The horns retreated but Star was already preparing her next assault, flicking the wand heartlessly at her best friend with the subtle hint of failing restraint.

The air around Marco shimmered, sparkling like someone had thrown a handful of glitter everywhere. Marco really wished he hadn't opened his mouth about knowing all Star's attacks as a disembodied narwhal head faded into existence, still cute despite the fact it was attempting to kill Marco.

The narwhal opened its mouth wide, a bright and rapidly approaching light blinding Marco for a moment. Marco shielded his eyes from the distorting flash, trying to get his eyes refocus in time to dodge whatever was heading his way.

A beam of energy collided with Marco's arms, Marco's very body splitting the attack like it was made of water but Marco wished it was water. The attack burned horribly, causing pain to fill Marco's arms. The beam stopped out of nowhere but Marco felt drained, his arms ached though the burning sensation at ceased at once.

Marco looked up in time to see the Narwhal heading straight for him, smashing into the defenseless Latino at full speed.

The blow was surprisingly soft but knocked Marco down, his back skidding against slick, polished tile.

Marco tried to get to his feet but his arms wobbled uncontrollably under his weight.

Another Narwhal appeared in front of Marco, its face apologetic as it opened its mouth wide for another attack.

Marco basked in the illumination of the attack, urging his body to move before he was struck again.

The attack fire, the pale white glow of the beam rapidly surging forward to overcome Marco.

Marco let out a frustrated growl, the adrenaline finally kicking in and strengthening his weakened body.

Marco pushed himself against the floor, unsteadily moving back on his feet as the beam missed him, slamming into the far wall with enough for to crack it.

Marco barely had a moment to rest as Star called out to him "Heads up Marco! I'm attacking weee!"

Star batted the wand like she was playing tennis, the razor white hearts twisting and twirling through the air like paper caught in a powerful wand.

Marco stayed on the balls of his feet, legs skipping, leaping, pivoting as Marco flung his limbs in any and all directions to avoid the hearts.

Wooosh. Marco ducked under a trio hearts, more of his light brown sliced off and falling far more gracefully towards the floor than he was.

Swoosh. Marco leap frogged over another set of them, spinning mid-air, newly formed rips and tears scattered across his hoodie but luckily, no skin had broken yet.

Marco hit the ground face first, groaning in pain but keeping his head low, the hearts streaking passed his head, their sharp edges thunderous in his ears.

Marco unsteadily rose to his feet, his body swaying this way and that with fatigue.

He wasn't making any progress playing on the defensive. If he kept this up, he would just run himself into the ground. He had to get to Star and wake her up from this brainwashed spell!

Marco took a sprinter's pose, breaking into a run after a moment of rest.

"EEEEE" Star squealed, shaking her body in excitement "Looks like my brave knight is starting his suicidal charge! MY HERO!"

Star spread hands outward like she was readying herself to run forward embrace Marco.

"Star?" Marco questioned, wondering if she managed break free from Flowey's control.

Star smile faltered for a brief moment, terror and fear spreading all over her face, her eyes begging for Marco to help her.

Then the empty smile returned, the lifeless dimness overtook her beautiful sky blue ones and Star remained under Flowey's control.

Marco pushed himself further at the sight of his best friend so distraught, a helpless look he had never seen before filling her features. One he hoped never to see again.

"Don't worry Star, I got you!" Marco shouted towards his best friend.

Marco grind to a halt, a colorful and bright cupcake appearing before him, floating in mid-air as if held up by a string.

Marco wasn't sure this meant but he knew it couldn't be...

The cupcake exploded with a force of a bomb, thin yet needle-like sprinkles digging into his skin painfully, a suffocating smoke overtaking him from a moment.

Marco coughed, trying to breath fresh air into his lungs when the smoke finally cleared and revealed dozens and dozens of differing color cupcakes hanging lazily around the room.

Marco didn't even hesitate, leaping into the thick of the explosives and running full speed towards Star.

Flowey narrowed his eyes as Marco took every blow at face value, the little tiny red heart even brighter than it had been before.

"Looks like I need to even the playing field" Flowey giggled to himself.

Marco ignored the discomfort of the sharp sprinkles, having discovered them easy enough to be ignored if he focused on Star.

The smoke was harmless as long as he didn't breath whenever the thick, dense substance covered his body.

He could do this, he could free Star! Just a little more.

There was a loud beep and Marco felt his entire weight disappear like his body ceased to be. He just floated there, helpless, unable to move any of his limbs. Just there...useless.

Some outside force pulled Marco along, dropping him into the center of the roo,

Marco glanced downwards only to see that all the remained of him was the little red heart, now draped in a white hoodie that matched his own.

White walls materialized all around him from out of nowhere, trapping the little heart in a square room, the silhouetted features of the hall having vanished completely into thin air and replaced by a true sea of black.

"Howdy friend, how do you like the bullet board?" Flowey's condescending voice echoed all around Marco.

Marco turned his non-existent head to see Flowey towering above him against a solid black backdrop that stretched above the white walls of his room. Flowey looked like a retro video game character and less like a real, living plant

Next to him was Star, much taller than the demented floor, still looking like his best friend with the trapped smile and void eyes. Even more looking pixel she still was Star Butterfly.

"Why can't I move?!" Marco shouted, surprised he could still talk despite the lack of little things like a voice...or a mouth.

"Oh easy, your SOUL can't just move freely on the bullet board." Flowey explained, his eyes becoming black dots, his teeth jagged and animal like.

Star said nothing, still wearing that demented smile as she gestured with her wand stiffly, like she was lacking a 3rd dimension.

Marco heard the wooshing appear from all around him, a ring of narwhal heads completely surrounding him, their mouths opened as the sounds of their attacks powering up filled the room.

"WHY CAN'T I MOVE!?" Marco yelled, struggling in vain to even shift his little red heart an inch.

"Of course you can move Marco" Flowey said with a playful wink.

The Narwhal heads opened fire, bathing Marco in the beam of pure light from all sides.

"Just use the arrow keys idiot" Flowey chuckled menacingly, taking an unrestrained joy at seeing Marco's SOUL being blasted

Marco couldn't even release a scream as every memory, every thought, everything he had ever known slipped away from, slowly disappearing in a hazy fog of pain. It was like his entire existence was being erased from him.

Star let a single tear roll down the side of her face, her smile still devoid of any emotions.

"Finish him." Flowey commanded, waiting to bask in the glory of being the apex predator.

Star lifted her wand towards the ceiling.

Marco felt cold as a dozen unicorn horns burst through the walls of the bullet board, impaling his heart from every direction.

The bullet board disappeared, the shadowed black and white world of the judgment hall returned as Marco's body slumped over, his hand slipping lifelessly towards the ground as the little red heart tore in two, separating and disappearing into thin air.

Flowey's laughter could be heard echoing throughout the entire underground.

* * *

 **Then Flowey killed everyone**

 **Story Over**

 **The End.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **{ Read} Act Items Exit**

* * *

 **Read: You try to scroll down to keep reading the story in hopes there's more than this unsatisfied ending because Marco dead and Star enslaved was not what you signed up for.**

 **Nothing appears.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **Read {Act} Items Exit**

* * *

 **Act**

 **{Stare}**

* * *

 **Stare: You stare blankly at the screen, wondering what exactly is going on. Mr. E has really lost his mind this time, hasn't he? Well at least he's committed, you can give him that. Maybe.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **Read Act { Items} Exit**

* * *

 **Item: You eat/drink whatever you have on hand. The flavor is exactly what you expected. You are not sure how to feel about the taste.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **Read Act Items { Exit}**

* * *

 **Exit: Why did you use the exit in the story? Up, top right corner of the screen, there's an X on the internet viewing program you are currently using. Don't be lazy. Scroll up, past the heartbreak, the epic fight with Megalovania playing, the fear and worry at Star's absence and the cute beginning and click the x. Go on. I'll wait. Nothing else is going to happen here.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **{ Read} Act Items Exit**

* * *

 **Read: You try to scroll down to keep reading the story in hopes there's more than this unsatisfied ending because Marco dead and Star enslaved was not what you signed up for.**

 **Nothing appears.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **{ Read} Act Items Exit**

* * *

 **Read: You try to scroll down to keep reading the story in hopes there's more than this unsatisfied ending because Marco dead and Star enslaved was not what you signed up for.**

 **Nothing appears.**

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **{ Read} Act Items Exit**

* * *

 **Read:** _Howdy friend, Flowey here._ _Give it up, Marco's dead, the author isn't coming back and Star is under my control. This is how the story ends idiot._

* * *

 **The story just seems to end.**

 **What will you do now?**

 **{ Read} Act Items Exit**

* * *

 **Read:** _Howdy, Flowey again. You just don't learn do you? How many times do I need to tell you that this is how it ends. Seriously, game over. It's kill or be killed and it looks like I win. Stop trying to fight fate. THIS IS HOW IT ENDS_

* * *

 **Read** : _Howdy. You're really starting to piss me off. Just stop. Starco is dead. No more stories after this. On second thought...You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to keep updating the story. I'm going upload new chapters with sweet, loving titles and it'll just be the word Loser over and over and over again and I'm going to enjoy your disappointment, your heart's cry for more loving, starco goodness and I'm going to laugh. I mean_ _it._ _I am going to take over the rest of fanficiton and send every single reader of this stupid little story an_ _voiceclip_ _of me. Laughing over and over in a_ _n_ _endless loop, taunting you about how Staro died._ _How do you feel about that?_

* * *

 **Read** : _FOR THE LOVE OF... Okay Idiot, this is the last straw. This is the end of the story and the entire Star vs fandom. You just had to keep pushing your luck? and now you ruined it for everyone else! No Janco, Jackco or whatever hell Marco is with Jackie. NO CO'S AT ALL CUZ I'M DESTROYING IT ALL. Hope you're happy now._

 **You feel your heart fill with determination.**

 _Wait...wait what was that?_

 **You refuse to accept this ending. You close your eyes and wish with all your being that this story has a happy ending. It can't end like this. It won't end like this.**

 _What do you think you are doing? You think you could just wish Marco back? That he'll just rise from the dead because you want it enough? Well let me tell you something, that's not HOW LIFE WORKS!_

 **Marco's hand twitches subtly, responding to your prayer. You pray harder, telling him to get off his lazy ass and save Star already!**

 _It's you isn't? You're doing this, aren't you?! Well you can't! MARCO IS DEAD! MARCO IS DEAD AND NEVER COMING BACK! JUST STOP TRYING TO BRING HIM BACK!_

 **Marco refuses to die and you refuse to give up.**

 _Fine...fine. You want to do this the hard way? Both of you? we'll do this the hard way. I'll just kill him again. I'll kill him again and again then I'll reset everything AND KILL HIM AGAIN! And I'm going to make you suffer. I'll find new horrifying ways to do it, to describe it in the most perfect, agonizing details and I will make you read EVERY. SINGLE. WORD_

 _Let's stop stalling. Come on back Marco so Star can kill you again._

 _Idiots._

* * *

Flowey frowned, openly glared as the two halves of Marco's heart reformed at once, its bright red hue basking the black and white world with its determined glow.

Star's demented, emotionless smile twitched for a moment, the tears cease running down her cheeks while a spark of hope ignited in her empty, lifeless eyes.

Marco let out a pained grunt, slipping his body free of the black oily blood soaked unicorn horns that ran him through, his wounds fading away at once like they never existed.

Marco rose to full height, a warm fiery burning determination evident in his entire being: his stance was held with righteous fury that covered every inch of his body _._

Flowey snarled, his cute cartoonish features becoming ghoulish, inhumanly monstrous, a row of sharpened teeth with darken, sullen eyes. He hated the sight of the reformed, bright red heart, the SOUL in the center of Marco's chest, the blazing purpose it shone with. He hated how calm Marco was, how he stood there like he was going to win, like he was the going to save the day! HE HATED MARCO DIAZ.

Marco gave Flowey a cheeky grin, taking solace of the solitary spark of joy, of life in the sea of dim, soulless emptiness that held Star's eyes captive. He closed his eyes, remembering Star's beautiful sky blue ones, her long golden hair that shone like the sun itself was brightening his day and her smile, her cute, goofy, loving, sweet smile. The way her cheeks with tightened as her lips bent upwards, crinkling with muscle use and how it made two pink hearts that rested upon them move like they were matching the beatingof their hearts.

Marco opened his eyes, the manic smile and empty eyes of Star a little more calm and a bit more lively.

"You are not taking Star from me" Marco replied simply "Not now. Not ever. She's my best friend, not your puppet."

Flowey sneered "And how are you going to stop me? She'll risk her very life to protect me and you cannot hurt your precious Starshine."

Flowey felt the thrill of assured victory, the stupidity of the young teen in front of him just so funny "You can't beat Star in a straight up battle! I've got the most powerful being in existence under my control."

"You're right"

Flowey grinned happily

"Unfortunately for you, she's also a really pretty girl."

Star tilted sideways, confused at the words coming out of Marco's mouth.

Marco beamed blissfully "You heard me Star! I think you're really pretty!"

Star's controlled smile twitched for a second, her hand rising up to touch her blazing cheeks under her blue hearts.

"And you are the coolest girl alive!"

Star's eyes began to flicker with hope, with appreciation.

"What are you doing?!" Flowey asked, furious at what was going on.

"I love when you hug me!" Marco went on, letting a smile show on his face "I feel like the most important person in the world when you do!"

Star shook her head, trying to rid herself of the blush slowly growing on her cheeks.

"STOP STANDING THERE AND KILL HIM!"

Faster than Marco anticipated, Star closed her fist, a unicorn horn drilling itself forth from the ground and impaling Marco's chest, directly in the center of the tiny red heart, the SOUL tearing in two once more.

Flowey smiled triumphantly, there was no way...

 **Marco refused**

"What?!" Flowey screamed bloody murder, the red heart reforming at once and Marco propping himself off the deadly object like nothing had happened.

"What is going on!?" Flowey snarled, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"And I love hanging out with you!" Marco called to Star, ignoring the barrage of ever slowing unicorn horns with some refined and graceful dance pivots and shakes "You are my best friend and sometimes the idea of me and you just hanging out, doing whatever makes me so happy!"

The force smile began to falter, inching lower and lower as Star's began to twinkle with recognition.

"And!" Marco went on, sliding on his knees under the passing beams of the Narwhal heads, patting each one gently as they made their way by

A wave of cupcakes appeared before Marco, exploding with such a force that the sprinkles pierced his body and exited the other side, Marco slumping face down to the floor, the tiny red heart torn in two once more.

 **Marco refused**

Marco's SOUL reformed at once, Marco picking himself off the ground like he had decided to randomly take a nap and was ready to take on the world.

"And" he went on, seemingly oblivious to the fact he just died "I always try to impress you! Always. Making my nachos, standing up to Ludo...I...I love when you cheer me on..."

Marco stopped, just a few feet from Star, arms opened wide, ready for Star to embrace him.

"I love it when you smile at me" Marco admitted, taking a slow, cautious step towards the magical princess "I love it when you call my name...or use your adorable eyes on me in hopes to get me to go along with your grand, insane plan...even though all you have to do is ask and I'll do it...I'd follow you anywhere Star...You make me feel like the most important person ever..."

Star slashed the air with her wand, a dozen white pale hearts swirling and twisting their way towards Marco's body.

Marco flinched, covering his body and protecting his SOUL with his two arms.

Nothing happened.

Marco opened his eyes only to see his SOUL, the tiny red heart had expanded into a wide, Marco sized shield which absorbed Star's attack easily.

Marco looked beyond to see Star's outstretch palm pointing directly at his SOUL, a trail of stars and hearts running down her palm, her smile sort and comforting, her eyes bright with blue and relief.

"STAR!" Marco opened his arms once more, allowing the princess to lunge herself at him, Marco wrapping himself around her as tightly as he could as Star sobbed into his chest, mumbling apology after apology about how terrible she felt about hurting, how she couldn't control herself.

Marco stroked her hair, telling it was okay. He knew it wasn't her fault. It wasn't her doing those things. It was...

Star felt her heart turn cold as a ring of 'friendliness pellets surrounded Marco, trapping his SOUL in their vicious cycle before dragging it back towards the evil flower, Marco's lifeless body slumping towards the floor once more but this time it didn't seem like he was getting back up.

"I can't believe it but it looks like Marco's SOUL is even more valuable than yours idiot!" Flowey shrieked in delight "His determination...it's unstoppable..."

Flowey basked in the glow of Marco's blazing SOUL, the power emanating from it filling Flowey with unmeasurable power.

"With this SOUL, I will be able to kill everyone! NO ONE CAN STAND IN MY WAY! I WILL BE..."

Star gripped her wand tightly, taking aim directly for the center of Flowey's chest when...

The slick plop of a plant being ripped in two echoed quietly through the hall, the world returning to full color.

Flowey glanced downwards to see two thick humerus bones crisscross inside his body, driving themselves deep inside his body then pushing outward.

He turned to the side and let out a weak growl, his most hated foe standing there, one hand in his pocket while balancing a bone on his own skeletal finger.

"Hey..." Sans said, smiling towards the dying flower "You okay buddy? You look like very frustrated. A bit on the _boney_ side"

Flowey coughed, glaring as Sans winked his way.

"You" Flowey spat, trying his hardest to focus "here to stop me again?"

"Again?" Sans smile never left his face as he snapped his finger, the bone once balanced so carefully in his hand lifting up and impaling itself directly into the center of Flowey's stem "I don't think we've met before but i've been in the snow too long, became a _numbskull_ "

Flowey growled meekly, feeling the life draining out of him "What do you want?"

"I'm here to back up my hoodie bro of course. I'm not really liking how this is playing out."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

Sans directly stared into Flowey, the white gleam vanishing from his eyes leaving the pitch darkness. A swirl of blue and yellow lights lit up his left socket, his pupil staring seriously at the decaying flower.

With his palm flat and facing the ceiling, Sans motioned upwards.

Flowey let out an agonized yell as the floor below sprung up more bones, driving themselves into his body.

Sans said nothing as Flowey openly glowered at him, pure loathing in his stare.

"I...won't...forget this..." Flowey told Sans as a yellow rectangle appeared before him, the words RESET written upon it.

Flowey pressed with his good leaf, vowing to get even with Sans the next time.

A warm, yellow light appeared from where the button had vanished, slowly growing and growing, enveloping everything in its glow.

Star held onto Marco tightly, refusing to let go for any reason.

"Hey kid"

Star glanced up to see Sans winking her way

"Tell him his hoodie bro has his back. Always."

Star nodded but before she could mutter thanks, the light overtook her and...

* * *

"Marco!" Star shouted at the top of her lungs, arms crossed and pouting, impatience writing all over her face as Marco races down the stairs in a hurry, nearly tripping and falling while struggling to put on his trademark hoodie and shoes without tumbling down the staircase.

"Come on Marco! Are you ready?" Star asked eagerly, the blonde's excitement overflowing and barely contained.

"Almost" Marco told his best friend, trying to finish putting on his clothing "I don't know what you're so excited about. We go dimension hopping all the time."

"Buuuuut this time is super duper special!" Star explained, flourishing with her wand and accidentally bathing Marco in a shower of glitter and hearts.

Marco chuckled "okay okay we'll get go...wait..."

Marco patted his body down, unable to believe he nearly forgot his beloved gift.

"Hold on, I forgot something!" Marco turned back, running up the stairs as fast as he could.

"Marco! Portal is opened already, come on it's not important! You can get it later!" Star called after him but it was too late, Marco slipped into his room and began hurriedly searching for this item he forgot.

"Seriously?" Star muttered under her breath when there was a loud crack gust of wind that nearly knocked her off her feet. Star's arms flailed wildly as she tried to maintain her balance and her deathgrip on her wand.

She steadied herself just in time to see the portal shift between a rainbow of hues, violently bending and twisting before slamming closed with a powerful smack, the air tasting metallic yet moist for a moment like the air was coming from some place underground.

Underground...why did that sound so familiar? Why did that...?

"I'm ready Star!" Marco's voice cutting of Star's thoughts "You okay?"

"yeah...yeah just deja vu you know?" Star explained, smiling sheepishly in hopes Marco would take the answer without teasing.

"I know what you mean! I felt like I was forgetting this a second time" Marco agreed, showing Star what he went back for.

Star couldn't help but feel touched as Marco held out his hand, a bright red and blue star charm bracelet wrapped around his wrist. It was a last minute birthday gift she had made for Marco and while she felt bad she hadn't given him anything more substantial, Marco assured her it was the best gift he had ever received.

The fact he was willingly wearing it only backed up Marco's claim.

"It is my good luck charm after all" Marco told Star with a brilliant smile "Can't leave home without it."

Star giggled, her heart sighing in pure bliss at Marco's words.

"okay Star, I'm ready. Where are we going?"

Star wanted to tell Marco about the strange phenomenon with the portal, how it just shut on its own, seemingly drawn somewhere else against its magical nature.

She wanted to but Marco's eager face was too much for her. He didn't need to know and it would probably never happen again.

"You'll see" Star told him with a sly smile, reopening the portal without another word.

Star took in Marco's wide eye gaze with pure joy, his eyes glazing over as he took in the sights and sounds of the theme park. The powerful, death defying rides, the sweet, stomach luring scents that filled the air, the symphony of pure joy that echoed from every inch of the park.

"Star?" Marco asked her in awe and wonder

"Welcome to the best theme park in all dimensions! Happy birthday Marco!"

Star let a surprised yelp as Marco held Star tight, lifting her into the air and spinning around her lovingly.

"you are the best Star but you didn't have to do this!" Marco told her, gently placing her back down onto the ground.

Star said nothing, instead wrapping her arms around his neck tenderly and holding him closer to her.

"S-Star?" Marco stammered, his cheeks flushing at Star's gesture

"You're my best friend..." She whispered into his ear "You'll always be there for me...come to my rescue...won't you?"

"Of course Star..." Marco replied, wrapping his arms tightly around the princess's waist "You're my bestie. I won't let anything happened to you."

Star said nothing, opting to simply hold Marco in her embrace.

She had no idea why she said that, why she told him that in such an intimate and close manner. They had only known each for six months and while they got into plenty of trouble, nothing had ever occurred that would force Marco to save Star. She was Star Butterfly and she could handle anything with Marco at her side and the wand in her hand.

Yet Star couldn't shake the feeling that Marco _would_ go the distance for her, give up everything even his own life to save her from any trouble she came across...that he wouldn't stop until Star was safe, even if it was Star herself hurting him, pushing him away.

She heard her heart whisper Marco's name lovingly, the longing for her best friend to be something more but that was silly. Probably just her romantic thoughts running away with her and Marco was the closest target because she was always in close proximity of him and to be honest, he was pretty cute.

"Come on Star!" Marco cheered, holding on to the princess's hand as he began tugging her towards the first ride

Star's surprised face slowly became a cheerful one as she allowed Marco to lead her to their next adventure, their hands intertwined like the two refused to be parted ever again.

* * *

Sans takes a deep breath, his eternal grin plastered on his face as he stares into the horizon, his hands in his pockets as he ticks away the moments when the true events of the Underground play out once more as they have countless times before and who knew how many more after. Countless timelines jumping left and right, stopping and start until everything suddenly stops.

Just a matter of time before the anomaly, that child Frisk starts all over again.

Sans stares forward like he's looking into an audience, almost like he knows someone is watching him despite the solitary of the location and the lack of any other monsters nearby.

"Hey you" Sans winks towards you, his pitch black eye sockets with a whitish glint friendly despite the lack of eyeballs "Yeah you. I know you're there. I don't know if you liked this story or were confused by it or even still don't know what's going on. But do me a favor will you kid? If you decide to reread this...well maybe don't do it so much. Do you really want us to relive this again? Got pretty close for all us especially Star and Marco. Well I can't actually stop you. Too lazy. You'll probably just reread this story after I'm done warning you. Oh well, at least I tried. it's not like I'll remember. Though you have the expression of someone whose read this before. Go figure."

Sans turns to leave before deciding to face you once more, raising a single bony skeletal finger telling you to wait "Oh, by the way."

His right socket completely disappears into a thin line like he is winking directly towards you.

"Happy birthday Mae and everyone else who reads this. Stay determined, all of you. The path you chose isn't easy and life isn't fair but I know you could do it kid. I believe in you."

Sans pauses for a bit, as if he is complementing something.

"Unless" He adds in quickly, his tone becoming deadly serious, his empty left eye socket flashing, swirling flicker of blue and yellow shades mixing together and changing at random "You're a heartless, genocidal manic. Which in that case, if you're a remotely decent person, don't come back or you'll get dunked on. But I know you're not that type of person...right? I don't want to have to deal with you. And I don't want to have to lie to the other Sans about how I dealt with you."

Sans winks at you as the story comes to a close.

* * *

Hello fanfiction! So...how did you like it? Sorry if I went over the top. I am a showman and as my teacher used to tell me, go big or go home. I also apologize if things were too cramped or just didn't seem right aesthetically. FF limitations. Had different stuff planned but we must make do with what we have. Thank you for every single review, follow and favorite. They mean the world to me and make me so proud and honored to be a part of this awesome fandom

this is a response to all the reviews from the other AU before the undertale trio. I'll answer all your reviews of Undertale in the next AU.

a special thanks to the birthday girl h mae! they did break. All reality broke and went insane. And thank you, I was asked to give a prompt so I decided to do a little something for it while I was at it.

Finn: thank you so much I am happy you enjoyed it!

SonicElite: I've seen the game theory and it makes me absolutely happy. And it makes sense since Undertale's predecessor was a earthbound hack Toby Fox did. I am glad you enjoyed and sorry about this story's length. Went crazy and still had to trim stuff down and get it out.

King of france: How would that work? Would I sue myself, take the money out of my own pocket and then hand it back to myself? And close good sir but I believe the line you referring to I used the word exception to the rule, not exempt! So not plagiarized. And let's be fair, I've written (Checks) holy crap 388,000 plus words. Yeah i'm bound to repeat. Well I hope you enjoyed it anyway good sir!

Godlegend: yeah looking back I really should've said magically removed his lips but I did warn it was not my best work. But still came out pretty good. Go for it. Your fellow author's are a great place to search for answers or ideas when you're stuck on an idea. Yes quite evil, 7 out of 10 on the evilicity meter.

Sakumatheemperdor- I am very happy you enjoyed them. Makes me really giddy when someone tells me they like covy.

IDC1314: thank for your kind words sara, though I think you've read them all already haha

Princessxgilex- thank you for your review and watch your sugar and determination levels.

Lupus- haha go ahead and get into it! That's how I write my stories. Right now the way everything is, Marco as Gentlebug is winning and I am really tempted to play with Star's chat noir design but...I dunno I can't come up with anything, pretty drained right now haha. I think Slipstream is currently winning but not sure. I had a straw poll on my tumblr but I kinda forgot about it haha. Hope you enjoyed the story.

Anoymins: Good thing you were filled with determination, you and the other amazing readers helped save STARCO! YAY! Where you prepared? Because I think I went a little crazy with it. Haha just a little. I assume you got those scars by being a criminal mastermind and messing everyone on a psychological level. Noted and noted. Gentlebug Marco is winning right now. I gave him a cap and a badge as his miraculous. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed undertale.

Shadowgems: no worries, I understand. It happens but thanks for letting me know.

Misfortune: haha yeah right now it's marco as gentlebug and Star as chat noir.

Werbenmanjesn- me too! I researched so so so much lore and content for these chapters. So many so so many

cartoonlover: It wasn't good as we just found out haha.

Whatif: I saw and I totally believe it! Most important badge in all of gaming! Yep the entire universe saw it thank you so much for the thumbs now you can yay! I have 2 and a half hands...sigh.

Harutora- thank you so much for your kind words and that got pretty close huh? Whew, it was almost a bad time.

Smitty Theories- oooh can I have the badge and thanks for the r2d2 jetpack. Yeah got in, nearly wrecked the whole system. It...it was insane. Just utterly insane. Haha I still think that operation name is absolutely silly. Serious what kind of op name is that?!

Grim- haha maybe if you readers want it, I shall do the Valen Tine day of Mewni. No worries, and sorry about that pure fanservice. Just fanservice.

RiderZ- I am glad you liked so and I see Covy is spreading. Did not see that one coming like at all. Good luck on your exams! Hope you did great. I know you did but want to make sure. Thank you so much for your support it means a lot to me. Don't worry, I typo too haha :)

DonDontaek- probably after the requestathon.

Guest- I am deeply honored and grateful for your comments. Quite honestly I am not usually a fan of OC's in canon stories too but I worked hard on Nova and Connor and wanted to give a little spotlight to them. See if I could make something people liked. I would've never guessed that you readers would love them so much as to want them to have their own series. I always try to fit characters into the show not the other way around. If I don't like them or they feel off, they get pulled out. Thank you for your kind words and I am very happy you enjoyed my Ocs so much. Makes me smile

MaFx- don't worry, my email is acting up too. Its weird. Just weird. Thank you this was some lite sugary starco for a prompt and I didn't want make it too long like I normally do because real talk, my stories get pretty long sometimes. Oh god stop giving me ideas. Next gen pines? Undertale!? Have you not just read what happens when I go all out?! GO MAD!? YOU WISH ME TO DO SO AGAIN?! Stay awesome!

Richi- hi! Welcome to the fandom. Thank you so much for your kind words and I am glad you enjoyed them so. Yeah I love those au's I love them all actually they were all so much fun to work with and still got a lot more. Of course I read it! If you took the time to leave me a message, I will take the time to answer. Without you readers, I wouldn't be much of a writer. And I don't plan to stop any time soon. :)

Echonumbers- thank, I hope I did! And I started one. Felt horrible after the first kill

nahuel sounds interesting but I'd like to know more of what exactly you wish me too do. If you would like, you could get an account and contact me (that would be the easiest way) or leave your answer in the reviews.

Well let me officially say it for the first time on these chapters. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAE! (Throws Confetti!) I hope you enjoyed your request. I had too much fun writing it.

This undertale request was given to me by my amazingly awesome friend Mae. I had an idea for the undertale story she wanted but then she pitched me this idea and I loved it so much more. The whole adding meta and four wall breaks was my idea because I'm crazy. She is a great friend and she's been reviewing and reading my stories from the very beginning and I, and you readers, owe quite a bit to her since she was the first ever request I did! And she encouraged me (While gently reminding me of little things such as grammar and that Marco's hair is light brown not black haha) to keep going which led me to offering requests to all of you readers and writing so many great, wonderful story ideas that you all have. Seriously you readers have the best ideas. Add the fact she's fun to talk to and she's a great artist with tons of amazing work including some of my works (and she gave me an awesome gravity falls/Star vs drawing as a birthday gift) and I knew I had to return the favor in a big way. So once more HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAE (Throws more confetti)

another special thanks goes to Cartoonlover187 who was so kind enough to let me test some of my Undertale content on her to see if I was doing it right. Thank you so much for your help, it was invaluable during the writing process.

And of course, a very awesome special thanks you too my amazing reader because without your love of Starco and determination for a happy ending...well this could've ended up a lot worse huh? Thanks for being my special guest today! It really means a lot to me.

So I may take the week off because you know this was intense. Longest chapter I have ever written! Haha but we'll see. Please let me know which were your favorite jokes because I was thinking of maybe adding some undertale characters somewhere. Still not sure yet. Also because I asked on Nova vs but I am curious, if Nova and Connor were canon and got voice actors, who do you think would be good fits for them. Cartoonlover187 and I agree that Jason Ritter (Dipper) would be a great voice for connor and we suggested that Nova could be done by Tara Strong's Raven with a bit more emotion. SonicElite offered Asa Butterfield (pre-voice change) as a good sol. So let me know what you think

If you would like i can show you the original idea for the reader section of the story though admittedly it's pretty much the same with a small detail removed because of FF limitations.

Next up on the list is Bad Boy AU or Ladybug (I decided to make Marco gentlebug but I am thinking of redesigning Star's Chat noir but I'm pretty drained) and a request by Shutter Island Enthusiast GolfAlphaMike for congrats with his official ending Starfall and his coming Lord of the Ring style mini endings. Excellent point about Total Recall good sir!

Forgive me but for once, I am skipping starco corner because I am pretty tired. There are so many great stories to read and so much awesome artwork check it out on FF or SVTOFEheadcanons on tumblr. Maybe I'll update the story with starco corner when I am less tired but for the moment...well...

I am dead tired. I think I'm going to head to Grillby's, get some food and head straight to sleep. Reader...do you want anything?

Reader's LV 20

Just kidding. We all know your LV is 1.

Right? Don't make me call Sans.


	72. Princess and the Bad Boy (Bad Boy AU)

Hello fanficiton! Mr.E here, hope you are all doing great and having an awesome work. Thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and makes me grateful to have amazing readers.

a special thanks to h mae-I am so happy you loved your birthday gift! I hope you keep sane, take a moment or two for yourself and relax. I look forward to your amazing work and thank you for picking such an awesome AU. as you can tell, i had way too much fun with it. haha just like giving me challenges huh mae?

Fabio- i read your newest chapter but i was busy with this but i shall leave a review soon. i am glad you enjoyed it and keep sane my good sir! i am doing quite well and i hope you are too!

finn- i am glad you enjoyed the story. i went crazy with it and the point of view was too perfect to pass up given the undertale style of play. and yes they did meet sans! haha and im glad you liked the ending :)

cartoonlover: it began and it ended up being 3 parts haha. haha i literally thought of 90% of those jokes for sans and papyrus but there was too many TOO MANY! Yep marco lives thanks to you readers :)

what if- yeah i think i get flashbacks everytime someone mentions friendliness pellets.

person; thank you and i hoped you enjoyed it person! :D

shadowgem- yeah you shouldn't trust flowey. even when i first played undertale i was like i don't trust you and i kept missing his pellets and he kept getting angrier, his song even changed half a pitch lower each time you do it. sorry about that but there was a warning. see in undertale you play first person rpg where you, the player, are the character so they are alwasy talking directly to you, pulling you into the game. some characters (Like sans) are aware that the game is always resetting and such (Since you can delete your file to start over since endings directly affect new playthroughs) while others like flowey and your avatar (frisk) actually have their own save file and can reset the game at will. so if you reread it with that in mind (if you want of course), the game roots and immersion make more sense in the story. sorry for confusing you and im glad you liked the ending :)

romantic sloth: yeah undertale would do that to you.

guest: sorry but i did warn you to read the warning chapter before the story. undertale is all about the drawing the player into the game and it was one of the rare times i could do it with you amazing readers. still i did not mean to frighten you my child. sorry sorry still got toriel in my head. undertale in general actually.

qruis- yeah but those two fights are wicked sweet. meglovania!

princessxgilex- i hope you were ready for that and thank you for your review. and yes you are lvl 1 and we all know it even if you try to act like a bad girl.

anoymins- haha yeah chapter 69 now and it began! yes sans and papyrus were too much fun to write and i figured with what was going to happen next, you need some happy just and please can we start calling star, starry the star! yeah i had to up his evil for the sake of length. though to be fair when you first meet him he is trying to trick and kill you. hmm bill and flowey. starco academy notes? actually that wouldn't be so far off. i'd believe they are the same. for lack of my usual modest, i agree. i think this was the best story i've ever done.

lupus- normally i'd think star wouldn't leave marco but don't forget that they fought off a sandwich. i mean it was probably the best sandwich ever but still they fought and i think marco seemingly trusting a monster would cause a bigger rift. haha sorry about the pains but flowey's involved. aww let them out its okay. i cried too when i killed marco. thank you so much and i hope you enjoyed the ride.

werbenmanjensen- well it did come out that way. i tried to put as much as i could of the two routes together.

Arsenal- hi there! hope you're doing good. don't worry it happens to the best of us and i am glad you enjoyed the chapters. haha papyrus and sans awesome. welp, i'm heading to grillby's want anything? arsenal? LVL 20 jk jk right?

FumblesMcfumbles: I am quite tempted to do a sole undertale story but yeah probably shouldn't got too many though i might add characters into nova vs since earth's cool with monsters. not sure yet.

smitththeories: right? but at least clippy didn't want to kill you. "Oh i see you are trying to peacefully solve all your problems? would you like me to KILL YOU?" now i want an app that let's flowey be my clippy. be fun.

richi- thank you so much. i knew when i took the undertale request i had to go all out and i had to pay homage to the story and what better way than drawing you readers inside the story to help beat flowey. thank you for your kind words and liking my writing style. in the meantime there so many awesome authors out there who are much better than me. PFTtones, axis, smitty theories and Fabio. STARCO FOREVER! i will this took a lot out of me and i was undertale everything this last week, still am but i am off vacation. starco academy will be updated this week and i am extremely thankful for you readers to take the time to read my work. without you readers, i'm not much of an author. thank you so much too Richi!

MaFx98: thank you for your kind words and i agree. this was pretty epic in scale and reading back, i don't even feel like i wrote this. yeah that was my jazz motto and he kinda drilled it into our skulls so i applied it to everyday life. i actually altered the text because even when i directly copy an au, i don't like copying it exactly (except for awesome scenes or funny jokes) making puns for sans was pretty hard for some reason. i guess i'm just not punny! yeah i wanted to add more but i had to stop myself because the story was already getting big (12,000 words you read straight) and i had to stop myself. i want hoodie bros to happen!haha meglovania, check out meglo strike back for another awesome song that fit yeah i was inspired by the sans fight for the read button. lucky you were on a cell phone or you couldn't help save marco and star. and sans was perfect for fourth wall breaking. you can reread it we all know what happens. i mean if you want of course. haha me too. welp thank you for reading it always level 1 and have an awesome day!

Imanukeyourface- *bows* haha i think the fourth knows better than to fight me when i write an undertale story it is a really fun game and i highly recommend it. it's not even too heavy for pcs either.

misfortune- i want marco to sing that. no must resist song fics! i think we've seen how far marco would go for star (Sleep spells, quest buy, cheer up star) im glad you didn't or you wouldn't have been able to save marco and star. i am glad you loved it. makes me fill with determination and pride.

smitty theroies- ill give you 999 but i should take away 1000th since you have to talk about the story to count haha congrats on the bucket list!

tora- i sent you a message

godlegend: Awesome! it is an awesome game and i'm glad you decided to try it out. congrats on beating it! i got to admit that final boss music is pretty awesome though prefer meglovania myself still not sure if it's worth the genocide right. (Sorry about the oversight)

flowey: oh hi you crazy flower. star and marco are alive in my timeline but i know a certain skeleton who would like a word with you. let me get him. SANS!

riderz: thank you for the review!

guest (Star and the idol): im glad you liked it. umm star and the idol does have a sequel written from the person who requested it but when i'll get to it is in the air. however cartoonlover187 has requested a reverse marco and the idol which will be in the requestathon so you have that to look forward to.

Starco corner i am a feeling pretty spoiled because my good friend h mae has some doodles up of the undertale AU up on her site hains-mae on tumblr. my good friend Bernadette over on star-marionettej2x on tumblr has spoiled twice with not only some cute sketches of covy but also drawing out everyone's favorite near kiss scene from Novaberty. thank you so much mae and Bernadette. spatziline on tumblr has some cute ladybug art up and sara over at instagrams idrawcartoons1314 random star doodles. my site on tumblr mrevaunit42 and SVTFOEheadcanons also on tumblr have a bunch of random posts too. here on ff we got a big list so here we go! first we have a awesome chapter of Magical Disruptur from my good friend fabio, what do i do now from shippergirl2245, little talks from anoymins shades of truth from Pdavis32, is it hot in here or is it just me thinking of you from luluabu, when it falls from promethus37, normal people from gamer w, marco vs the plot bunnies from exotos135, an excellent chapter that i hope the show takes a page from star vs the forces of evil 2: a continuation from kieran wespell, a sensitive topic that was well done and handled by fantasygirl1999 in no matter what (Warning, adult themes here) an awesome chapter from smitty theories and miss what if in dimension of infinite tales. the prince and the pauper from cartoonlover187, a short but sweet story by editor-bug called a normal princess, star vs the forces of evil:Beach trip from amazing turtle and the totally got us ending of starfall from golfalphamike (i might've mentioned this one but covering my bases but it was good)

okay this au is all about the princess and the bad boy i promised you forever and a half ago. this takes place a few weeks after Star's arrival on earth. _This means sings but there isn't a lot to it._ i got design ideas from a random comic i saw about marco being safe kid even while a bad boy, Findo's picture of Star trying to teach Marco proper posture and Spatziline's drawings of the bad boy AU. thank you all for some amazing inspiration.

okay next up is either Golfalphamike's request or ladybug. for the ladybug, need some quick help. I'm going with gentlebug so marco is Marinette and star is Adrien. i want to redesigns star's outfit but i'm drawing blanks. anyway. Marco has two outfit choices. the first is the vest, dress shirt, tie with slacks and loafers combo with his miraculous being a badge holding a red cape OR, keeping in theme with the location of paris france, making his outfit one of a musketeer with the miraculous still being a badge.. yeah i know musketeers were really everywhere between Alexandre dumas's stories of the 3 musketeers (really four but whatever) and their film association, it feels like a nice choice but im not sure. i also need votes about jackie as slipstream or Ferguson as Ferguador. so please help an author out.

thank you so much for all your support, it means the world to me! and i am so happy that the undertale story came as well as it did. thank you, you are all the best! every single one of you readers. now please enjoy the bad boy au and i own nothing!

* * *

"Good morning mr. sun" Princess Star Butterfly greeted the rising glow of the Earth's morning light.

The young princess let out a peaceful yawn, her body fully rested from a well deserved sleep after staying in and finishing up her Earth school work. Granted she still wasn't quite sure what this strange subject called Science was but she found it interesting how Earthlings coped without magic.

She stretched her sore limbs, letting out a content sigh when she managed to loosen her tense muscles and with an air of effortless refine grace, she rose out of bed, seemingly gliding on the very air itself as she made her way towards her modest sized closet in her small, single floor Mewian style decorated room, straightening out her purple sleep dress as she scratched her chin thoughtfully at the possible dress choices.

" _I can show you the world"_ Star sang softly, her melodic voice echoing throughout the household as she pulled out her favorite princess dress, the one differentiating shades of blue, the very same she wore for her wand coronation.

Star held the dress close to her, waltzing to and fro with the inanimate object, the picture of the perfect prince forming itself inside her mind's eye

" _shining, shimmering splendid"_

She held the dress skyward, letting the rays of illumination bask both her and the outfit in its warm glow. If there was a plus to waking up to this dimension's sun, it was how soft and gentle it's light was, more so than Mewni's to be sure.

" _Tell me princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?"_

The lyrics tumbled out of Star's mouth before she could stop them. Star frowned at the sound of her own voice singing that part of the song. She couldn't recall a last time she truly did what she wanted. Everything she did was what was expected of her from the teachers at Saint Olga's, from her mother, from the other nobles.

Star shook her head. Such individual thoughts and longing were unbecoming of a princess. A princess must always be graceful, always poised and always do what was expected of her. It was just the way royalty worked.

Star took in a deep breath, unaware that various animals of varying sizes and species had perched themselves on her balcony, eagerly waiting for the magical princess to continue her song with waited breath.

* * *

" _I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder"_

Marco Ubaldo Diaz groaned angrily at the sound of the princess's preppy, cheerful yet slightly pretty sounding voice wafting through every inch of the Diaz household.

Out of all the foreign exchange students his parents volunteered to host, she was his least favorite. She was too cheerful, too happy, too perfect. She was the very definition of perfected grace and he hated it.

He hated how she felt the need to tell him how to sit, how to properly eat his food, how he shouldn't be ditching class or hanging behind the school by himself. She had to butt into everything he did, finding the need to "fix" the problematic child.

Marco rose to his feet, throwing off his covers and glaring the most loathsome stare he could towards the magical princess's room before groggily inching along towards his own, half opened, half messy closet.

"Man" Marco muttered to himself "She's like a Disney princess. She's as annoying as a one too."

Marco paused to himself, on the verge of a momentous epiphany. Star...Disney princess...?

Marco's train of thoughts were derailed at the sound of Star entering their joint bathroom, annoyingly humming as she began the million year process of brushing and braiding her hair.

Marco let out an exhausted moan, roughly shoving open the door to reveal Princess Star Butterfly staring at the mirror intently, her long yellow blonde hair in one hand while she tackled the unruly mess with a brush in the other, her sky blue eyes narrowed in concentration as she attempted to finish the task before school began, her cheeks and pink birthmark hearts scrunched up due to the smile on her face.

Marco could feel his cheeks heat up at the sight of the princess, even his grouchy and antagonistic nature failing diminish her beauty.

Marco let out a cough, mentally cursing himself for lowing his guard, the morning drowsiness still biting at his eyes.

Marco made his way to his side of the bathroom, solely focusing on his appearance and not the pretty girl next to him. Even after several weeks of her presence in his life, he still hadn't completely quelled those rebellious thoughts that believed the princess to not be that bad but soon, soon those traitorous ideas would be destroyed.

Star could feel her heart skip a beat at the sound of Marco's door opening, willing herself not to sneak a look at the lumbering bad boy Latino as he made his way to his sink.

He was a bad boy, Star told herself, trying to keep her wandering gaze concentrated on the task at hand, a bad boy who is nothing but trouble.

A cute bad boy, Star added, taking his messy light brown hair, his caramel colored eyes and the cutest mole on the side of his face.

Star shook her head, her hearts lightly shining in embarrassment.

"What's wrong Butterfly, dreaming of prince charming again? I didn't think you play up the air headed blonde stereotype."

Star openly glared at Marco, his condescending yet teasing voice reminding Star of his true nature. He was such a jerk! And a meanie pants! Yeah she thought it and what? It is was in her mind, nobody could scold her for thinking it! Especially about Marco Diaz.

Outwards, Marco's face held a smirk, a knowing gleam that he had gotten under the princess's skin. Inward, Marco flinched, wondering why he was going so far to torment the princess. True he didn't like her but that was low even for him. Did he just want to see a crack in her facade? To see if the princess had another mode other than insufferably cheery with a stick up her butt? Even Marco couldn't come up with a decent line of reasoning.

"And I thought your parents taught you to be a respectable young gentleman" Star shot back "But I suppose you lack the intelligence to properly understand such high end concepts."

It was Marco's turn to glare, his playful look turning into open hatred as he turned to face the princess.

"Look Butterfly, I know everything looks so far away from your ivory tower" Marco mocked "But down here, respect is earned not expected and you don't deserve any of mine."

Star pouted, confused at Marco's words "My tower was made of polished marble, not ivory..."

Marco scoffed "See? Too good for everyone else around you" and without another word, he stormed out of the room, shutting his door with a loud thud.

Star frowned "How dare he! I was just correcting him about what was actually used in the construction of my home! He is just...ugh!"

Star threw her hands in the air, angrily making her way back to her room to prepare for school.

* * *

The breakfast table was near silent, only the loud crunching of the children eating filled the room.

Star was looking regal in her princess dress, her long blonde hair brushed to perfection (Despite the earlier setback) and done in a single elegant braid held together at several strategically placed points with blue hair bands.

Marco looked equally dressed up, the purple beanie he owned placed lazily on his messy hair, a random band aid on his cheek, a gray undershirt covered by his red hoodie which was covered by a thick black jacket, his black fingerless gloves, slacks and sneakers completing the whole look.

Rafael and Angie looked over at one another, wondering what was the best way to handle this situation. While Marco had never been fond of any of previous tenants of their household, he had never gone to war with them like he chose to do with Star Butterfly. Angie and Rafael were certain that Marco was acting on his repressed feelings for the magical princess but today they seemed more...heightened than usual.

"So, Marco" Angie began, hoping her son was in the mood to talk

"Hmm?" Marco answered, trying to ignore the shocked look on Star's face.

"How is school? Passing your classes and everything?"

Marco nodded, not actually answering the question as he mindlessly swirled his cereal around with his spoon.

Star couldn't believe the nerve of Marco! She knew, as well as he did, that he couldn't be passing his classes, that he ditched a handful of times, usually only appearing to take tests and hand in his poor excuse of homework.

Rafael shifted guiltily at the mention of school, trying his hardest not to blurt out how many phone calls he had received in the last week about Marco's unexplained absences. Marco had promised him last night that this would be the last week he would ditched but Rafael wasn't so keen about lying to his wife about Marco's actions.

"Well" Angie said, at loss about how to proceed with this conversation with Marco "That's good to hear."

The room went silent, everyone wanting to tell the others something but remaining quiet in fear of provoking a ticking time bomb.

* * *

"Marco" Star started the moment the two took their seats on the bus. Well took their seats implied the two were purposely sitting with one another, not that Marco went as far back as he could and Star trailed after him, prepping her scolding of the irresponsible young man.

Marco let out an irritated sigh "Oh look, the princess has made a rare visit from her perch to visit the lowly peasant, how honored I must feel."

"But I visit peasants all the time..." Star responding automatically, recalling the days she spent among her people, helping them out in anyway she could.

Marco simply rolled his eyes, unable to believe Star's attitude.

"What do you want Butterfly?"

"I think you should stop lying to your parents" Star told him, straight to the point which was rare of the fledgling royal. Most of the time she tried to butter him up or hint at what he should do, she never had been so straight forward in her opinion.

It was oddly refreshing.

Marco looked her way, eyebrow raised questioningly "And what exactly am I lying to them about?"

"School" Star nodded, surprised Marco was willing to actually listen to her, eye contact and all. Most of the time he would mock her with his hand, staring any and everywhere that wasn't her direction "You are doing bad in school and you know it."

"Says who Butterfly?" Marco shot back "You don't know anything about my grades. You don't know anything about me! I could be an undiscovered genius for all you know."

"Unlikely" Star harshly replied "Especially since you are never in class! How can you learn if you aren't physically there to do so?"

"How about" Marco told the princess, pressing his fingers together "you mind your own business and stick to subjects you know. Because it's obvious miss perfect little princess is lacking in a few real world lessons."

Star huffed "You are disrespecting your parents! Lying to them about your grades, about how well you are doing in school!"

Marco let out a disrespectful laugh "Seriously Butterfly, buzz off before I decide swat you with a rolled up newspaper."

"I will not! I..."

The bus let out collected "OOOOOH" as Marco rolled up his notebook, lightly smacking it against Star's head as previously promised.

Star's face was red with anger "How dare you! I AM A PRINCESS SIR AND I WILL NOT BE TREATED IN SUCH A WAY!"

Marco slyly smiled before winking her way "I'm not a sir, I'm a bad boy and best leave me be Butterfly."

Star could feel her blood boiling both in embarrassment and longing as she clutched her wand tightly, eye twitching angry as she resisted the urge to blast Marco with her magical object, the syrupy temptation of watching a cute, large narwhal smacking into him threatening to overwhelm her self control.

Princesses do not fight, Star told herself, taking a deep calming breath, princesses do not simply blast their problems away, if the problem cannot be solved, it is to be ignored.

Star turned on her heels, elegantly strolling away towards the front of the bus, not once looking back towards her bad boy roommate.

Marco let out a sigh of relief though his heart ached, already missing the princess's presence.

"Nice job Marco" A familiar, breathy flirtatious voice called to him from the side.

Marco turned in time to see other resident troublemaker Janna slide into the empty seat next to him, eagerly staring at him in anticipation.

"No" Marco told his fellow beanie wearing bad person "Whatever you want, no Janna."

Janna cutely pouted his way, lower lip trembling as she batted her eyelashes suggestively.

"NOPE!" Marco answered her attempts with a light push of his own "not even."

Janna walked away, seemingly defeated but quietly basking in the joy of a successful pickpocket of Marco's house keys. He had to talk to her to get them back. All she had to do was wait.

Marco shook his head disappointingly at the retreating figure of Janna, twirling the real set of house keys around his finger while Janna cooed over the key set that opened the door to the apartment the Diaz's used to live in rather than his house.

Marco scoffed "Noob"

* * *

Star couldn't hide her dissatisfaction at the sight of Marco's empty seat, unable to believe such a child could be so discourtesy to their parents so callously as Marco Diaz was. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz were the sweetest, kindness, most fun loving, caring people Star had ever known and sometimes she found herself jealous at Marco for having such amazing parents.

"Most of you did horribly for your first test. I really hope you all do better next time. Now I will hand these poor excuses of scores out. Marco Diaz?" Miss Skullnick called out, her troll form a constant reminder of Star's mistake and bringing the magical princess a constant source of shame.

Marco Diaz was supposed to be guide her in this strange, exciting new land but true to form, he hadn't shown up, having ditched class as per the usual and completely shirking his duties as a student. So Star was left to wander the unfamiliar school by herself when she ran into Miss Skullnick. The older woman's appearance surprised Star so much that she reacted according, blasting her with a random spell that happened to turn her into a troll and despite Star's efforts, she could not figure a way to return the teacher back to her...slightly less hideous form.

Star scolded herself, muttering under her breath "Princesses do not think of such things. Princesses do not think of such things."

"Miss Butterfly?"

Star jumped, having been too absorbed in her chant to notice Miss Skullnick approaching her desk.

"Here is your test" Skullnick said, completely disregarding the strange behavior exhibited by Star "And here is Mr. Diaz's. Please remind him that attending class is mandatory and not optional."

"Yes Miss Skullnick" Star replied politely, trying to calm her racing heart after being caught so off guard.

Star glanced downwards at her test, nodding in approval to herself at the D that lay upon it. Her writing was perfect and crisp as ever and not a single doodle in sight despite the overwhelming urge to draw cute little spiders on the mostly blank paper. It was just so bleak and bland it reminded her of Saint Olga's...

Star looked over Marco's paper only to find herself staring at the neat little A with a slack jaw expression, a little note from Miss Skullnick that read "Just because you passed doesn't mean you can skip class whenever you want Mr. Diaz."

Star gently put the paper down, ashamed at how she assumed Marco was incapable of receiving good grades when that was clearly not the case.

* * *

"A good princess always apologizes when she's wrong" Star muttered to herself unhappily, sulking at the fact Marco was probably going to tease her mercilessly for her mistake. A reasonable mistake anyone could make but Marco didn't see it that way.

Star sighed, why did he have to make it so hard?

Star searched for Marco throughout the entire day as she had the same classes as him but he could not be found. She assumed he would remain at school at one of his dozen hideouts given that's usually where she found him whenever she required his presence.

But today was not the case. He was not behind the school, tucked away in the library in some secluded spot, he was not standing stoically against the lockers in the same area as (Sigh) Oskar, or at his usual seat with his two not friends Ferguson and Alfonzo (Despite his claims that he did not like hanging out with the two and preferred to be by himself whenever he could, he could be often found near them, cracking jokes and playfully teasing the two). He was nowhere on the school grounds though admittedly it is possible Star had not discovered his other hidden lairs.

Star briefly wondered where in the world was Marco Diaz.

* * *

Marco let out a content sigh, staring upwards towards the fluffy, oddly shape clouds in joy and peace.

He liked coming to this hill in the park near the school. He liked simply existing, being. No pressure of succeeding at a school system that clearly needed to be fixed up, no frightened stares from students who knew his reputation, no disappointment in his parents eyes concerning his behavior, no Star Butterfly hounding him about matters she knew nothing about.

Just Marco and some clouds, passing the time though he should head back soon, school was almost over and the last thing he needed was his parents getting mad that he wasn't there to hold Princess Butterfly's hand all the way home.

Marco stood up, wiping the bits and pieces of glass of his pants, stretching his body upwards towards the bright sunshine that filled the place.

"Wait, stop please!" a voice cried out in a panic, the fear in the person's voice clear and obvious.

Marco frowned, cracking his knuckles before making his way down towards where he last heard the voice.

* * *

Star tried to find her way to the bus but couldn't remember at what side of the school it was parked. She asked Ferguson and Alfonzo directions to Marco's house but they were busy, something about an opossum suit whatever that was.

She wanted to go home after a long, grueling day of Marco hunting and confusing human subjects. She had no idea who William Shakespeare was but she was certain she would give him an earful after reading his very confusing story.

Star was ready to head some random direction, hoping to try her luck in finding the Diaz household when something across the street caught her eye, someone running from another much larger person at the park that was opposite of the school.

Star rushed over, crossing the street as quickly as she could, too caught up in what she was seeing to pay any mind to the driver's shouting at her to get out of the way after nearly running her down.

Star made it in time to see Lars, the resident bully and probably most one dimensional person she has ever met, laughing and taunting, holding two halves of a broken friendship bracelet in his palm, another teenage boy around the age of 15 trying to reach for his precious item back but failing to overpower the larger teen.

"Lars, give it back!" The victim cried, the determination in his actions indicting the true worth of the item, the fevered attempts showing that the item meant the entire world to him.

"and if I don't, what are you going to do? Get your boyfriend to come and get from me? I like to see him try!"

The teenage boy stopped at once, worry and fear spreading over his face like his biggest secret had been found out.

Star pulled out the wand, twirling it in her hands before taking aim at the impossible to miss bully, fully intending to strike down the meanie with righteous fury when the chant "Princesses do not fight, princesses do not fight" began echoing inside Star's skull, her arm trembling as the lessons embedded deep within her mind began to take hold, shaking her resolve.

Lars looked at the charm in his hand, turning it this way and that before letting it slip to the ground, crushing it underfoot before the victim could scramble in time to regain it back in his possession.

The boy began to tear up at the utter destruction of his well loved bracelet, Lars cruel laughter haunting Star for her inability to stop this injustice.

"You are such a girl! Cry some more girl!" Lars taunted "Cry like the little girl you are."

"Psst" A new voice came from out of nowhere "Cry for me Lars"

Lars whirled around in surprise but before he could respond to the person in front of him, there was a loud crack that filled the silence of the park.

Lars stumbled backwards, clutching his bleeding and probably broken nose fearfully, his face drenched in his own life providing liquid as it ran down his shirt.

"I said..." Marco threatened, his eyes cold and distant, his fist covered in Lars's blood "Cry for me Lars."

Star couldn't miss the fright that filled Lars's gaze, building with each step Marco took closer towards him.

"Stay out of this Diaz!" Lars's voice cracked despite his attempts to remain 'tough' "This doesn't concern you!"

Marco's jaw worked furiously up and down, Marco's rage too great to cool down even as he tried his best to remain calm, focusing on chewing angrily on his gum rather than his cheek.

"I told you once Lars" Star shiver at the edge Marco's voice took, the emptiness, the lack of compassion, it frightened Star to think Marco could be so...lifeless "The park is my turf and if I ever found you here again, I would beat you to a bloody pulp."

Lars clenched his fist, striking at Marco without warning in hopes of catching the bad boy off guard.

Marco gracefully ducked under Lars's jab, grabbing the oversized teen by his wrist and pulling forward while driving his knee into his midsection, knocking all the air loose from the bully's stomach.

Lars let out a pained grunt but Marco wasn't finish. He held tight onto the back of Lars's head and pulled him forward, driving his other fist into Lars's approaching chin, sending him reeling backwards and stumbling to the ground.

Marco hovered his defeated foe, murder singing in his eyes as he bent low, gripping Lars's shirt tightly in his hands and bringing the giant closer before saying quietly "I find you here again and I'm really going to break something. Now lay your head down, rest, recover and get the fuck out of my park."

and just like that, Marco unceremoniously dropped him back to the grassy floor, slowly making his way towards the still crying teen.

Star shook herself out of her daze, fearfully that Marco's bloodbath had jut began but as she took a step forward to stop her housemate, the boy glanced upwards, glaring towards Marco.

"What, here to torment me too?" the teen spat, anger replacing the sense of loss.

Marco said nothing, opting to instead crouch down low next to the fallen boy and began helping him pick up the broken, scattered bits and pieces of the destroyed bracelet.

Not a single word was said as the two worked together to to ensure they found every part.

"If he ever bothers you again" Marco finally spoke up after minutes of remaining silent "Let me know. I'll make sure he regrets it."

The boy nodded, standing up alongside Marco.

"If you want" Marco told the boy quietly "I can fix it up for you. I understand if you don't feel comfortable letting a complete stranger work on something that clearly means so much to you."

The boy said nothing, conflicted between trusting Marco and wondering if this was some sort of ploy to hurt him even further.

Marco reached into his bag, pulling out a piece of paper and quickly scribbling something on its surface.

"Here" Marco handed the note to the teen "This is my home address. If you change your mind, let me know. I'm usually home."

The boy nodded in appreciation as Marco turned away from him, finally noticing Star's presence.

He said nothing, motioning with his head for her to follow him, waiting patiently for her to gather her bearings and catch up to him.

* * *

Marco out a sigh of relief when he entered his room, the awkward walk with the princess finally over.

For a moment he expected an earful about how fighting was wrong and how dare he attack someone and how unbecoming it was for a gentleman.

But the lecture never came, just a quiet that was equal parts peaceful and awkward.

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, hoping that Star said nothing to his parents. Even for a good cause, his parents did not like him picking fights for whatever reason. They weren't home yet so Marco had a few hours of peace before Star ratted him out.

"I better make sure Star and I are on the same page. Maybe I can bribe her into keeping quiet." Marco muttered to himself, mentally preparing to deal with miss holier than thou.

He lifted himself off his bed, tossing his outer ware of dual jackets onto his bed, remaining in his gray undershirt and beanie while making his way to Star's room.

He raised his hand to knock on her door when he heard an excited grunt coming from the other side of the door, some loud noises almost like she was fighting off something.

Panic filled Marco's being as the memory of Star's first day filled his thoughts, how she was practically defenseless despite her magical abilities against that Ludo character who tried to steal her wand.

Marco kicked open the door, tucking forward into a roll and sliding into combat position against...nothing.

There was nothing! No bird imp creature, bear unicorn hybrid, no monsters of any kind, Just Star with an outstretched leg, performing a kicking motion.

Star let out an astonished gasp, flailing backwards as she lost her balanced and fell to the floor, her long unbraided hair blanketing her face and obstructing her view to who had rudely barged into her room.

Marco chuckled lightly, making his way to the fallen princess and allowing her to hold his hand as she rose to her feet.

Star flipped her hair out of her face only to find herself staring into Marco's light brown eyes, his skin rough against hers but also far gentler than she would have ever guessed.

Marco was caught unaware when Star's ocean blue eyes glanced his way, no defensive edge to them, no contempt, just...well...just a normal look that he liked more than he would care to admit.

Star flushed, pulling her hand away from his, her hearts faintly glowing "Didn't your parents ever teach you that entering other people's room is rude?"

Marco opened his mouth to retort, ready to mock the princess thoroughly

"And thank you for helping me up." Star quickly, shyly looking away from Marco.

Marco sheepishly scratched his cheek as he quickly changed tactics "Sorry Butterfly, I thought I heard fighting and assumed Ludo had managed to sneak into the house. I didn't mean to just rush in."

"Oh..." Star wasn't sure what to make of Marco's intention "Well thank you for watching out for me. I'm sorry for alarming you."

"What were you doing anyway?" Marco asked curiously, glancing around and noticing the scattered pillows thrown throughout the room

"I...I was doing nothing."

"Really? Because it looks like you were fighting off the pillow army."

Star turned to face him only to find a playful smirk on Marco's face. Not hostile, not mocking just...playful.

"Don't silly. Princesses do not fight."

"Well it looks like this princess wants to learn."

Star said nothing, unable to believe how easily Marco pieced together the truth.

"Why don't you learn to fight?" Marco asked casually, slipping his hands into his pockets "It make it easier to watch over you if you actually could defend yourself."

"Princesses do not fight" Star replied automatically "It is unbecoming of a lady, even more so of a princess."

"And whose going to stop you?"

Star looked at Marco, his face questioning and eagerly awaiting her response.

"Umm...well my mother, for one, would not approve, and the teachers at Saint Olga's would not as..."

"I said" Marco interrupted firmly "Who is going to stop you? Not who told you you can't. I don't see your mother here or anyone from this Saint O's."

"I..." Star nervously answered "I am a princess, I must always appear presentable at all times."

"So? No one on Earth is going to tell on you if you decide to let loose a little, have fun" Marco replied "You are already the coolest girl here. You don't need to impress anyone."

"But...it's unbecoming of..." Star weakly argued, the urge to finally do what she wanted vs what she was taught to do tearing her resolve in half.

Marco peered at her thoughtfully "Meet me in the kitchen in a few minutes."

"O-okay." Star agreed, wondering what Marco had planned this time.

* * *

Star made her way downstairs, the formerly darkened household lit up brightly as a heavenly smell wafted through the halls, causing the princess's stomach to rumble hungrily.

She walked into the dining room only to find Marco lounging there comfortably, reaching in and tossing some sort of food into his waiting maw.

"Sit, eat" Marco told her, motioning to the seat across from her "It's good I promise Butterfly."

Star hesitantly took a seat across Marco, staring at the massive bowl of thick yellow, gooey liquid covering some sort of small, triangle food.

Star reached in, turning the strangely shaped food in her hands "Triangle food?"

"They are called nachos" Marco answered with a mouthful of the treat "Just try it."

Star lifted the chip to her mouth, taking the smallest bite she possibly could.

Her eyes popped open as the most wonderful, delicious taste invaded her taste buds.

Star let out an unlady-like yell of joy before eagerly consuming the rest of the food without a second thought, only flushing in embarrassment upon realizing what she had done.

Marco let out a cheerful laugh that was infectious to Star's ears "Well looks like you can relax and hang out with us lowly peasants."

Star frowned "I told you, I do 'hang' out with my people. I routinely go into town and see if they require any assistant from me."

Marco paused from his snacking, the realization that when Star mentioned visiting the peasants earlier, she had taken his taunt at face value. She did actually, physically visit her townspeople and given the style and era her and her parents clothing were based in, he had a sneaking suspicion that Mewni was further behind the times than Earth.

"Did you make these Marco?" Star asked, face lost in the bliss that was Marco's nachos.

"Y-yeah. I did."

"They are very good. Probably the best food I have ever had!"

Marco shot a smile towards Star against his will and Star found herself dazed by how cute Marco looked when he wasn't frowning her way.

"Thanks Butterfly."

"Why don't you become a cook?" Star asked tentatively, hoping not to ruin Marco's good mood.

Marco let out a scoff of disbelief "Star, would you take me seriously as I am?"

Star thought long and hard about her answer. Marco's slouched posture, eternal scowl, messy hair under that beanie, the random band-aid on his cheek and lack of general manners or restraint did make hard to take him seriously as a professional cook.

Marco rolled his eyes, taking Star's silence as all the answer he needed "Exactly, no way you'd..."

"I can teach you!" Star blurted out, quickly covering her mouth, unable to believe she just said something without thinking first.

Marco stared her way, unsure if he should be offended or interested in her offer.

"I..." Star started slowly, removing her hands from her lips "I can help you. Umm teach you to act dignified enough so people don't take a look at you and bolt for the door. I mean you don't always have to act that way, just...when you need to convince people that you aren't as bad as you look."

"And I assume you want something in return?"

Star shook her head "No, I just want to help you Marco."

Marco didn't answer as he slid in more of his homemade treat into his mouth.

Disappointment filled Star. Maybe she overdid it again like she used to when she was a child. Overeager and reckless. She really just wanted to help Marco. he...he wasn't bad as she thought. Granted he was still a jerk and mean but...just not as much as she thought.

"If you teach me how be more..." Marco awkwardly coughed "Gentlemanly, I'll teach you how to fight, deal?"

Star blinked in confusion before shaking her hands at Marco's offer "oh no no no, I could never ask you to teach me how to fight! It is unbecoming..."

"You didn't ask" Marco countered, staring at her calmly "I offered and the way I see it it would be unfair if I didn't at least offered my services to a visiting princess and a guest."

Star bit her lip, Marco's deal was so tempting. Would it really hurt to learn how to protect herself? She couldn't rely on her bodyguards at all times and it would easier on them if she could defend herself.

"Well..."Marco said, rising to his feet and making his way towards Star "How about you let me know princess? You know where I'll be"

Before Star could respond, she felt Marco slip something onto her hair, a head band of sorts. She glanced upwards only to realize she was wearing a pair of devil horns.

"hey!" Star cried indignantly "What is the meaning of this?"

"Relax Star" Marco answered with a shrug "They look good on you. Lighten up."

Star's rage cooled at once, her eyes staring Marco with awe gaze.

"What did you call me?"

Marco coughed loudly "I called you Star. Is that a problem?"

Star shook her head, a small smile forming on her pink lips "N-no...it's just...nobody has called me Star in such a long time..."

Marco felt guilt tug at his heartstrings at the sight of Star's happy yet wistful glance.

"Well...I'm calling you Star" Marco said neutrally, turning away so the princess did not see his red tinted face "So get used to it..."

"Marco?" Star's voice was so soft and gentle Marco couldn't resist staring upon her once more "C-could we watch some movies later? I...if you're not too busy."

Marco's face was impassive as he shrugged "Let's finish our homework first, then if there's time we'll watch a movie."

Star nodded as Marco made his way upstairs. She waited until Marco completely disappeared into his room before carefully touching the devil horns, unable to contain the smile spilling onto her face.

"Star...he called me Star..."


	73. Marculous Ladybug and Chat NoiStar (LB 1

Hello fanfiction. Mr.E here, still alive. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me and really make my day.

a special thanks to h mae- yes he did call her star when he wanted to be taken seriously. good eye mae. I can totally make more if you readers want more and here it is. honestly it's more my habit than anything. in jazz we were taught that while we are playing a song that countless people have and will play, it doesn't matter. we had to make it our own and that is what made it ours so i apply this to stories too so the original costumes feel a bit weird for me. also i think marco would feel weird about a skin tight jumpsuit. maybe i don't know. Could be overthinkng this. if you draw them, please feel free use the design you came up with i would love to see you prove me wrong and show they could've worked but i hope you enjoy the story nevertheless.

finn; thank you so much i shall try to keep it up.

flowey; you say that but sans killed you over and over again and i have a feeling marco and star aren't going to like you threatening them. besides you haven't claimed Frisk's soul yet.

misfortune- yeah but i suppose that's what makes it special when Marco says it. well here is the next chapter enjoy!

Anoymims- thank you for all your help. you shall be mentioned again soon!

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

romantic sloth: right? psst no need for the image, we all know how safe you are. haha.

guest; Aww but i love you! haha thanks for the review.

king of france: LOVEMUFFIN of course!

fabio: no worries you weren't being too critical at all. i know i answered your question in a pm but really quickly for anyone reading this. i usually speed up the development cycle of starco in stories due to length because i know i go crazy and sometimes write way too much. most of my stories are planned as oneshots with room to come back if i choose to which is why sometimes the growth feels so rushed. i don't really plan to come back unless i want to or you readers really want me to go back so that's why sometime the character growth is uneven.

imagine- if you readers really want me too, i will be more than happy to do another bad boy au.

sonicelite: no worries, life happens and we get busy i understand :) well i was going to do another bad boy au due to popular demand but you could use your request if you have something specific in mind that you really want to see from the au.

Richi- i suppose you want a part 2 huh? no need to apologize. i'm sorry it took so long. well it looks like i will be doing at least one more chapter of this so no worries. thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot to me and i am very honored i am your favorite, confused but honored :)

DM: well i tried my best and that's all i can do. i am happy you enjoyed it

Shadowgem: marco is always a BA though admittedly it shines a bit more in this one. okay i shall feel pride! i have felt pride, pride completed, modesty subroutines reengaged. thank you so much.

misfortune- that could be super cute. it'll be short but sometimes i need to ease up on length haha ill add it to the list.

Arsenal- haha yeah i think we all likey our violence a bit. just a bit given how much star vs has in it. haha thank you so much, if you would like to pm to work out the details, i would love to hear what you have planned.

grim- no worries they are not going anywhere, and i did warn you. i wasn't joking. even i was like omg this is getting too big i need to stop but i can't. damn you meglovania (Check out megalo strike back. love it!) where wait no longer part 1 of ladybug is up. yes one because i wrote too damn much i suppose you shall wait and see and decidd not to go with the musketeer for various reasons but i do have a musketeer au in the vault i need to brush off.

imadethistheory: honestly while i could see it happen, i don't think it was the case since toffee was with ludo every moment once he got into his little gang. personally i think toffee is working for or bound to a greater evil given his unstable reaction to star's magic (since the other monsters don't loose body parts to it, Star doesn't actively attack with really permanently damaging attacks, more to incapacitate them and that buff frog says he does not like the wand's magic" i also think we're going to have an enemy wand too.

RiderZ- hmm i'll look into that. not saying yes but not saying no either. i'll do some research in a bit.

Sans/Papyrus: Ah i see what you did there though i got to admit smoking papyrus is pretty cool and Sans with a scarf? awesome.

so here we go on starco corner we have a lot of awesome work but one really deserves to go first and really get the credit and exposure it deserves. a couple weeks ago finnjr63 asked me if it was okay to animate one of my older stories from this story. i said of course, you don't need to ask me. it's done and you can check it out over on tumblr finnjr63 and i highly recommend you actually stop reading this now and go see that firs.t it is incredible work and thank you for doing it finn! it is seriously amazing. star-marionettej2x did this super cute bad boy au sketch that you have to see. it isn't my story but it's still super cute. Also on my tumblr, mrevaunit42, anoymims drew a star as chat noir and i posted it for her since she doesn't have a tumblr, go ahead check that out and svtofeheadcanons on tumblr for some awesome random art. idrawcartoons1314 over on instagram has some cute sketches up too so there's some great art there to check.

next i am actually giving a little exposure to someone outside FF. Luna2633 over on wattpad. it's a darker star tale, still sweet but i would advise there is a self harm trigger warning so heads up for that. here on FF we got quite a few so here we go. star vs the forces of evil the text from amazingturtle, star vs the forces of mystery by twelve days of mystery, this story will self destruct in t minus from PDavis32 which is actually really good because it's a stand against people stealing your work in a form of a story and explaining what happened. ever after from artgirlullaby, Meet me in Elysium from Jennlovesjordan a percy jackson au. princess and the safe kid from PFTones, little talks from anoymim with a nice twist on the standard star vs. starshots from Skleero which i highly suggest you read, short stories about a star and its sun from my friend fabio, another highly suggested read. wands and weirdos from sonicelite tackling custom robo. miss that game. golfalphamike's starfall, whimsical what if from terisa. and hearts and hoodies from chimicherrychanga.

so first on the list, if you readers really want another bad boy au, i am moooore than happy to do so. so yes you will be getting at least one other bad boy au story. yay! I am very glad you all enjoyed it.

next the chapter after next is a series of request starting with golfalphamike's for a reason i will explain in a moment. the next chapter or maybe golfalphamike's i will put up a list. this list is not all the request but rather the ones that have priority because i gave them out as birthday gifts or presents or thank yous things of the sort.

so here we are the ladybug au and i did it again. i have to break it up into two parts because i can't stop writing and i don't want to overwhlem

A quick overview of ladybug. it's in paris and two superheroes exist for the moment. one is ladybug who represents good luck and chat noir which represents badluck. their have these sprites or fairies in everyday items called kwami which i think is japanse for god. anyway the fight a bad guy whose name in english hawkmoth who has the power to take the person whose having the worst day every and make them superpowered but also their puppet. that is basically all you need to understand this story. i did explain things to help but yeah that's basically it. umm oui means yes in french, i am not translating the villains name because it's fun like that and that's all i can think of.

a really special thank you to anoymimns who helped out me with the design of Star's outfit. i didn't use all of the design but like 80 percent of it is what she came up with and drew! thank you so much anoymims! your ideas and drawing helped so much!

okay so this is part 1 because i'm crazy and part 2 will be up tomorrow since it'll be shorter. i meant to have this up last week but honestly i've been crazy tired/ lazy because last week was daylight savings time and messed me up bad like my body is still confused what's going on when so i apologize for that and if this writing seems a bit off but don't worry i am getting into the groove.

so next time will be ladybug part 2, then golfalphamike's and since my best friend found out that i've been writing starco behind her back and i was hiding it from her, demanded a pirate au for her birthday so that's coming up too.

thank you so much for your support, your love of this story and of course your patience. i will see you tomorrow for the finale of ladybug. have an awesome day, night etc etc and i own nothing! enjoy!

* * *

It was a quiet, peaceful day in this little place known as Paris.

The sun was bright, the skies clear with puffy white clouds lazily drifting overhead, the sounds of life filled the city of love as people went about the daily grind, countless footsteps echoing from every corner as cars switched between the smooth pavement of the newer roads and the cobbled streets that survived throughout the years.

As usual, the Diaz bakery was overflowing with customers, the family of the tiny store/home never once having believed they would ever be considered the best bakery of all of Paris.

Above, in the attic of the building, was the room of the youngest Diaz, Angie and Rafael's son Marco who was hiding a rather large secret.

There was a cute, little yawn as the morning light broke through the window, basking a small palm size sprite-like ladybug creature in its glow. The creature opened her bright blue eyes for a moment before blinking sleepily. Her two antennas twitched as the sounds of someone approaching shocked the creature awake and causing her to dive out of sight as the little trap door that led to the bedroom began to rise.

"Don't worry mom!" Marco called downstairs, the excited murmurings of the customers filling the empty room with noise "I still got a few minutes, I'll be fine!"

Marco shut the trapdoor with his foot, stretching his tired body as he began searching for everything he would require for the following school day.

The little creature peered out of her hiding place, watching the young teen carefully as he doubled checked the sliver badge pinned to his gray undershirt, attacking his wildly messy light brown hair with a brush, the other hand blindly groping for a nearby red hoodie but missing the article of clothing by an inch.

The creature giggled to herself before taking off skyward, soaring through the air before slowly tugging the hoodie towards Marco's waiting hand, shaking her head as Marco slipped it over his head.

"Up a little early aren't you Marco?" The little creature asked, taking her place by his shoulder. Marco's head popped out of well loved jacket and grimaced at his newly wild hair.

Marco frowned, reaching for the comb he just put down "I was helping my parents with the morning rush. Today's Monday and the people of Paris can't survive without their coffee and horde of sugary Parisian sweets."

Tikki frowned at what Marco was saying, wondering if he realized what was going on.

"You woke up at 5:30 in the morning?" Tikki questioned, hoping to get Marco to understand what the problem was.

"Yep"

"After staying up until 3 in the morning studying for future chapters."

Marco nodded in agreement.

"Which was after fighting The Musketeer?"

Marco frowned "Wasn't the Musketeer during the carnival?"

"Which you volunteered to watch the kissing booth after you realized Star was going to be assigned to it as well."

Marco turned bright red, letting out a dreamily sigh at the sound of Star's name being said by the kwami.

"Star." Marco smiled brightly as he glanced around his room, the beautiful face of Paris's most popular model Star Butterfly staring at him from every direction. There she was in her viking battle armor, promoting some sort of horror movie about a human butterfly hybrid, holding onto some mysterious figure at a dance basked in blood red lights and of course his favorite picture of all that was tucked away in a sliver picture frame on top of his desk.

Star had wrapped her arm around Marco's neck, drawing him close and causing the young man to let out the goofiest smile ever recorded on film while she threw a peace sign over her own head, lips puffed out while the two stared into the camera.

Marco didn't really know Star but they were classmates at Echo Creek Academy and while she was on the reserved side, she was very friendly. More than willing to be friends with any and everyone, even Marco!

That is if Marco could get over his inability to talk properly in front of the seemingly magical girl. Or walk properly, or breath, or carry and hold things. Or any basic general functions that ceased to work anytime he was anywhere near Star Butterfly. He knew he should just stay cool, be calm but he couldn't help it. With her bright, oceanic blue eyes, long, sunshiny blonde hair and armed with the most beautiful smile, Marco Diaz's brain turned to mush every time.

Tikki laughed at Marco's awestruck face as he moved the picture frame Tikki hid behind back into its proper place. Tikki found it very adorable how much he liked Star even if he couldn't express it.

"What I am trying to say Marco" Tikki told him after a moment "Is that you are taking on so many responsibilities! Between your school work, trying to prepare for future class subjects and your duties as Lady..."

Marco's ears perked up, turning to face the little kwami with embarrassed cheeks "Ah ah ah! No no not Ladybug, Gentlebug."

"Gentlebug" Tikki gracefully corrected, finding Marco's defensive tone about his superhero name amusing "you haven't been getting much sleep! You're going to run yourself into the ground if you keep this up!"

Marco scoffed, waving off Tikki's concerns "I'm young and I took karate, I am at my physical prime! I have energy to burn!"

and just to prove his point, Marco began unnecessarily striking at the air with lightning fast attacks, chopping and kicking invisible foes before dropping into a dramatic pose.

Marco grinned slyly at Tikki before a groggy yawn escaped his lips, causing the kwami to shoot him a knowing look.

Marco sheepishly scratched his head "Look I'm fine Tikki. Maybe a little tired but I can handle it."

Tikki opened her mouth to say more but the sudden ringing of the alarm clock drew both of their attentions to the device.

"WHAT!?" Marco screamed at the top of his lungs "It's 7:56?! I'M GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!"

* * *

Star let out a quiet sigh, dejectedly stirring her scrambled eggs with her fork as the scraping of her plate echoed emptily all around her.

Star looked up in hopes that her mother would be willing to speak more than a handful of words towards her but given how Moon Butterfly's blue eyes were glancing downward at the various papers on the dining room table and how absentmindedly she was playing with her long, straightened to perfection natural periwinkle blue hair, it wasn't going to happen.

"Star."

Star nearly fell out of her seat at the sound of her mother's voice calling her name.

"Yes Mother?" Star excitedly called back, firmly planting her hands onto the table to steady herself in case she could not handle any more surprises from her remaining parent.

Moon Butterfly stared coldly at her daughter, eyes filled with a stoic calm that a politician would kill for.

"You say you wanted to go to school." Moon began slowly, her voice rigid and unfeeling "You even disobeyed me, sneaking off to enter such a place without your bodyguard and overall were displeased with the idea of not going."

Star's joyful expectations faltered for a moment "Mother, I..."

"And yet if I am correct, and I always am, the time is currently 7:56"

"Mother..."

"And what time does your school begin Star?"

Star's smile did a complete 180, the frown plastered on her face physically aching her muscles from the lack of experience with an upside down grin.

"It begins at 8 mother..."

"So you are going to be late" Moon provided "And thus the entire folly of your desire to go to school has been wasted..."

Star held back the tears, determined to get her mother to see her point of view "But mother, it is your day off. I was hoping perhaps we could spend it together? You've been so busy that I hardly see you anymore."

"Nonsense." Moon answered, returning to the papers that were apparently more important than her daughter "I see you at breakfast and dinner."

"Mother, please. I..."

"Go to school Star" Moon's voice held the sharp, finality to its tone "Or I will pull you out of that silly institution first thing tomorrow."

Star said nothing, elegantly strolling out of the room, refusing to allow a single shred of despair and hurt she was feeling to show upon her face.

Moon watched Star carefully, shaking her head disappointingly "She is far too fragile...she is safe amongst these walls but on the outside?"

Moon trailed off, returning her attention to the various fashion problems that plagued the older woman.

* * *

"Oh man how could I be late?!" Marco cried, leaping over a parked bike and its unmoving owner, sliding under approaching cake held table, even narrowly skidding past a car that decided to the best way to deal with a pedestrian was to speed up.

Marco glanced down at his phone, trying to ignore the 8:24 that his internal clock showed, mocking his failure and his attempts to reach the school at a reasonable hour.

"Can this day get any worse?!" Marco shouted at the top of his lungs, whirling around the corner at breakneck speeds only to find himself colliding with something solid.

Marco flailed backwards, nearly steadying his footing when a gentle breeze pushed beyond him, sending his entire body wildly sprawling facedown onto the floor.

"Ugh..." Marco grunted in pain, rubbing his chin softly as he rose to his feet, trying his hardest not lament the twist of events he found himself in.

"Owie." A familiar voice cried below him, a girl with bright blonde hair blanketing her face as she gently rubbed where she made contact with the ground, the devil horn headband looking very familiar.

"oh geez." Marco muttered, running forward to help the girl to her feet "I'm really sorry. I'm super late to class and I was rushing and I wasn't paying attention."

"It's okay" A cheerful voice answered, tickling his memories but producing no results "It happens and I was late too."

The girl flipped her long mane out of her face and Marco could feel his heart stop dead at the sight of Star Butterfly's bright blue eyes staring back at him, a flicker of recognition dancing within her irises.

"Marco!" Star cried excitedly, trapping the red hoodie teen in her quick embrace.

"S-Star!" Marco shouted unnecessarily loudly, wincing at the sight of Star flinching at his volume "S-sorry I...well..."

Marco could feel his cheeks heating up, turning a brighter red each passing moment until Star finally broke her hold on him, the step back she took doing nothing to help his nerves.

"Wow Marco, are you okay?" Star's concerned look was worse than Tikki's had been. She leaned in, her bright blue orbs focusing solely on him and Marco swore he could feel the steam coming out of his ears "You look really tired."

Marco's nervous chuckle was equal parts embarrassing and horrifying. Before he could stop himself, his hands were flying this way and that way in an attempt to help him explained what happened

"I was running and I was late because I was helping my parents bake today's inventory andI'vebeenstudyingallnightandIreallyreallywasn'tpayingattentionand...:"

"Marco" Star raised her own hands to stop the erratic movements of his "Marco it's okay. I'm fine! See?"

Star presented her arms and legs, gesturing to each individual limb like she was posing for one of her photoshoots.

"R...right..." Marco muttered quietly.

Star smiled gently at his embarrassed, shy tone, a trait Star always found endearing in Marco. She moved forward to give him another hug but stopped, remembering that she was in public and she couldn't be touchy feely with everyone.

Instead, Star placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly as she gave him a little grin of reassurance.

Marco could do nothing but stare in wonder towards the famous Butterfly, her beauty up close completely melting his brain and any reasonable thought process.

"Now come on, we got school!" Marco felt all the blood pool in his face as Star gripped his hand tightly in hers, pulling him forward to ensure the two finally arrived for their class. Though there was one little problem...

Marco's legs had ceased to function, failing to even move an inch as Marco fell towards the ground once more, landing ontop of his chin a second time but with an audience.

Star leaned over Marco carefully, anxiously biting her lips as she wondered if she had done something wrong "Marco?"

".hmm?"

"Are you okay?

"Mhm..."

"Did you want me to help you up?"

Marco shook his head, no longer able to trust his body if it became paralyzed by a single touch from Star Butterfly.

* * *

"Monsieur Diaz, Mademoiselle Butterfly thank you for joining us" Mademoiselle Skullnick, the trollish teacher spoke loudly to the rest of the class "I do hope you were not doing anything.. _.._ _inappropriate_ with one another instead of being inside my classroom."

Marco felt faint, the snickering of a dozen or so students causing him to hang his head down low in a desperate attempt to draw less attention to himself.

"Not at all Mademoiselle Skullnick" Star confidently answered " Monsieur Marco was assisting me, I had tripped over a rock and scattered my things all over the floor. I was working an early photoshoot and lost track of the time."

"Are you sure you tripped?" Brittney sneered, smirking knowingly towards Marco's direction "That whole falling down bit sounds more like _Senior_ Accident over there."

Marco glared openly at Brittney, fist clenched in anger at the sound of Brittney's mocking Spanish accent.

Skullnick sighed, feeling disinterested and annoyed already and it was only the first class "Please you two take your seats and stop being a distraction."

Marco grumbled his way over to the seat behind Star's, elevated and a perfect view to catch glimpses of the beautiful Star Butterfly.

Marco let out a loving sigh, dropping his head drop onto his waiting hand.

"You know if you keep staring at her, you're going to burn a hole into the back of her head."

Marco let out a strangled yelp, trying his hardest to bit down the surprise from escaping his throat but Skullnick let out a frustrated sigh, turning back only to see the entire class focusing solely on Marco who gave a nervous chuckle and shrugged his shoulders.

"...do I have to send you out Marco?"

Marco bit his tongue so he wouldn't shout at Brittney to stop smirking his way with that knowing glint in her eyes.

"No..I...it won't happen again."

Skullnick narrowed her eyes "good or else you will be sent outside. Understand?"

"Oui"

Marco took his seat with all possible haste, the orchestra of teenage gossip and conversations filled the room as Skullnick began writing on the black board once more.

Marco shot a dirty look to his best friend Jackie who simply smiled in response.

"Don't surprise me like that Jackie!" Marco harshly whispered

"Don't make it obvious you're staring at Star" Jackie countered, reaching into her bag and fishing out her phone.

Marco frowned before looking back towards Star, joyfully talking to her best friend Patrica "Pony Head" Harrison without a care in the world, Patrica braiding her long, pink horse-like mane.

"I can't help if she's pretty" Marco muttered back "She's perfect and I totally embarrassed myself in front of her coming to school."

"ooooh" Jackie cooed, nudging Marco playfully in the side "did you at least manage to talk to her?"

Marco puffed out his chest with pride "Better, I managed to speak an entire sentence to her!"

Jackie's face slipped into one of playful disbelief "Let me guess? One long, run-on sentence started calmly then breaking down into rapid fire speed?"

Marco's face was everything Jackie needed to confirm her theory.

Marco slipped his head lower as Jackie patted his shoulder "I'm sure you'll be able to talk for reals to her next time!"

Marco tried to retort when Jackie shoved her phone screen directly into his face, a website whose theme was red and black ladybug pattern with the words "Gentleblog" on a banner written in some sort of unnecessary fancy writing.

"Now for my news, I got actual footage of Gentlebug and Chat noir fighting Musketeer yesterday! And it is amazing!" Jackie gushed, pulling her phone back to her, absentmindedly putting on her attention on the little video she uploaded to the blog.

Marco shifted uncomfortably. Ever since he found the miraculous and it's kwami Tikki, he'd been using the power granted to him by the little badge and its guardian. Luckily the suit change came with the territory and was not something he needed to carry around.

While he was growing more relaxed and confident in his role as a superhero, he did not like keeping secrets from anyone, especially his best friend Jackie or his parents and he always felt awkward whenever Gentlebug was brought up since everyone spoke highly of the teenage superhero but Marco knew they would be severely disappointed with the person behind the mask.

And yep, there he was.

Marco still was unsure how anyone took him seriously in his superhero outfit: A crisp white collared shirt always pressed to perfection, a red vest black slacks and loafers with the ladybug pattern tie and mask completing the look. He looked more like a theme waiter than a superhero.

"He is the coolest! And I even got when Chat Noir entered the scene."

Marco stifled an eye roll when his fellow superheroine leapt flamboyantly onto the scene, soaking in the attention and admiration like a sponge.

Honestly, Chat Noir wasn't that bad. Reliable, passionate about doing the right thing and was a key member of their superheroing duo.

And she was really pretty with her long blonde hair tied up into two long braided ponytails, two adorable green cat paws on her cheeks. She wore a regular black blouse with 3 horizontal green stripes on her sides with a black skirt with an alternating pattern of green and black trim, black leggings and boots with her green and black elbow length gloves.

The thing about working with Chat Noir was...

"Hey, aren't we looking _purfect_ today sir" Chat Noir's flirtatious voice called from the tiny speaker "And very dashing to boot."

the flirting and the puns. She loved to flirt and make puns, no matter how serious the situation.

"Oh come on!" her perky voice shouted through the screen "You need to be arrested! You've stolen my heart!'

Marco frowned at Chat Noir's confession, Jackie quickly murmuring under her mouth about how cute the two would be paired up together.

Marco didn't know if Chat Noir was sincere or not. Most of the time it felt like another one of her jokes, her puns. Something said simply for the sake of saying it.

But there were those rare moments where...where she felt like she was bearing her heart to him, like she truly loved him and want nothing more than to be with him.

But that was impossible. She didn't know him, only what she thought she knew of him. If she knew who was really under the mask...she'd...

"Mademoiselle Thomas" Skullnick's voice appeared from nowhere, covering Marco and Jackie in her enormous, frightening shadow "No cell phones in case."

Before either could say anything, Skullnick swiped the phone away from Jackie with a speed greater than anyone could've guessed.

"Hey wait a minute!" Jackie cried out, rising to her feet in pursuit of her phone, her foot accidentally kicking her beloved skateboard away from her.

"Are you arguing with me? Skullnick snarled, unable to believe a student had the nerve to talk back to her.

Jackie opened her mouth, only to close it under the older woman's frightening gaze, shaking her head submissively before taking her seat once more.

Skullnick sulked away, the entire classroom's attention shifted onto what transpired rather than the skateboard slowly descending towards the middle of the steps.

The slow movement caught the sight of Brittney who smiled to herself, an evil plan forming in her mind.

She stood up without permission, strutting her way over to where the skateboard lay and, with purpose, put her left foot on its surface, her hands gripping a nearby desk for support as she pushed off.

Skullnick snapped the chalk in her hand, her tolerance for any more outbursts finally extinguished.

She turned around in time to see Brittney holding on for dear life as the skateboard slipped under her foot, propelling itself far away from the rich girl with forceful speed. Brittney managed to steady herself with the desk, taking deep dramatic breaths as Skullnick bellowed "WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

"J-Jackie's skateboard!" Brittney accused, pointing her finger directly at the confounded girl "It rolled over here and I nearly tripped over it! Jackie must've shoved it towards me when she stood up."

"Hey!" Jackie shouted, standing to full height "It was an accident, I didn't mean to trip her even if she deserves it."

"Mademoiselle Thomas!" Skullnick's voice threatened.

Jackie shook her head, unable to believe this was happening "But I..."

"Principal's office. NOW!"

Skullnick's yell shook the whole building causing trails of dust to fall from the ceiling.

Jackie said nothing, opting to angrily grab her bag, roughly shove her things within and storm off, stomping her feet loudly as she picked up her skateboard and exited the class.

The class was quiet for a moment before Ferguson called out "So she's going to turn into an Akuma right? That's got to be like the shittiest thing to happen to someone today."

Marco felt his blood run cold, the idea of Jackie becoming an Akuma, better known as a evil solider of the master villain The Papillon, a scary idea indeed.

Everyone stared at Ferguson, silently praying that he'll say it was all a joke and that he was kidding.

Ferguson stared back at everyone "You know it's true."

* * *

Jackie fumed, holding onto the strap of her bag tightly, her self righteous fury spreading all over her body in waves.

"What's this?" A smooth, slick voice called out, the window to their beautiful chamber opening, allowing the light to pour in and scatter the countless white butterflies that inhabited a room "Such despair, such fury. An injustice caused to an innocent? The perfect mix for a dangerous foe."

The person held out his hand, allowing one of the beautiful butterflies to rest upon his palm, unable to escape once he clasped his free hand over it, dark energy surging into the creature, turning it a blackish-purple tinge.

"Go my little akuma, fester and feed on her sorrow, on her anger.

The butterfly flew into the sky, easily reaching the school within moments and finding a home inside Jackie's skateboard, completing the link between puppet and puppeteer.

Jackie felt a fog swirl inside her mind, clouding and confusing her thoughts, the feeling of a mask lightly touching her face as a soft, sleek voice called to her.

"Slipstream, I am The Papillon. I saw the injustice done to you and wish to help you correct it."

Jackie smiled evilly, her rage and fury bubbling to uncontrollably heights "That little brat always ruins everyone's day. She needs to be punished!"

"Agreed but in exchange for this power, I expect something in return."

"Name it Papillon!"

"The heroes of Paris: That stupidly named Gentlebug and Chat Noir, their miraculouses. Bring them to me."

"and what do these Miraculouses look like?" Jackie questioned.

"You...you don't know?" The Papillon hesitantly replied.

"Well unless you are imagining them and can transfer your thoughts to mine, no, no I do not."

There was an awkward pause "Well most of minions don't really ask up front. I mean when they finally fight them, I usually tell them."

Jackie scoffed "So you distracted your minions with information they needed to know before during a crucial moment of battle?"

"umm...well..."

"and what does your name mean anyway?"

Papillon's voice was indignant "You're french, how do you not know?!"

Another awkward silence.

"It's a badge and a ring."

Jackie grinned slyly as she nodded her head in agreement "Consider it done Papillon."

* * *

The class was quietly working when the sound of something approaching at high velocity broke the silence.

The windows began to shaking violently as the rumbling grew louder and louder, cracks breaking the glass surface steadily as the door was blown in by a powerful gust of air.

Papers scattered, tables trembled from the force and everyone was knocked around while a lone figure stood in the doorway.

"Told you!" Ferguson cheered, raising his arms in victory "Jackie's an Akuma! Ferg for the win!"

No one celebrated with the overweight teen as Jackie rolled her way inside the room, her skateboard now blacken and spiked covered.

Jackie wore a white helmet with a single streak of blue trailing across from the back to the front and a clear visor. She was now dressed in skintight motorcycle suit that was white with several blue stripes crisscrossing in random directions, 3 long, sharp claws protruding from her fists.

"Brittney Wong!" Jackie called out, pointing a set of her claws directly at the terrified teenager "It's time to show you what justice can really do!"

Jackie pulled a seashell from her back pocket before throwing it as hard as she could at Brittney, the shell embedded itself deeply into the desk near the girl's face.

Jackie ducked low, her body tensed as both her and the skateboard shot off with an amazing display of speed, a wooshing, swirling cone of air current spinning around her so quickly that it produced gusts of wind that knocked everything and everyone off balanced.

Brittney scurried, being shoved to her feet as Jackie smashed her bladed fist into the desk, the force of her attack causing the wood to splinter and fold under the weight of the assault

Marco covered his face as the air current caught up, slamming into the remainder of the desk, the weakened wood crumpling while a powerful burst of wind spread out from Jackie in all directions.

Jackie let out an maniacal laugh "You can't escape Brittney, I'll show you what happens when you push the wrong person aro..."

Jackie glanced around the room, the moaning of every student but one filling her ears.

Jackie turned to the door way to see a disheveled Brittney trying to sneak out of the room, more than content to leave her fellow classmates behind.

"BRITTNEY!" Jackie screamed with a bull-like roar that shook the building ferociously.

Brittney let out a little eep before bolting down the stairs.

Jackie narrowed her eyes, drawing out another seashell and tossing through the open doorway, trailing after a moment of preparation. The air current and speed of Jackie shattered all the glass panels and spread the broken shards throughout the bottom floor of the school.

Jackie hovered in mid-air for a moment, the lure of gravity not yet grasping her or her board. She drew another seashell, arcing her arm backwards before tossing the item through the front doors of the school. Jackie quickly followed after the little object and blasted the doors off their hinges with her powerful air attack.

Marco groaned, tiredness biting at his eyes as his body cried out in a sore pain.

Uneasily, he reached for support, using his desk to lift himself to his feet and steady his bodyl

"Yep" Ferguson's bushed voice called from the back row "She's an akuma."

"Shut up Ferguson" The class chimed in as one.

Marco shook himself out of his stupor, looking around to see if anyone was in dire need of assistance.

He spotted a pale hand reaching upwards, clawing at the air in hopes someone would help.

Marco limped over, taking the hand firmly in his own and using all the strength he could muster, helping the person to their feet.

"Ugh, what happened?" Star muttered, leaning on Marco for support as she recovered.

Marco felt his whole body stiffen up at Star's touch, his cheeks blazing red as Star embraced him tightly, whispering into his chest "Thanks Marco."

Marco cough loudly, pulling away from Star and sheepishly waving her off "No problem Star. I need to go to the bathroom! All this akuma thing has really made me..."

Marco trailed off, deciding that shutting his mouth and getting as quickly out of sight was the best course of action.

"me too" Star said to no one in particular "I need to freshen up my face. I feel so faint after such a dangerous attack."

* * *

Marco ducked into the empty boy's restroom, covering his eyes with his open palms.

"Ugh, I have to go because the akuma freaked me out so much I have to pee? Seriously Diaz?!"

Tikki flew out of his pocket, staring down the distraught teen.

"Marco, this isn't the time! Jackie's been turned into an Akuma and we need to stop her."

Marco peered at Tikki with one uncovered eye, letting a sigh escape his mouth before standing straight and agreeing with the little kwami.

"You're right Tikki, we need to get a move on. I can worry about how badly I embarrassed myself in front of Star later."

"That's the spirit!" Tikki concurred, smiling brightly towards Marco.

"Tikki, spo.." Tikki closed her eyes, prepared to be sucked into the miraculous badge and fuel its power.

But Marco didn't finish the phrase.

"Tikki, do I have to say it?"

Tikki stared at him, unable to believe Marco was bringing this up now "Really Marco? Now?"

Marco raised his hands defensively "I know, I know it's silly but isn't there another way to transform? I mean the phrase seems kinda silly."

"Marco!"

"I mean it sounds like someone made it up to make it more...I dunno...superheroy? You know? Why can't I say 'Tikki, transform me!'? I mean it's straight forward and to the point."

"Marco!"

"I mean is the phrase region locked or something? I can only say it depending on where I live? I..."

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz!" Tikki forcefully called "this is not the time for this."

"Right, right. Tikki...s...spots on!"

Tikki closed her eyes as she spiraled into Marco's exposed badge, turning it from sliver to red as a surge of magical energy coursed through his body, his superhero outfit forming around him. Marco could imagine a red splash background behind him as he dance this way and that to ensure that the costume properly tailored itself onto his body.

Marco look at himself in the mirror: Mask check, fancy clothes check, weaponized yo-yo, still wondering why it's a yo-yo but check!

"Here we go!" Marco shouted excitedly, propping open the bathroom window and tossing his magical yo-yo outside it, pulling on it once it secured itself around a suitable chimney and taking to the sky like Spider-man.

* * *

Star locked the girl's bathroom door behind her, letting out a sigh of relief once she was in a private, well secured area.

There was a lazy yawn that filled the room as a small, black cat creature floated out of Star's pocket and glanced around tiredly.

"Hey, this is the girl's bathroom" The cat creature whined, quickly covering it's feline green eyes "I can't be in here, I'm a male."

"Plagg" Star scolded "This isn't the time. Besides no one else is here! Now come on, we got to hurry. There's an Akuma on the loose!"

"Oh" Plagg answered disinterested "Who is it this time?"

"Jackie. She turned into this bullet like speed demon."

"Jackie?" Plagg paused thoughtfully "Isn't that girl you're envious of? The one who hangs around that guy all the time? What's his name...?"

"Plagg" Star cried, trying to wave off the cat creature from finishing his train of thought.

"Oh right" Plagg smirked "Maaaaarco"

Stat felt her cheeks flush and decided to glare at the mystical creature "I will starve you Plagg."

"Then you can't transform into Chat Noir" Plagg countered, sleepily stretching his muscles "Besides I thought you were in love with Gentlebug?"

Star's flush worsen "I..well..he's...I mean..."

"You can't believe in love with two people, it's silly" Plagg teased, lightly pinching at the girl's blushing cheeks.

"I know I know but...sigh. It's hard you know? I mean Gentlebug is so confident, talented, amazing! And Marco he's so sweet. And kind and adorable and I...ugh..."

"You know" Plagg replied in a matter of fact style of voice "how can you be in love with Gentlebug if you don't even know who he is?"

"I _know_ who he is Plagg" Star shot back "he's a hero, a handsome, great hero! And I love him."

Plagg blew his tongue at the model "Love is overrated and way too mushy."

Star stared at him, a partly annoyed and partly knowing gleam in her eyes "Love is not overrated."

Plagg nodded in disagreement "Sure is!"

"Nah uh"

"Yeah huh!"

"Nah uh"

"You love Camembert cheese, don't you?"

Plagg gasped, appalled that Star would go that far "How dare you! Leave the Camembert out of this!"

Star smiled triumphantly "Check and Mate."

Plagg pouted, sticking his tongue at Star "That was low...bringing the cheese into this. By the way, do you have any?"

Star shook her head "No time Plagg, we need to transform and meet up with Gentlebug."

Plagg laughed "I can't believe Tikki found a guy to be ladybug. She's never done that before. I mean he must be really girly if she picked..."

"Plagg" Star's voice called, devoid of any emotion "Claws out."

Plagg let out a surprised yell as he tried his hardest to escape the pull of Star's white ring but it was pointless. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shirk his responsibilities as a kwami.

Plagg was sucked into the ring while Star posed with the accessory, putting it near her face as the ring switch from white to black.

Star smiled to herself as her devil horns transformed into her cat ears, the cute blouse, dress, gloves and boots forming at once. She could see the green splash screen behind her as she couldn't help but pose for the invisible camera.

She checked herself in the mirror, satisfied how especially cute she looked today. She winked at herself, confident that she would win over Gentlebug this time.

"Well time to get to work!" She told herself as she kicked open the locked bathroom window, drawing her staff out before leaping out the window gracefully.


	74. Marculous Ladybug and Chat NoiStar (LB 2

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, hope you are all doing great. thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they make me so happy and motivate me to write more and more.

a special thanks to Sonicelite- welcome to the club! honestly though my favorite is the french version because the dialogue is better. the american one gets pretty cheesy. and while i love the show, the animations get scary sometimes. thank you so much and please enjoy part two.

Whitemysticalwolf- haha i hope you didn't surprise anyone. i too live for both show though i wasn't aware there were any crossovers of them. mind sending a few my way? haha i came up with the papillon joke because he always talks about the miraculouses like they can see him imagining it (Which always happens) and he only tells them what it looks like when they're locked in combat. the spots on joke came from the fact that the american version has to have a kiddy catchphrase and sometimes its like seriously? seriously? haha aww love you too.

Finnjr: thank you for your review and no problem, you worked so hard on it. it was the least i could do :)

Misfortune- i think part 2 is weaker but i hope you enjoy it all the same.

Anoymims- thank you so much. i really wanted to capture the two shows and i've always been good at mixing and matching. i loved your design it was awesome and very original. haha cute! and i have honored to have worked with you. i had fun poking fun at the show and yes river is ma'am. haha that part was on accident. i think i've been too much youtube videos of it. haha enjoy part 2

Catalyst56: I am doing requests though admittedly it would be pretty back on the list. i know all about second son. pm me with the details like if you want starco (even friendship starco is cool) and who you want to be Delsin (Star has the power but Marco looks more like Delsin) I recommend the dubs because the american dialouge gets cringe worthy sometimes. hope you enjoy the show!

shadowgem- thank you so much. when i used to write only for my best friend, she would routinely challenge me to mix two shows movies games etc etc together and i got pretty good at it. (not at all!) i personally feel part 2 is weaker but i am pretty harsh on my own work. P.S i'm still betting on dark star who will be star but more rude and standoffish but still kind. more like omg i guess i'll help you but dont tell anyone type.

Sparklesona- well to be fair this is the first time i am doing the ladybug au so it was easy to miss. i am glad you enjoyed it and hope you like part 2.

echonumbers- i thought so too which is one of the main reasons i chose Star as Chat noir. it fit her better and i wanted to see how Star would react to plagg. i think they would have the sibling dynamic.

guest: right? and once i was told i was doing an undertale request, i came up with that line and it had to be in.

cartoonlover187: i am happy you liked it, thank you for reading a bit of it to make sure i was doing it right. still feeling off from day light savings. haha like Adrien, she's a bit dense.

grim- well the three musketeers are actually about a new person trying to join. so the basic story right now is Marco wanting to join Star, Janna and Jackie who are musketeers. still not sure length wise since the first book and most movies are a conspiracy. here you are and in honor of the show, i won't tell you but honestly if you watch the show, it's kinda obvious though i hope they don't go that way.

so on starco corner it'll be quick since it wasn't too long since i updated. it's really stories since i haven't checked my tumblr. we have a new chapter of whimsical what-if from terraeca, starshots from skleero the storm from Pdavis32, Little talks from Anonymims, Wands and weirdos from sonicElite.

So here we go part 2 of the ladybug au. I think it's weaker but i could be wrong because i still feel off because daylight savings time. another special thank you to anoymins who helped designed Star's outfit. Marco is wearing a red vest, white collared dress shirt, black slacks, a ladybug pattern mask, tie and badge *His miraculous* Star has her long blonde hair tied up into two long braided ponytails, two green cat paws on her cheeks. She wore a regular black blouse with 3 horizontal green stripes on her sides with a black skirt with an alternating pattern of green and black trim, black leggings and boots with her green and black elbow length gloves. (Thanks again Anoymims) and jackie is wearing a white helmet with a single streak of blue trailing across from the back to the front and a clear visor. She was now dressed in skintight motorcycle suit that was white with several blue stripes crisscrossing in random directions, 3 long, sharp claws protruding from her fists.

So there's a few more jokes and pokes at the show and one of the main problems i had with giving Star a skirt as Chat Noir.

So i will be working on my solo series and when we come back next week, it's pirate au or Golfalphamike's request. probably GAM's.

well have an amazing week, great day, night everything. enjoy ladybug part 2 and if you readers want to see more ladybug au, i am considering writing the Fergudor chapter but i'll let you wonderful people decide. i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

"WOOO!" Star let out a cry of excitement, closing her eyes and basking in the rush she felt as the wind blew through her two braided ponytails, her body resisting the pull of gravity for a moment before freefalling to the street below, grabbing onto a nearby streetlamp at the last second and launching herself skyward with a mighty kick.

"God I love this!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, effortlessly landing on top of a nearby building, stopping for a moment to take in the breath taking view of a nearly peaceful Paris.

Star let out a comforted sigh. She loved being Chat Noir despite the danger. Aside from the modeling gigs her mother set up for her, her newly acquired classes at the local school and pretty much the millions of things she's been enrolled in which included fencing, Spanish, study of animals, assistant librarian, lady in waiting, Star really didn't have much time to herself. Or freedom.

Star knew after the loss of her father, her mother became more distant and protective of her, overcompensating her failure to protect him by smothering Star and while it was done with the best of intentions, it made Star crave the outside world even more and caused the young girl to find new and creative ways to undermine her mother's attempts at keeping her safe.

Star felt guilty about that, even more so about hiding the duality of her life for so long, but she couldn't help it. Paris was beautiful, each day brought a new experience, she was making a difference and saving lives, she had friends! And she even felt cupid's arrow pierce her heart not once, but twice.

Her alter ego of Chat Noir may have came with a heavy burden but it came with a precious gift too, one that she would not squander though her attempts at flirting have been met with...interesting results.

Whether by pure instinct or habit, Star couldn't help the reserve nature she possessed when her mask came off. While her true personality managed to loosen itself from the stronghold that was her upbringing, it only occurred in bursts and in the form of smaller gestures such as a hug, a pat or the rarest action to date, holding Marco's hand.

And boy did she love to hold Marco's hand.

But as Chat Noir, mask firmly in place, her suppressed, cheerful nature could not be contain any longer. It was just...liberating though Star should really learn to keep herself in check. Every time Gentlebug was nearby, she couldn't help but shamelessly hit on him, trying her hardest to get him to understand her feelings for him were true (and not at all in conflict with her feelings for Marco). She dreamt of nothing more than discovering what wonderful person lay beneath that mask, the face of her biggest hero.

There was a loud scream that cut through Star's thoughts, Star's exposed arms crawled with goosebumps as she could feel the peaceful, tranquil air shift into a tension, panicked state.

Star narrowed her eyes, focusing them on any small details that could help her find Jackie and her akuma. True that she couldn't actually capture and purify the akuma (while still questioning Gentlebug's whole 'devilize' wordplay), she could slow and weaken her. They were a team and they depended heavily on one another.

Star's false green eyes widen as a powerful gust came from out of nowhere, nearly knocking the superheroine off her feet and the rooftop.

Star crouched low, digging her razor sharp claws into the tiling to steady herself while the violent winds died down.

Star leapt high into the air, easily clearing several buildings and streets in a single bound.

Star landed with a soft thud on a small balcony overlooking a street square. The area appeared to be deserted with the only signs that remained of human life were some over turned snack carts, randomly discarded phones and high end designer bags.

Star shook her head at the rampaging Jackie, the superpowered girl pouting and angrily stomping back and forth, randomly throwing seashells here and there, her body and her skateboard always chasing after it within a moment, protected by the swirling, fierce air current during the journey and smashing into where the shells lay with the full force of the airy barrier.

Star bit her lip, wondering if she should try to weaken her on her own or wait for Gentlebug to show up so they could take her together.

Slipstream felt the light touch of Papillon's mask, their connection reestablished for a brief moment.

"Forget that stupid brat" Papillon spat, voice filled with disgust "I sense a miraculous nearby! Chair Noir's. Bring it to me now!"

Jackie scoffed, rolling her eyes in disapproval "Fine, I'll find Brittney later but for now."

Star barely managed inch her body out of the way of the approaching seashell that embedded itself where her boot had just been.

"Well, that's not good." Star muttered to herself as Jackie rocketed her way, leaning forward on her skateboard like she was riding the very wind itself, the air current twisting around her entire being so quickly that the streams made her look like an oversized bullet.

Star leapt sideways, straining to find her balance as Jackie crashed into the roof above the balcony, completely smashing the building into itself as the air current popped, a powerful burst of wind scattering in every direction with hurricane-like force.

Star extended her claws, driving them as deep into the woodwork of the building before the aerial assault overtook her, her arms nearly popping out of her sockets from the strength of Jackie's attack.

"Whoa, hot air much?" Star teased, pulling free in time to narrowly avoid taking Jackie's skateboard to the skull.

"That doesn't even make sense! I'm not even talking!" Jackie cried, lunging forward to tackle Star but failing to take into account the cat based superheroine's agility.

Star leapt over the akumaized Jackie's head effortlessly, extending her bo staff into fighting position, twirling it expertly and perfectly relanding onto the battered rooftop, prepped for combat.

"Sure it does!" Star countered, holding her staff with two hands and striking at Jackie "I mean because there's lots of air? And you caused it?"

Jackie ducked under Star's swipe, countering with one of her own, the three pronged claws narrowly missing Star's cat tail "I thought it mean when a person talked too much! You know because breathing out of the lungs makes it warm?"

Star let out a frustrated growl, sweeping at Jackie's leg in hopes of tripping her foe "Metaphors are so confusing!"

"I think it's an idiom" Jackie shot back, leaping over Star's attack and tossing a seashell over the shoulder of the distracted heroine.

Star scoffed in disbelief "That's a rude thing to say!"

"I said idiom, not idiot you idiot!" Jackie grinned, the air current shield reappearing in a flash.

"Oh boy" Star muttered to herself as Jackie placed her board under herself, feet firmly planted before she rushed at Star with full force, riding across the roof like it was her birthright.

Star held up her staff to absorbed the blow but Jackie had accelerated far too quickly in too short of a time. The staff held off the skater for a moment before the winds furiously knocked it out of Star's hands, sending it spiraling into the streets below.

Jackie hit Star with an incredible power, causing her to let out a pained grunt before she was shot off the building, tumbling and free falling onto the concrete below.

Star closed her eyes in hopes somehow the act would lessen the pain from the fall even though she knew it to be childish reasoning.

Marco pulled his weight forward, using the momentum he was gathering to build up enough speed to clear several city blocks within seconds. He disentangle his yo-yo at the apex of his swing, pushing his body as far as he could, soaring across the Paris skyline gracefully before arcing his hand backwards, mustering all the strength he could into his next throw.

He prayed he didn't miss or Chat Noir would be a splat on the ground and as conflicted as he was about her flirting, he did not want to lose her as a partner.

Marco used his best baseball pitching throw he can mange in the short time he had, letting out a silent cheer while his magical weaponized yo-yo caught the cat by its tail, slowing her down while speeding Marco up.

That was phase one of the plan but Chat Noir was still in danger and now Marco had tossed himself into the fire with her. But luckily Marco wasn't Marco but rather Gentlebug.

Marco twisted his body mid-air, diving straight for a nearby overhead streetlamp. He wanted to run some calculations about speed, velocity but he did not do so for two reason. The first: He forgot the equation for the pull of gravity. Second, it was better if he didn't calculate his odds for survival. Made being a hero easier if you didn't know the odds that were stacked against you.

Star let out a surprised yelp when she found her body slowing as it fell to the earth, she let a whoop when she began reversing course and began lifting back upwards and she nearly burst into tears when she slowed to a stop, hanging upside from a lamppost, the world Topsy turvy as Gentlebug descend upwards from the sky.

"Well hello good sir" Star purred flirtatiously, trying to calm her racing heart and burning cheeks "Would you like to reenact the scene from Spiderman? I'll even let you be Peter Parker."

Marco shook his head as his feet touched the ground, holding his grip on the wire firmly while covering his eyes "Sorry Mary Jane but we're going to have to put that idea on hold."

Star pouted, crossing her arms in disappointment but still sending him a smirk "I'm not hearing a no. Wait why are you covering your eyes? Too pretty for you?"

"No, your skirt. It's...umm...well..."

"Pervert!"

"I...I'm not!" Marco squeaked, shaking his head defensively, hoping there was no one nearby who heard Chat Noir's claim.

"I'm joking. Look."

Marco shook his head "no it's a trap."

"I swear it's not. Look."

Marco slowly removed his hand from obstructing his view only to find Chat Noir's skirt being pulled down towards the floor but it was okay due to the fact she was wearing bike shorts.

Marco simply stared at her as he let loose his grasp on the yo-yo, Chat Noir gently falling onto and laying across the cobbled road.

"I thought cats always landed on their feet?" Marco teased, trying to stifle a laugh and blush at Chat Noir's intense focus on his face.

"Well I try but we all can't be _purfect_ like you Gentlebug." Star teased, winking towards her heroing partner.

Externally, Marco's face was impassive but within his tiny chest, his heart beat like a wild drum.

"Nah nah Chat, you used that one before. No repeats." Marco wagged his finger towards the downed kitty.

"Fiiiiine" Star whined, lifting both arms up and making grabbing motions with her hands "Come on Gentlebug, time to be a gentle _man._ "

Marco rolled his eyes as he leaned over Chat Noir, allowing the girl to wrap her arms around his neck tightly as he held her waist, lifting her to her feet without a hint of trouble.

Marco let go at once but Chat Noir held a death grip on him, holding him close in a very intimate manner

"Ooooh, you always pick up girls or am I just the lucky one?" Star cooed softly, enjoying the sight of Gentlebug squirming uncomfortably under her embrace.

"Work, remember?" Marco said flatly, ducking under the girl's embrace and taking a step back.

"Psst, you need to relax a little" Star scoffed "But I get it, we're on the clock."

"Actually more like on duty" Marco replied, offering the staff back to Chat.

"Save my life and a present? you spoil me, you know?" Star chuckled, taking back her weapon and giving it a good twirl "I missed my baton."

"Actually it's a staff." Marco corrected, pulling his yo-yo back into his waiting hand "A baton would be much shorter and it has a handle. Usually a grip too."

Star looked impressed at Gentlebug "Impressive, can you tell me why skater gurl is called Slipstream?"

A seashell sunk into the pavement beneath their feet, the telltale roar of Jackie's approach warning them of the incoming danger.

As one, the duo leapt backwards, narrowly dodging being crushed by the momentum of Jackie but still struggling to steady themselves from the violent winds she created.

Marco scrunched his face in thought as he tried to recall the definition of the word "an assisting force regarded as drawing something along behind something else. So she's following the path of her seashell throwing stars causing her to speed up and attack with powerful air currents."

"Handsome _and_ smart. I'm struggling in school, can we set up a study date? Heavy emphasis on the date part."

"Seriously" Jackie's voice was indignant "This is not the time to flirt."

Star shrugged as the two fell into their standard combat forms "This is the only time we hang out. No other time to flirt."

Jackie grabbed the skateboard by the front truck, holding in front of her forearm like a shield as she charged forward, wildly slashing with her claws.

"Whoa, I'm getting wolverine vibes here!" Marco shouted, aiming his yo-yo straight for Jackie's seashell necklace only for Jackie to deflect the attack with her board.

"What are you doing?!" Papillon screamed inside Jackie's head "Do not let them destroy your skateboard or you will lose your powers!"

"Do you always micromanage? That would explain why your minions lose. Too busy being distracted by your shrilly voice!" Jackie snarled, spinning rapidly like a top and lunging towards the heroes in a whirl of spiky board and razor sharp claws.

"It's her seashell necklace!" Star cried out, rolling out of the way the Jackie twister, the sound of the very air being sliced in to filling both heroes ears "It's got to be! She's really making sure we don't get too close to it!"

Marco frowned, not wanting to insult Chat Noir but his instincts were telling him it was her skateboard, that this was some sort of bluff.

Papillon's rage cooled, the brilliance of Jackie's plan began to make sense "I see, I suppose you are not as dimwitted as the others."

"Thanks!" Jackie shouted, her foot connecting with Gentlebug's stomach and sending him skidding across the ground.

Jackie smirked towards the fallen hero, tossing another seashell directly towards him.

Marco twirled his yo-yo at full speed, deflecting the projectile and rushing forward to prevent Jackie from trailing after it.

Jackie smiled manically towards Marco, the skateboard sliding under her feet as she flew full speed towards the hero.

Marco leapt back, throwing his yo-yo to the closest building and swinging away to avoid Jackie.

Marco let out a sigh of relief when he landed on the roof, taking a moment to catch his breath when he caught sight of a seashell deeply embedded next to him.

"Shi..." Marco muttered as the wall of air slammed him upward, knocking him unconscious as he fell towards the waiting claws of Jackie.

"Yes, YES!" Papillon screamed joyfully "Take his miraculous! It's his badge on his vest. Take it! TAKE IT! NOW!"

Jackie jumped, startled by the reappearance of Papillon and catching her off guard for a brief moment.

"Damnit Papillon, I'm working!" Jackie yelled angrily at her boss.

"You should quit!" Star cried out, swinging her staff towards the distracted Jackie's side "Find a different line of work. One less jerky."

Jackie dodged Chat Noir's sudden attack though the staff found its target, separating the seashell necklace from the girl.

"Good bye akuma!" Star said cheerfully, destroying the accessory underfoot.

Star removed her foot only to find no akuma, only bits and shattered pieces of the shell.

"Gentlebug was right!" Star exclaimed, eying Jackie's skateboard carefully "It's your board."

Jackie grinned evilly "yeah but too bad he won't be around much long."

Jackie pointed up and Star couldn't help but let out a horrified gasp as Gentlebug fell towards the street.

Star dove after him, digging her claws into the roof tile while she grabbed at his ankle, grunting with effort.

"ugh, you need to lose some weight good sir" Star grimaced through her clenched teeth

Marco moaned, eyes fluttering open and finding himself in a familiar position.

"So...how bad is it?"

"Pretty bad" Star answered, the soft clack, clack, clack of Jackie's footsteps too loud in her ears.

"Right. Lucky charm!" Marco shouted, tossing his yo-yo high into the air, a bright light filling the sky as something fell into his waiting hand. Marco could practically see the spreading hearts and red background that would've came with the power if this was a kids show.

"What is it?" Star asked, straining to keep her grip on the only thing keeping the both of them alive.

"it's a mirror..." Marco answered passively, frowning at the ladybug pattern compact in his hand.

"Seriously?! You don't wear make up, do you? I'm all for progressive gender roles but that's a deal breaker for me."

"I'll keep that in mind" Marco told her as he glanced around, trying to piece together a battle plan.

The world faded into black and white to help Marco focus. Marco glanced upwards towards the sun, its bright glare blinding him for a moment. Marco turned around and caught sight of Chat Noir's claws and staff. Marco glanced upwards and noticed the pouch behind Jackie's waist, no doubt where she kept the seashells that dictated her movement.

Marco nodded to himself "Chat, toss me!"

"What?! Have you lost your mind?!"

"Yes but that's not important! I'm going to borrow your staff, toss me and get ready"

"Yes sir!" Star nodded as Gentlebug took her staff, pressing it against the side of the building and willing it to extend.

Star let go of the roof as the staff pushed the pair of them away from Jackie, building speed before the staff began slipping loose from the wall.

"Time to fly buggy!" Star smiled, throwing Gentlebug as hard as she could.

Marco held the compact close as Chat Noir fell below, holding onto her staff for dear life.

Marco opened the little compact mirror, angling the reflective surface carefully to catch the glint of the sun and sending it in Jackie's direction.

Jackie's visor did nothing to block the glare of the sun, blinding her completely and forcing her to raise her hands to protect herself.

Marco pulled his arm back and tossed his yo-yo at Jackie's pouch, wrapping itself tightly around it and with a mighty tug, the pouch ripped loose from her waist and scattering the seashells all over ground.

"Wait..." Jackie cried, panic inching into her voice. "Wait, wait!"

but she couldn't wait, her body automatically responding and placing her feet ontop of her skateboard against her will.

"Oh no" she muttered as the board propelled itself towards the shells, smashing an unprepared Jackie into various obstacles such as carts, trees and the ground repeatedly, causing the girl some discomfort as her stomach began trying to heave itself out of her throat.

"Chat Noir!" Marco shouted, using his yo-yo to safely land on the ground.

"Gotcha handsome!" Star replied cheerfully, raising her claws before calling out "Cataclysm!" dramatically turning this way and that to fully charge the special attack. Star liked to imagine a green splash background behind her when she did this.

Star's right claw became infuse with a blackish, oily hue that covered her entire hand.

Jackie tried to stop herself but she kept wildly being tossed every direction, the board failing to heed her desire to stop.

Star lunged forward as Jackie crossed her path, Star's magically infused claw bypassing the air current shield easily and allowing the heroine to hold onto Jackie's board, the power of destruction flowing into the item and cause it to dissolve into nothing.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH" Jackie skidded across the road, tiredly groaning in pain as the black butterfly akuma floated from the sludge that remained.

"Time to devilize!" Marco swung his yo-yo, the center of the object sliding opening to reveal a bright white circular container for the akuma "Even though I think purify is a much better word!"

"I know right?" Star agreed, smiling softly at the sign of the akuma disappearing into the white void only to emerge a pure, beautiful white butterfly, Gentlebug waving goodbye and calling out to the disappearing animal "Bye bye little butterfly."

"Miraculous Gentlebug!" Marco shouted, tossing the compact high only for it to come sailing back onto his head, causing him to frown, annoyed.

"Sorry handsome" Star told him with a wink "You know the words."

Marco let out a sigh before retossing the magical item once more "Miraculous Ladybug."

The compact dissolved into a flurry of red and black magic, quickly spreading over and fixing everything that was damaged from the battle, even Jackie's skateboard.

The magic swirled around the fallen Jackie, disappearing as she sat up, completely back to normal, clutching her head dizzily "Wha? Wait, Where am I?"

* * *

Papillon stared out the window, righteous fury bubbling and coursing through their veins.

"You have won this round Chat Noir and Gentlebug but hear me, the winds of victory will not always remain in your favor and when the breeze shifts, I will be the one that shall bring the end of your halcyon summer."

Papillon paused as the window began to close, silhouetting the villain in darkness "That was cool sounding right? Related to the akuma that was just defeated? This is really hard to do day to day."

* * *

Chat Noir and Gentlebug stared contently at Jackie who had returned to normal.

"Pound it!" The duo called to one another, sharing a congratulatory fist bump.

Marco was reveling in the glory of victory when there was a loud beep that caught his attention, his ladybug patterned badge loosing one of its spots.

"Oh no, our miraculouses. We're going to turn back to normal soon" Marco told Chat Noir, waving goodbye before turning to leave.

"Wait."

Marco felt his heart stop as he felt Chat Noir's hand wrap around his, despite the gloves, he could feel a familiarity in her touch.

Marco faced Chat, unsure what she was trying to do.

"Would it be so bad?" Star asked, her voice soft "Would it really so bad to know who the other is?"

Marco said nothing as Chat stared him, her green eyes bright and wide but feeling off to Marco. Like that wasn't her proper eye color.

"Chat..."

"I care about you." Star told him, holding onto his hand like her life depended on it "A lot. You are so incredible. So amazing. A real hero, inspiring. I..."

Another beep, the badge lost another dot and the ring lost another claw, slowly counting down the time before the point of no return was crossed.

"Gentlebug" Star whispered

Marco shook his head "No...I'm not who you think I am. I am not cool. I'm not awesome. I'm not anything special. I'm just a guy who happened to get the ladybug miraculous. I do what I can because only we can. I'm sure there's a better person for this than me."

The silence overtook the duo, conflict of interest pulling at their resolve.

Star let out a sigh, deciding this wasn't the time to take her chances, they both had some growing to do.

Marco said nothing as Chat Noir came closer, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before throwing him a wink "Stay handsome. Till next time sir."

And like that, she was gone, leaping far away from him into the distance.

Marco retreated, ducking into a nearby alley just before the power of the miraculous ran out, transforming him into nothing special Diaz once more.

Marco lightly touched the cheek that Chat kissed, unsure what to do about the girl's apparent feelings.

He held the weaken Tikki, slipping the kwami into his pocket before disappearing into the crowded streets of Paris, just another face in the crowd.

* * *

Star sat against her bed after the school took an 'akuma attack' day, sighing as Plagg viciously ate a piece of cheese.

"What's wrong?" Plagg asked curiously, tossing the last bit of Camembert and chomping down on it eagerly "Ymou sume dowmh"

Star sighed once more "I think I came on too strong today."

"Yes you did. Kissing his cheek? Pretty bold of you."

"What else am I supposed to do?!" Star cried "I just...I just want him to know how I feel! Is that so wrong of me?"

"Yes, you're too emotional."

Star glared at Plagg "No more Camembert for you."

Plagg let out an anguished shriek, openly sobbing at the loss of his beloved cheese.

"and you say I'm too emotional. Why does a cat eat cheese anyway?"

"I'm French."

Star wasn't buying it "You're French?"

"Le Meow" Plagg replied with a sly grin.

Star couldn't help but burst out in giggles, the sheer ridiculousness of Plagg just too funny to ignore.

Star's phone beeped, catching Star's attention

Star hurriedly unlocked the phone only to find a new message waiting for her.

"Who is it Star?" Plagg asked, secretly reaching for an unguarded piece of cheese the model forgot to hide.

"It's Pony Head, she's said there's going to be a play in the park and...EEP! Marco's going to be there!"

Star pumped her fist in victory, rushing over to her closet in order to pick out an especially cute dress.

"Well at least you know Marco likes you" Plagg called to Star, scarfing down the cheesy treat with no restraint.

"Marco doesn't like me" Star called back "he just really clumsy...and cute...and adorable...and so sweet."

Plagg shook his head, unable to believe how dense Star could be.

* * *

Marco stared at the window of his two story home, lost and confused.

"Marco?" Tikki asked shyly "are you okay?"

Marco let out a tired yawn, fatigue slipping into every inch of his body "Yeah...I just..."

"Chat?"

"How could she like me?" Marco went on "I...I'm nothing special. I'm just a kid who can't even handle life. I'm not much of a hero."

"You are a hero!" Tikki stamped her cute little foot on his desk "You wouldn't have been chosen if you weren't! And you did great today and with every fight, you just get better and better."

Marco was still unsure "...Tikki"

"Mind your strengths Marco and be ware of your weakness. But to do that, you must be honest with yourself."

Marco opened his mouth to response when his phone buzzed quietly.

Marco flipped it open to find a text from Jackie waiting for him.

"You saved Jackie's life. You are a hero."

Marco gave the cute little kwami a gentle grin as he read Jackie's message.

"What's it say?" Tikki asked curiously.

"She's telling there's a play in the park. Awesome, I hope it's some good William Shakespeare...she says..."

Marco let out a gasp, racing for his closet and began violently shoving out various clothes and jackets from within.

"Marco?" Tikki questioned.

"She said Star's going to be there! I get to hang out with Star!" Marco cheered, quickly picking his best hoodie, gray shirt and black slacks at once.

Tikki shook her head, wondering if Star or Marco would ever figure out that their love square was just a two way street.

"I'd give it 2 or 3 more seasons" Tikki told herself softly.


	75. Not so tough (Story prompt, Bad boy AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, alive and kicking. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and seriously make me feel very lucky.

a special thanks to axis25- thank you so much for reviewing my entire catalog of stories, i shall have more up shortly.

sonicelite- kwami's powers are unaffected by something as small as the fourth wall. le meow and i shall!

Finnjr- tikki knows all. even how long the wait for both couples to get together.

Catalyst- i think i know what you're talking about but i'm drawing a blank right now. i'm glad you enjoyed it and soon it'll be ferg's turn.

echonumbers; thank you so much. sorry for the long wait, took a bit a small vacation.

shadowgem. it seems like it sometimes huh? well thank you i think it felt off because i was feeling off. i shall keep it coming since it's back monday! MONDAY!

whitemysticwolf. you'd think they'd be more. and you can its about more details really. go on try it i believe in you! :) right? why america why? you don't need to catchphrase everything! yeah it was fun to write her as chat.

anonymins- it's like a musical. where the hell does the music come from since it's supposed to be real life? NO ONE QUESTIONS IT! hopefully fergudor goes as well but i shall try.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

misfortune. i think you got them all but i'm curious which ones you think weren't there. i spared no expense to hide all them jokes.

meexdtroller- i am happy you enjoyed it and they'll be at least another au of ladybug.

PDavis- yeah it's kinda the issue with ladybug show right now. it's always like well are you going to know each other yet? no. fine don't pay attention to the hair color! there will be at least one more ladybug au but i'm not sure if i want to do my own like omg reveal. we'll see. welp you get one extra bad boy au.

cartoonlover- haha i love fourth wall breaks. yeah for the sake of story he couldn't be.

arsenal- i know right? i think that's why the ladybug au is so popular. it's 2 people with 2 different personalities in love with one another making a square. haha just too awesome when done right.

lupus- i know right? we need more star ladybug cross overs! MORE I SAY! for this first chapter, chat and marco have not interact since it's kinda early in their career, when i do fergador i will have that marco meeting chat and star meeting gentlebug. it was getting long so i couldn't fit it here. yeah it's kinda if you squint hard enough you can figure out hawkmoth in both universes. haha that's the ladybug fandom. love square with two people. awesome i'm glad i'm getting better with fight scenes.

grim- You will have at least one more with Fergador and yes, you are right. yeah i wanted to play around more with janna and jackie since i've given ferguson and alfonzo a lot of screen time.

here we got, starco corner. been pretty light but Star-Marionette is now marionette-j2x on tumblr with cute zootopia drawings and sara over on idrawcartoons on instagram has some more cute fan art up. STVOFheadcanons has some awesome work from everywhere on tumblr as always.

umm FF here we go. long list been gone a while. well first is axis25 causing emotional feels with nothing comes easy, star vs the rebellion vs the foreign enemy by twila star which really makes me want to do my xcom 2 au already, meet me in a Elysium from jennylovesjordan, star vs the forces of evil beach trip from sonic elite, princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482, STARFALL from golfalphamike, ripples from my good friend watermalone, the great cute finale of diaz family road trip from unluckywrites, ice cream cones and kisses simply whimsical. star vs the forces of evil 2: A continuation from kieran wespell, dimension of infinite tales from smitty theories and miss what if. starshots from sklreeo, dimensional disasters from inspired creativity, wands and weirdos from sonic elite. ever after from artgirllullaby

sorry for being gone so long i hadn't meant to. time just got away from me but i'm back from my i guess not really vacation and here to write as usual. i wrote this to get back into the swing of things so this was a prompt for weeklystarcoprompts which is coming back to the bad boy au since that's this weeks story prompt. so this is a continuation of my bad boy au, taking place over the weekend when star and marco became friends.

so that's about it, when we come back we got requests a plenty starting with either a pirate au i owe my best friend OR golfalphamikes. thank you for every single review, favorite, and follow. they mean the world and you readers are just too awesome. enjoy and i own nothing! plus i think star's back the 18th. YES!

* * *

Marco's eyes shot open as the light pitter patter of footsteps echoed softly through the darkness of his room.

Marco glared into the inky void, wondering who was lurking in the darkness.

Of course he knew _who_ lay hidden within the shadows of 5:30 in the morning but he really was hoping he was wrong. He did not want to wake up early today. Today was Saturday and his parents had already left several hours beforehand to visit his grandma further up north in the land mass that was known as California which meant freedom. No school, no yard work, no chores, no awkward car trips to the store that always ended up with his father teasing him about the newest foreign exchange student the Diaz decided to house. Today was his day to sleep away, to simply lay in bed and just exist!

Marco closed his eyes, hoping the hushed breathing that filled the room would get the message and leave him be.

But given how the dainty, light almost floaty footsteps kept inching closer only to retreat when they came too close to the sleeping boy meant that she wasn't getting the hint that Marco was not to be disturbed.

Marco let out a silent groan, sitting up and turning on the lamp sitting on his bedside drawer so quickly that the person let out a surprised yelp at the sudden illumination that flooded and chased away the pitch darkness.

"Butterfly" Marco growled with barely contained annoyance "What are you doing?"

Star giggled nervously, anxiously twiddling her thumbs as if she was a small child, eager to avoid trouble while still trying to succeed in her goal.

"Good morning Marco" Star politely responded, curtsying in her purple sleep dress with a refined grace only a princess could possess.

It had been a month or so since Star Butterfly, perfect princess, arrived on Earth to practice the use of her magic wand and while she had won of the hearts and minds of the populous known as Echo Creek, one remained unfazed by her...Starness.

Marco took an instant disliking to Star which grew due to her inability to leave Marco alone. Every other moment she was pestering him about proper posture, proper manners, proper speech, proper proper proper and Marco had been properly sick of it to the point where he would actively tease and rile the girl up in hopes to shake her loose of both her condescending pride and seemingly perfect facade.

And for nearly the entire month, the two had gone to war about any and everything they could: Star's inability to have fun, Marco's horrible etiquette, Star's goody goody nature, the fact Marco was lying to his parents about ditching school (though not his grades). The world was fair game and each was gunning to knock the other off of their high horse.

Until a few days ago when the two unexpectedly bonded. Suddenly the haze of hostile and preconceive notions had vanished when the two realized some deeply profound facts about one another. Underneath Marco's jaded, harden exterior was the heart of a kind untrained gentleman and hiding within the refined, perfected princess of Star lay a girl who just wanted to be a teen and all that came with being one.

That day shifted the relationship of the two dramatically: Marco was less hostile and more playful in his teasing and fights while Star backed off about his general attitude and manners, opting to poke and prod him here and there like a concerned parent rather than force her training down his throat like a drill sergeant.

And the change was obvious to all causing discomfort in Marco.

He didn't want anyone to assume that the rouge bad boy was going soft, letting the perfect princess win him over with her grace and charms.

But, on the other hand, he found himself more open and accepting of Star than he ever thought was possible. He even began calling her by her first name rather than the more distant, less friendly Butterfly he employed during the open weeks of her stay.

Except for moments when he was annoyed, those he couldn't help but call her by her last name to show her that he meant business.

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, wondering what could Star possible want this early in the morning "Butterfly, stop peering around the bush and just tell me. What do you want?"

Star pursed her lip, her words automatically corrected and suppressed by all the training she received at Saint Olga's.

"Well, Marco, I was thinking that if it didn't trouble you too much, that..." She began but Marco shot her an irritated stare.

"Just say it Star"

Star stared at Marco, quietly the enjoying the sound of her name actually being said outloud by someone.

"Fine" Star conceded "I would like to have some of those triangle shaped food you made the other day. They were quite delicious!"

Marco moaned once more, glaring at his electronic alarm clock clicking the time away without a care in the world.

"Ugh, you had to wake me up this early just to ask me about my nachos?"

Star nodded cutely, her bright blue eyes wide with joy, her smile free of distaste or forced politeness which Marco admitted was nice to see and he was seeing a lot of that particular smile directed at him lately.

Normally Marco would've told her to buy her own and gone back to bed, ignoring any and all attempts Star made at convincing him otherwise but with that smile and how adorable she looked pouting his way, mentally trying to nudge him into complying, Marco felt his resolve weakening.

Marco was growing soft and they both knew it.

"Staaaar" Marco whined, his hands shaking his already messy hair further as he gripped two handfuls of his light brown in his grip "It's going to take me forever! I can't just make them within a few minutes! It's going to take hours..."

"Well then" Star replied with a mischievous grin "I guess it's a good thing you're already up then huh?"

and without another word, Star skipped cheerfully out of his room into the darken hallway, her humming joyful and triumphant.

Marco stared blankly into space, unable to process what just occurred, his mouth opening and shutting repeatedly as one thought came to mind.

"Did she just play me?! SHE JUST PLAYED ME!"

* * *

Marco stared groggily into the metal machine with the iron center, the thick puddle of cheese silently and slowly simmering to perfection under his less than dutiful watch.

Marco glanced to his left, unable to stop his features from throwing daggers into the eager princess's face, her eyes twinkling with interest and wonder.

It was very cute to be honest and...

Marco shook his head violently, catching the attention of Star who stared at him with worry.

While Star chose to remain in her pretty sleep dress, Marco had slipped into his gray undershirt and black sweats with his purple bad boy beanie resting on his head, covering up the distractingly enticing messy bed hair from Star's gaze but not her thoughts.

She didn't want to be weird or anything but Marco's hair looked so soft and she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to run her fingers through it.

Star could feel her hearts flare up, threatening to glow with a soft pink tinge if she didn't regain of her train of thought soon.

"So" Star coughed, clearing her throat from the moments of quiet that she broke with her voice "What is this magical device?"

"It's a crock pot" Marco replied, the deadpanned edge to his voice sailing over Star's head as she cooed, impressed by the machine.

"Oooo, there's a little crocodile cooking up our cheese? Such a talented cook!"

"What?" Marco shook his head, turning to face Star to make sure she understood "No, it's what the machine is called! It's a slow cooker. It slowly cooks the food so you can lock in the flavor and savor it better. I use it to make sure every inch of the cheese is well cooked so the taste is even."

Star nodded, pretending to understand what Marco was saying. It was easier this way as if she admitted she didn't know what he was talking about, Marco would go into this long explanation of the nuances of his craft and Star would become even more confused.

Marco knew Star didn't understand a word he'd said but that was alright. He was the one doing the actual cooking. He'd handle anything in the kitchen department when either of them craved a certain meal.

Wait a minute, Marco thought to himself, what did I just...

"So how long does it take?" Star's bouncy voice cut through his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh..." Marco frowned, trying to regain his bearings "an hour and a half or so. It's not a very large batch. Just enough for me and you and it's like 6:40. Not too long now"

"and your parents? Aren't you going to make some for them?"

Marco shook his head "They're coming home late today. By the time they get here the cheese will be too cold and it doesn't taste the same reheated."

"You are really passionate about cooking huh Marco?"

Marco shrugged casually, finding nothing impressive about his secret hobby "Mom told me I couldn't keep beating up the people that made fun of me, that I needed a way to channel my anger so I started cooking. Nothing more, nothing less."

Star shifted guiltily "So...people made fun of you?"

Marco scoffed "It doesn't matter, everyone gets made fun of. It's life and we have to deal with it."

"Is...is that why you learned how to fight?"

"Whoa Butterfly" Marco raised a hand to stop her "you don't got enough Marco points to ask that question."

Star fell silent, fearful that she overstepped her boundaries once more, a lesson from childhood she always had difficulty growing out of. She had just gotten Marco to be more courtesy towards her and she was already messing up everything again! Ugh, Star just starring everything again.

"Here" Marco went on, no trace of defensiveness or hostility "Why don't you get the milk from the fridge Star? might need to make this cheese a bit thicker."

Star smiled brightly, internally sighing in relief that she didn't ruin all the progress she made with the bad boy so far. In fact, Marco had even asked her to help out!

"Okay Marco!" Star agreed, rushing over to the refrigerator with reckless abandon.

Marco tried to keep his face as passive as possible, trying to stop his heart from running out of his chest at the sound of Star's happy tone. Ugh with his luck her Starness would be infectious.

As Marco began chopping the various toppings that would joining the cheese in his stomach, Star pried open the heavy fridge door, eyes scanning thoughtfully at its contents before landing on the carton of milk, gingerly reaching and holding onto the object like she was holding onto life itself.

She turned to ask Marco how to open the magical container but before she could get the word out, Marco swore outloud, wiggling his finger like he was trying to remove something from his hand.

"Marco?" Star asked quizzically, peering closer to see a trickle of red liquid sliding down his palm and onto the floor.

"Son of a fuck" Marco cursed, causing Star to wince "Shit. Fuck, god that hurts like a bitch."

"MARCO!"

Marco caught the distress that filled Star's call, he looked only to see an uncomfortable Star covering her ears with both hands.

"Sorry." Marco muttered softly, reaching for a paper towel to nurse his wound.

"Thank you" Star answered before realizing that the red liquid seemed to be coming from Marco's finger, pouring out of a small opening just at the tip "Oh no, did you cut yourself?"

"Yeah" Marco admitted quietly "It's just a nick. I'll be fine. It looks a lot worse than it is."

"Marco, come here."

Marco barely had a chance to process Star's words when the princess firmly grabbed his wrist, carefully pulling him closer to her as she drew the wand from god knows where.

Before Marco could interject, Star flicked her wand, muttering some magic words under her breath.

A surge of magic filled Marco's body and for a moment Marco felt a warm, syrupy feeling fill his chest as the cut sealed itself, reforming the broken skin and leaving no trace that anything had occurred.

Marco glanced at his finger gratefully "I thought you weren't supposed to use magic."

"I'm not supposed to use magic _irresponsibly_ " Star countered, carefully placing her wand on the countertop "I'd say healing is a pretty useful spell for a future queen."

Marco shot her a small smile, one that caused the blood in her cheeks to warm "Touche princess. Thanks. Now open that milk before the cheese becomes too hot."

"wait!" Star held onto Marco's wrist "There's one last part to the spell."

"Oh?" Marco was interested what else could be needed for a spell that clearly worked "And what's that?"

"This" Star answered simply before bringing the healed appendage closer to her face, planting a light kiss upon its skin.

Marco felt his knees weak, his heart skip several beats and might've even stopped working altogether as his brain burned the feeling of Star's soft lips into every memory space available.

Star nodded in approval before returning to her previous task, unaware of Marco simply staring in her direction.

Marco coughed loudly, returning to cut the rest of the unsoiled toppings while resisting the urge to give himself a few more nicks for good measure.

Star peered at the carton once more, unsure how to break the seal and release the milk from within. The rectangle box with fin top like a shark wasn't too sturdy but there was no instructions on how to open it and like her father said, if something is flimsy, it was clearly meant to be knocked in.

With a content grin, Star squeezed the middle of the carton with as much force as she could. Living on Earth was...

Splat, pop and a cold feeling ran down Marco's neck, the back of his shirt becoming wet for no apparent reason.

Marco whirled around to see Star in the middle of what appeared to be a milky explosion, a half busted open carton in her hands and the substance that laid within splattered all over the walls, floor and both Star and Marco.

Star frowned, shame deeply etched in her features. There was no way this could get any worse!

Star felt her heart drop at the sound of Marco's chortle, a barely held together chuckle that lasted a moment before erupting into a full on chorus of pure laughter. Star felt embarrassed, mortified, unable to believe this could happen! She ruined something else and she wanted to just die in that moment.

"OH MY GOD" Marco wheezed, unable to breath due to his laughing "OMG YOU ARE SO FREAKING CUTE!"

Star raised an eyebrow at Marco's statement, wondering if this was some sort trick or joke but as Marco's eyes began to tear up from the lack of oxygen, Star saw no malice, no ill intent, just...joy. Not annoyance, not disappointment. Mirth. Happiness. Genuine bliss in his light brown eyes.

"Oh man that...that...haha...go...go change Star" Marco managed to get out between giggles "I'll clean up here! Haha...HAHA."

Star opened her mouth to argue but Marco simply shooed her out of the kitchen, still trying to keep himself under control while he cleaned her mess without a fuss and as Star quietly made her way up towards her room, she could've swore she heard Marco tell himself how adorable she was.

* * *

Marco chuckled once more, happily chewing on the perfect delicious bliss he created, savoring every moment, every bite of his nachos. It took a lot of work and he might've not wanted to make it but even he had to admit this was probably the best batch of nachos he ever made.

Marco stopped for a moment, wondering where Star had disappeared to. She had been gone a full 20 minutes and while normally he didn't care, he was in charge of her well being while her parents were gone.

Marco relaxed upon hearing the soft pitter patter of Star's footsteps coming down the stairs

"About time Butterfly" Marco called out with false annoyance "The nachos you were bugging me for were getting cold."

"Sorry" her voice replied from the base of the staircase "I forgot something."

Marco turned to tease her only to stop upon seeing what she was wearing.

She decided to put on her blue royal dress, different shades of blues bringing out every inch of the unearthly beauty that she was.

But what caused Marco to stop mid-tease was the devil hairband that sat comfortable on her golden hair, the very same one Marco gave her a few days ago as a gesture of good will.

Star smiled at him before taking a seat across from him, digging into her bowl of nachos with reckless abandon, letting out happy moans of pure joy at the taste of a treat she craved for so long.

Marco focused on his plate, eating much slower than before.

"You know Marco, I was thinking maybe we could go to the movies today or just go out? What do you say?"

And as Marco looked up, being caught unaware by Star's bright, eager blue eyes that seemed to sparkle like the ocean, Marco glanced towards the headband and how content Star seemed to be despite the comical horns on her head and he answered the only way he could.

"Sure Star, we can do that"

He was getting soft and they both knew it.


	76. babysat (Story prompt, Nova VS)

Hello fanfiction. Mr.E here. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and make it so much fun to write for you all.

a special thank you to guest; I will do another don't play with your food. not a full series but another oneshot and sorry for forgetting about your review.

finn- thank you though i am planning to do another bad boy au story but i haven't planned it out yet.

Catalyst: I am glad to be bad and not too out of shape writing wise. yeah eventual softening works. ah yes randy. i remember now. and honestly there's only 12 plots in the world and only soooo many ideas in the world. i'm just glad they did handle it in two different ways.

cartoonlover: well he has to get softer thus changing haha yeah i'm nerdy when i cuss. it's either swears or something like son of a youngling murdering sith in a tin can. haha

princessxgilex- i am happy you enjoyed the story and thanks for the review.

guest- thank you i shall try to keep it up.

Axis25: I think it's a core trait for star to be adorable even evil she'd be adorable. oh yeah Star isn't leaving and Marco doesn't want her to go. haha she must be super cute to look adorable in milk.

romantic sloth: and i don't think she knew she was. clever girl. thank you so much and i hope you keep enjoying them.

shadowgem- depending on where, nachos are great. it is universally agreed, star is adorable the council of starco has spoken!

sonicElite- fluff..in..eyes. check, noted and added to the list of symptoms thank you so much bro. i have eaten the victory cookie! it was good. need more.

anoymims- i have not heard that song in foreeeeeever! FOREVER Marco is so soft and it really was. even i thought so. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

heroaedrianmontilla- i am glad you enjoyed. i really am glad i came up with a pretty decent way to use it in my stories. and yes i will be working on both very soon. for private reasons, i kept pushing starco academy back.

grim- i know i can be very...detailed and long in my stories so i need to remind sometimes a smaller story works as well. haha yeah my clone tried to kill me but i think we know who won...please tell me i'm not sure. haha she needed to make sure it work.

mr .Enigma: sounds interesting but i'll need more like if you want them together, what's going on, if star has the wand etc etc so for now it's a maybe. feel free to flesh it out or contact me.

so on starco corner we don't have much starco. umm marionette-j2x on tumblr is teasing more janco (janna and tom) which is cuter than it should be! my good friend h mae over on hains-mae on tumblr has a really cute adrien marinette and starfire drawing colored in and all. finnjr63 on tumblr has some awesome sketches up and updated his somebody to love video with captions that add dialouge to the animation check it out on their tumblr or search somebody to love (SVTFOE animatic) on youtube and for heavy starco check out SVTFOEheadcanon on tumblr.

we got a few awesome stories. nothing comes easy from Axis25 who is trying to make cry! and fear for the lives of people. meet me in Elysium from jennylovesjordan ever after from artgirllullby, fall of butterfly from Candianinernape.

PLEASE READ THIS PART

so this story is another prompt, some more warm up but also i couldn't resist. this is a prompt from weeklystarcoprompt on tumblr this subject babysitting and i was given permission and the okay that i could use Nova and Connor in this story and thus here they are. lightly. well a small role.

so some background on this story. this story takes place 7 years before Nova vs. Nova is 7 years old and Sol isn't an idea yet. Star and Marco have been married 7 years but due to some legal complications due to Mewni and their alliance with other dimensions treaty, Marco and Star's marriage is not considered legal to them and Star is banned from living or visiting Earth. Star and Marco work tirelessly to change this and with a little help Ferguson (Who turns out to be very popular in other dimensions) They are very close to getting Earth into the alliance and thus allowing Star and Marco to be considered legally married and letting Star live on earth with her family. This is all canon in the nova vs universe and hopefully explains some things about their personalities and such. any thing with the futures au tagline is noncanon.

Next time I will be doing the requests, i know i've been saying that a lot but sorry things came up. In between requests the current list is as follows a suicide squad, three musketeers, role reversal and maybe frozen, deadpool and kingsmen. not sure yet.

Thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me as do all you readers. i will be working on my long neglected stories soon so keep an eye out for that. have an awesome week, take care and enjoy! i own only two things in this au.

* * *

"You know" Star said calmly, throwing Marco a playful wink as the two children danced around their feet, one giggling and laughing without a care in the world, the other trying his hardest to retrieve his glasses from the girl who had stolen them off his face"When I decided to pop in from Mewni to visit, I had no idea our daughter had a playdate."

The 7 year old little girl stopped at once, her electric blue eyes narrowing as her heart covered cheeks pouted angrily while her tiny hands found their way to her hips, her medium length light brown hair pigtails swaying in the wind as she looked sternly at Star.

"Mommy, it's not a playdate! We're just babysitting Connie because his parents are busy."

The young girl yelped as the pair of black thick square rimed glasses were yanked out of her hands, the 7 year old boy gently placing them in front of his forest green eyes, his messy unkempt black hair becoming more unkempt as he frowned towards the young girl.

"Nova, that's not funny! I need theses to see, you know I can't see things if I don't have my glasses."

"It was just a game Connie!"

"Stop calling me Connie Novy!"

Marco and Star chuckled at the sight of the two best friends lightly arguing with one another.

Nova Analise Butterfly was the proud daughter of Star and Marco, the spitting image of her mother though having a head full of her father's hair color, a little butterfly clip nestled comfortably in her hair and matching very well with her little blue sundress and sandals.

Connor or Connie Sinclair was rocking a green t-shirt with brown shorts and sneakers and a frown on his face.

"Novy, you are so mean" Connor whined, unable to stare directly at his best friend.

"I was just teasing. Lighten up Connie"

"Nova" Marco sternly called to his daughter "Be nice to Connor, he's our guest today."

"Guest? We're not at the house." Nova argued, eyes wandering across the many aisles of the supermarket and briefly wondered if her daddy was okay. He didn't remember where they were! Not a good sign for someone his age.

"He's still our guest and we need to be polite."

"Okay Daddy."

Star shook her head, trying to stifle a laugh at the sight of the two young children finally noticing where they were, their quiet staring now filled with awestruck wonder at the sheer size of the gigantic store.

"Look at them! It's like they've never seen a store before. Hee so cute." Star cooed, savoring the joyful features on her daughter's face.

"I know another Butterfly that was completely lost with awe and wonder the first time we stepped into a Walmart" Marco teased, playfully nudging his wife before adding a wink.

Star flushed a bright red, turning her head away from Marco so he couldn't see her glowing hearts "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I have pictures to prove otherwise."

Star whirled around to a smug looking Marco holding his phone threateningly

Star scoffed and rolled her eyes "There is no way you kept those photos."

"So you admit there were photos?" Marco shyly shot back.

"When" Star went on, pretending she didn't hear Marco's retort as she gently tugged at the soul patch growing neatly on his chin "Are you going to get rid of this? You're 28 Marco, not 17 again."

"Hey!" Marco cried out indignantly "You said you liked it back then!"

"We were dating Marco and younger, of course I did like it, I thought it looked cool!"

"And now?"

"Now we're married and..." Star answered, pulling Marco closer and catching his lips with her own, savoring every moment of their romantic gesture before letting him loose "It makes you look less manly."

Marco couldn't keep the stunned bliss off his face, his eyes still closed as he wobbled uneasily on his feet, his body still paralyzed from Star's kiss.

Star giggled at Marco's silliness as his eyes fluttered opened, a completely dazed look overtaking his face before slipping into a pout.

"Ugh, that's no fair! That's cheating." Marco whined, eying Star's lips carefully as if they were ready to pounce upon him once more.

Star gave him a cheeky smile, running her hand throw his hair before teasingly replying "You love me."

"Of course I do" Marco told Star, sliding his hand around her waist and dipping her low in front of the entire store without a second of hesitation "Do you love me?"

"Marco!" Star shouted, her red hue becoming redder as people stopped and stared at the young couple "Everyone's looking!"

"So? Oh, I know. I should give them a show?"

"M-Marco!"

"Shall I start singing?" Marco questioned before taking a large gulp of air.

"Of course I love you Marco!" Star yelled, trying to keep her heart from running out of her chest at her very public declaration of affection.

Marco said nothing as he helped Star to her feet, mockingly bowing to the princess before allowing her to smack his arm in false anger.

"You are _so_ silly Marco"

"I wonder where I got it from?"

The two shared a knowing smile before Marco offered his arm to the princess, trying not to let out a cheer of victory when Star took it with a cute curtsy.

Marco was enjoying the moment of pure elation that came with his wife's rare visits when he realized something was missing or rather, two someones.

"Star?" Marco began carefully, eyes scanning every inch of the store.

"Yes Marco?" replied Star, clueless to her husband's actions or thought process.

"Where are the kids?"

"Umm..." Star said nervously, trying to stop herself from chewing on the nearest thing she could which in this case would be Marco's hand "I...I thought they were right here! I could've sworn they were just staring at some candy and..."

"STAAAAR, you lost our daughter and her easily impressionable best friend!"

"Hey, whoa whoa whoa!" Star raised her hands defensive _"you_ lost our daughter and her impressionable best friend! Distracting me with your stupidly tempting lips!"

"Says the girl who loves giving brain numbing smiles she _knows_ that I can't get enough of!"

The two took a step closer, playfully growling at one another before a loud crash thundered throughout the store.

Marco and Star jumped, startled that the busy chattering of shoppers at Walmart suddenly became panicked cries of shock and fear, the loud echoing of footsteps in flight filling every corner of the store.

The couple shared a concerned look before rushing off to find the source of the commotion.

"Do you think it's Nova?" Star couldn't keep the worry out of her voice, trying her hardest to keep herself calm despite the fact they didn't know for certain that it was their little girl behind the apparent craze that spread throughout the store.

Marco and Star barely reached the end of the aisle in time for something to blur pass them at breakneck speed, a white thick powdery form covering their bodies from head to toe without warning.

Marco wiped the foam from his eyes in time to notice Nova and Connor standing within a grayish shopping cart, the loudly clacking wheels beating its sound into his head as Nova screamed at the top of her lungs with pure joy while Connor propelled the two forward using a fire extinguisher as their fuel source.

"Aww, look her ride the cart monster" Star cooed, soaking in the pride she felt at Nova's actions and courage

"She's standing up in the cart!" Marco cried with a panicked edge "It's so unsanitary, it's so unsafe. She could bump her head, she accidentally eat some of the foam!" Marco let out a horrified gasp "The cart could hit a bump and she could go flying out but not just that, her hair could get tangled in the basket and be ripped violently from her head! She'll be crying, she'll be sad, SHE'LL BE BALD!"

Marco started hyperventilating, his mind hopping on the terrifying things that could happen to his baby girl train of thought. Next stop mental breakdown.

"She _should_ try this foam, it's sooooo good."

Marco threw a glare to his side, unable to believe that Star was eating handfuls of the fire stopping gunk without care or any physical sign of getting sick.

"Hey, don't look at me" Star stuck her tongue out at Marco "You've got plenty of your own."

"Star" Marco chastised "Stop eating foam and stop our runaway daughter! Make a barrier or road block but...y-you know safe, fluffy one or something. Oh and give her knee and elbow pads. And a helmet. And some pillows. And maybe make the floor rubber or like a bounce house, that would be helpful too."

Star let out a teasing laugh "How am I supposed to do that? With my face?" Star narrowed her eyes in thought "With...my...face...Could I stop the shopping cart monster with my face?"

"Do _not_ use your face honey, use the wand." Marco clarified helpfully.

"Ooooh" Star nodded, finally comprehending what Marco was asking of her "Yeah, I left the wand in Mewni."

"What!" Marco shouted as Nova completed a full lap around the store, another wave of foam covering Marco's shocked and angry face.

"Don't what me, you know I'm not allowed to bring the wand to Earth when I'm my secret visits" Star gently reminded her husband, playfully drawing a smile and two eyes on the plain foam that suffocated Marco, cheerfully clapping her hands at her foam man.

Marco shook the fire suppressing material off of his face, his light brown eyes apologetic and sorrowful "Sorry sweetie. It's just this whole situation reminds me of the good old days. You know...when you lived on earth. With us...with me..."

Star cupped Marco's cheek in her hand, the memory of those wonderful times filling her with equal parts warmth and loss.

"I know. Soon love. Once Ferguson becomes president, the council will induct Earth into the alliance and we won't be separated any longer."

Marco let out a disbelieving chuckle "Whoever thought Ferguson would be so popular that he would actually cause the government to lower the legal age requirement for being president?"

"I'm surprised how many people want an opossum suit wearing president."

"It's the prehensile tail. Girls love the prehensile tail" Marco teased.

Star brightly returned Marco's smile, her soft lips surging forward and kissing him once more. Just a little longer and she could kiss Marco everyday.

"FULL SPEED FIRST MATE CONNIE!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Marco and Star broke away from their kiss to see an out of control Nova and Connor skidding dangerously left and right, their fuel source sputtering and coughing up blobs of foam rather than a stream of it

"Oh Glagok!" Star shouted before covering her mouth, eyes fearfully glancing around as if she was worried she accidentally offended someone.

"Star, I don't..."

"it's like your F word married the C word and gave birth to a word that grew up to everyone's expectations, went to the most prestigious school, dropped out and now peddles illegal alchemical goods to hapless, naive tourists."

Marco wanted to voice his confusion at that explanation when the shopping cart overturned, launching both Connor and Nova high into the air, Connor letting out a cry of fear, arms flailing wildly while Nova held her fist high into the sky, propelled through the air like a superhero.

"MY BABY!" Marco shrieked.

" _Our_ baby Marco" Star scolded, grabbing her husband's hand and dragging him forward, trying her hardest to calculate where Nova was going to land "Ugh, why is she moving so fast?"

"I'll make a note to write a letter to the CEO of Walmart and let them know they should increase the friction between their wheels and their waxed floors!" Marco sarcastically responded.

"No time for a note Marco" Star scolded, the sarcastic edge to Marco's voice flying right over her head "Just it store away in your memory!"

Marco wanted to say more but it turned out his little comment was far more distracting to Star than he thought because without any warning, the two crashed into a wall of produce, sending the entire wall of food tumbling forward and chaining one long domino effect that rippled across the remainder of the store.

Marco and Star lay across a nice, squishy, now crushed pile of bread, groaning in pain and tiredness.

"Ugh I felt like I got sucker punched by Spike Balls" Star whined, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand "What hit us?"

Marco groped blindly underneath his battered body, grunting with effort as he held aloof the item that caused the pair so much pain "Remind me to use sourdough as a home defense weapon..."

"WEEEEEE" Nova's voice caught the attention of her parents but before either of them could react in time, Nova came sailing directly towards them and their cushy pile of bread, Connor arms wrapped around her like some sort of a human cape. With a soft thud, the two children landed safely between Star and Marco, Nova giggling happy like the little girl she was while Connor shivered like a leaf in the wind, eyes wide with trauma.

"That was fun!" Nova cheered, shaking Connor loose out of his stupor and embracing him tightly causing Connor to finally relax.

"Nova Analise Butterfly!"

Nova jumped at the sound of her completely infuriated father, cowering behind Connor in hopes that somehow the young boy would cool her father's rage.

"Connie, save me!" Nova cried, visibly shaking behind her best friend.

Connor said nothing as he took a step to the side, unblocking Marco from his daughter.

"Thanks Connie." Nova pouted as Connor stuck out his tongue

"Nova, what were you thinking?! You could've been hurt! You could've gotten Connor hurt. You could've become bald!"

Nova paled "Bald?! Me?"

Marco felt his hardened heart soften at the sight of his daughter clutching her little pigtails fearfully.

"I'm sorry daddy..." Nova frowned, eyes pooling tears of disappointment and shame

"What were you thinking sweetie?" Marco asked gently, crouching down to eye level to calm Nova down.

"I...I..." Nova shifted guiltily "You talk about all the fun times you had with mommy...and...she...she's here today...I...thought...I...I...I just wanted be like mommy..."

Marco and Star shared a look, their resolving crumbling under Nova's cutely adorable assault.

"Oh sweetie" Star murmured softly, reaching out and embracing her sniffling child "You don't have to do crazy and reckless things to be like mommy. Just be yourself."

"B-but...but you are so cool and amazing" Nova countered, pulling away from Star but not breaking her mother's hold on her shoulders "Daddy tells me all the super amazing stories you two have...I wanted to impresses you..."

"And you'll make your own" Star softly answered, holding her cheek "but you are young. You're only job isn't trying to impress me, it's being my little girl."

Nova held her mother tight, enjoying every moment of their hold on one another. Who knows when her mommy was going to able to visit again and even if she was in so much trouble, it was worth it just to enjoy a hug from her amazing mother.

Soon, Star silently promised to Nova, soon you won't need to get by on our old stories. Soon you'll have your mother every day of your life and I will never have to leave you again. I promise.

"Umm sir?"

Marco turned to see a handful of police officers as well as who must've been the manager of the Walmart. Marco finally took in the entire destruction of the store: small random fires, countless of overturned walls and goods scattered throughout the floor, a few ceiling lights hung dangerously barely held together by a few wires.

"Oh dang..." Marco muttered to himself, wondering how he was going to pay for all this damage. He was just one month away from getting his master's degree in psychology but he was already up to his eyeballs in debt. Well he didn't need to live comfortably when he was 60 right?

"I...I'm sure I can..." Marco began but the manger held up his hand.

"Is your wife Star Butterfly?"

"Yes!" Star rose to her feet excitedly, gesturing and showing off her mewberty wings for confirmation "yes that is me! Staaaaar Butterfly."

The police rolled their eyes, dispersing without another word as the manager let out a sigh of relief, answering Star and Marco's quizzical stare with a sheepish "I've got Star coverage. Every store in town has it"

"Star coverage?" Star wondered but Marco was already dragging his wife, their daughter and the traumatized best friend out of the store, counting his lucky stars that Star lived in Echo Creek once upon a time.

"You okay Connie? Didn't have fun?" Nova asked curiously, finally noticing Connor's displeased facial expression.

"Stop calling me Connie...you're just teasing like everyone else."

Nova frowned, finally realizing how much Connor disliked her playful nickname for him.

"Fine, if you don't like Connie, I'm calling your four eyes from now on! What?" Nova cut Connor's retort short "You don't like it? Are you kidding me? That is so cool to have four eyes! You can see four times better than any other kid our age. Makes you like a superhero or something. My superhero!"

Connor blushed, something about Nova's logic not sitting well with him but the way she said it, the happiness, the pride she took in coming up with that nickname, made him feel warm and fuzzy. Connor liked four eyes. Made his glasses seem almost normal and not a disability.

"Okay Nova." Connor consented "You can call me four eyes but not too much."

"No promises four eyes" Nova told him with a wide smile.

* * *

"Bye Connor! Bye guys, see you next week!" Marco waved goodbye to the departing Sinclair family, grateful that Connor decided not to inform his parents about the rather eventful trip to Walmart when asked about his day. He liked Connor and he knew Nova was much more fond of the young man than she let on. Or showed.

He let out a tired sigh, glancing to the living room where he last left Star and Nova, his parents already fast asleep after such an exciting dinner with their elusive daughter-in-law.

Marco couldn't stop the soft smile that graced his face as he found Star and Nova sleeping comfortably on the couch, Nova held close to Star as Star tilted her head back, the pair of his favorite girls lightly snoring in unison.

Marco should've woke up Star, sent his wife back to Mewni ASAP before someone discovered where she had really disappeared to but Star's mother was a frightening woman to face (he knew that one first hand when he was summoned to Mewni for a little talk involving Star) and Marco knew for all her tough love, Moon loved her daughter and granddaughter even in spite of the questioned legality of Nova's claim to the throne and she was pretty fond of Marco too. She would buy Star enough time to sneak back into the palace without anyone the wiser and Marco wanted to spend one night with his family, whole and complete as they would one day be.

And so, as quietly as he could, Marco shut off the lights in the living room, carefully laying down next to Star, taking his wife and daughter in his arms and covered his little family, his world with a warm blanket, drifting off to the most peaceful sleep he had in years.


	77. Cheating and Dealing (Canon Request)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here and hoping you all had an awesome week. Thank you for evry single review, favorite and follow, they make my day.

a quick change to format. I know some people like to read pass my answering reviews and general information to see the story so further down **In bold is Today's Story prompt** that's where the story prompt. figured it be useful for people who want to jump straight in.

a special thanks to finn jr- they are a nice family huh?

sonicelite- yeah i wanted to make sure it hit right in the feels. haha yeah a bit weird but you get some little fun trivia like when Nova started calling connor four eyes and why exactly star is so affection in the future. stay awesome bro!

guest- haha a little bit i think. probably more creeped out that someome is writing fanfictions about her.

Kim Ill JONG92- thank you so much for your kind words and i really glad these stories help with stress or things of the sort. i know when i want to relax i usually read a good story.

heroaedriannotilla- it well keep going after the requestathon since i have so many requests. As for the marco diaz comes to earth or as i call it role reversal suggested to me by a reader, there are a few more one shots set in that au Cheer up marco, Mewberty and Blood Moon ball with maybe storm the castle. the only reason i don't make it a stand alone is because all my original ideas go to nova vs and i'm not a really big fan of redoing the same story episodes as the show. feels weird to me. was tempted to make it a stand alone though. and sam is more popular than i thought she'd be but yes you will see more of sam in aus or the RR universe. sounds interesting but could you explain more about what you mean about brainstorming au or do you mean brainstorming about aus? either way i hope you enjoy the story!

Axis25- i think it's because they don't really argue flirt in the show. yet anyway, Yeah i took the cosmic horror style from lovecraft where the universe pretty much doesn't care about humanity rather than the humanity is the center of attention. It fit better with the little background i came up during the whole creating the back story for Nova since Star is well versed in dimension hopping *Visiting the bounce lunge, scum bucket, the arcade, quest buy* but not being aware of earth which made it seem like we weren't very well known or looked upon with respect in the other dimensions.

anoymins- that sounds like an awesome birthday party. i want a star wars cupcake! yeah i wanted to make it more realistic and i think Star unable to be with her family would really drive home why Marco suddenly became so affection and outspoken about his feelings for star. Yeah Ferguson wanted to be a clown lawyer but once he discovered how popular he was in the other dimensions, and how cute some of those girls were, he decided to become president not only to help his favorite couple out but help earth grow in a way we normally wouldn't be able to. Star missed so much time, she doesn't want to waste any more (Which is also why sol is so spoiled) yeah Nova calls connor connie when she's mad at him because she knows how much he hates it. thank you for the review :)

catalyst- thanks! i try to make all nova based stories feel like the show. tiny nova is cute! but not as adorable as sol haha. Ferguson is very well loved in other dimensions. star is too weirdly cute. yep kingsmen and suicide squad with deadpool too among others. still deciding who should be who.

cartoonlover- the best things in life are those we fought and suffered for. haha my friend does that every time anything remotely dangerous happens to his cat. and it sounded like something Marco would say

shadowgem- haha this was pretty cute and go for it, we call it fanning out and we all do it. I routinely fanboy out. that's how these stories were created.

mistfortune- and thank you for your support and reviews. they make me smile and fill me with a strange sense of pride i'm not used too haha.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review, by the way the next request is yours.

grim 13- or, or hear me out. We can not and say we did. haha well they started dating at 17, got married at 20 and after that passionate night, had nova the same year (Star gave birth in six months because Mewnian) however the rules stated Star must return to Mewni at the age of 21 and thus our favorite pair was parted for awhile with Nova living with Marco and his parents.

thewookie1- wow even allstate has starco insurance. nice but i get mine directly from star herself and she does not like competition so...umm...sorry allstate.

lavandermoonrose- thank you, the undertale au remains my pride and joy. I studied it immensely and i played the game several times to get a feel for the humor and general tone. I am glad you enjoyed it so much because i had waaaaay too much fun writing it and i hope you enjoyed reading it so. after all you help save Marco and Star :)

Patriots13R- it is a good idea to be honest but not one i would do personally since to really do it justice i would have to do all 3 books and i can't even begin to think how many oneshots it would be. it might even have to be its own series. but thank you for the idea, it was a good one just not one i feel too eager to do.

webenmanjensen- you've been in my vault haven't you? haha i actually was thinking of doing a sly au (I can't say the last name because in england, that's a sort of slur or cuss. i can't remember which but i do know i have a few british readers) and quite honestly i will probably do a sly au in the future.

aquabust07 i am happy you enjoy them!

CLM88- thank you for all your reviews and support. i already answered your reviews except the latest one so i'll do that now. yep that's how the ax got into the minotaur's stomach. i wanted to do a in between but an after the story chapter was the best way without ruining the surprise of Marco's death.

krickit- i am still hoping for a kingdom hearts level of Star. that would be amazing and i would give disney my fourth born child cuz it's not fair to the first. that being said, maybe i will do a kingdom hearts cross over or au. probably cross over otherwise i would have to create countless substories that don't further the main plot by much while convoluting it to the point where you need a wiki page to understand it.

Godlegend- good to hear from you again! and you readers make my day! wow that is a pretty impressive smile. Mark has a pretty awesome one. and i am updating now!

so quickly on starco corner my friend Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr has several too cute drawings done on her fancy new tablet including cute starco beach, judy hopps from zootopia as Mai hime and loads more. findo has some awesome cute ones but i keep forgetting their tumblr name. i've got a couple floating around at mrevaunit42 on tumblr and there's even more over at SVTFOEheadcanons also on tumblr.

on FF, let's see what i've been reading with the time i have. the princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482, dimension of infinite tales by author smimph but really smitty theories and ms. what if, some heartbreaking but amazing chapters of nothing comes easy from axis25. read that now. more lord of the ring style endings of Starfall by Golfalphamike, go read now. the fall of butterfly from the Canadian Infernape, meet in Elysium by jennylovesjordon, finishing up shades of truth from Pdavis32, i meant to leave the review but i don't think i did yet. I need to catch up on some reading readers.

a really quick note I finally updated Starco academy but in a few days it will be moving over to the crossover section of the fandom because i don't want it to be deleted so if you read that story and it suddenly disappears, that's where it's gone.

the next aus sprinkled throughout the requesthon are as follows: 3 musketeers, suicide squad, kingsmen, frozen, maybe battleborn (It's a game i'm obsessed with.) ladybug, Role reversal, maybe a mother's day Nova vs (not sure) and of course some bad boy aus. not in that order.

 **Today's Story:** Today's request comes from one of my favorite authors Golfalphamike. it takes place in the canon universe. Star and Marco are 17 years old and after years of trying, Marco finally asks out Jackie out but all is not right in the world as Star discovers Jackie's been cheating on Marco and while Star is ready to go reveal Jackie's cheating ways, it looks like Jackie's got her own way with dealing with star.

So let me know how i did Golfalphamike, i hope it is to your liking and please tell me if something wasn't or it wasn't quite what you expected, i honestly don't mind. next on the list is princessxgilex request of a genderbent Comet Butterfly dealing with Maria's special time of the month. I think. that's what i remembered. I better make sure.

so until next time, thank you for all the support you wonderful readers have shown me. every review, favorite and follow is the best reward for writing these stories and that you readers truly enjoy them. stay awesome, have a great week! good luck with finals to whoever are stuck taking finals. you got this. happy mother's day to everyone's mothers. I own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

Star felt trapped, helpless as the once innocent lockers and walls of the normally spacious hallway began to close in on her, constricting her in a way she feared immensely, her deep, tranquil breathing became labored with difficulty as the world beneath her began to slip away giving her the surreal feeling that she was free falling through open air, helpless as the situation she once controlled with Star branded confidence slipped away from her, filling the magical princess with a sense of hopelessness that she had never known before.

Star opened her mouth uselessly, trying to will her throat to produce the words to aid in her defense but nothing came forth, not even a stammering, stumbling retort of denial at Jackie's counter claim, the smug look from the other blonde hair, blue dye streak causing Star to dislike the skater and current girlfriend of her best friend even more.

But what was worse than Jackie's self satisfied gaze of triumph was Marco's glance of confusion, worry and hurt. His face plastered in a quizzical fear, the questioning twitching of his lips (Those stupidly tempting lips!), his light brown eyes crinkled with a million questions but one shone brightly through the sea of unbounded feelings and inquiries.

Was it true? Was what was said true? Were the words that escaped the girl's lips true?

Of course the problem remained Star couldn't tell which question Marco was referring to: Star's accusation that Jackie was being a lying, cheating bitch to him or Jackie's riposte that Star was trying to break them up because she was jealous of Jackie and had romantic feelings for the young Latino.

"Yeah Star" Jackie smiled smugly with her lazy skater drawl "Tell him the truth. You're just jealous and making up lies to break up me and Marco."

Star felt her blood boil at the sight of Jackie reaching for Marco's hand to reassure him that _she_ would never do such a thing to her boyfriend.

Star wanted to narwhal blast Jackie but for once, the princess had been completely caught off guard and she was scrambling to regain her footing in this vicious battle for Marco against seemingly perfect Jackie.

Because...as much as she hated how Jackie had turned the tables so effortlessly on her, how she drew in the crowd of students that now surrounded the trio curiously making the air warm and stale, causing Star's mind to react sluggishly, the worst part of Jackie's statement was...how much of it was true...

Star did have feelings for Marco...

"Well this isn't how I expected this to go down" Star mumbled to herself, openly glaring at Jackie while trying to avoid Marco's searching gaze, her heart skipping every other beat at the idea of Marco paying close attention to her.

* * *

 _Earlier in the morning._

Star let a deep, worrisome sigh, wondering what to do with the information she just discovered. Out of everything she's ever known, the 17 year old magical princess felt most conflicted about this piece of knowledge that plagued her every waking moment since she learned of it.

Star stared at herself in the mirror, the cute, adorable 14 year old that she once was no longer stared back at her from the reflection but was instead replaced by the more womanly, and visually striking, 17 year old. She grew in height but only two inches or so with her once free, wild impossibly long blonde hair often wrapped up in an elegant single braid she usually decorated with bows and hair clips. She still had her Star bangs as she loved to refer to them and her hearts were more a rosy pink than glossy hue of her early teenhood.

"I need to tell him" she whispered to herself, the concerned and worried reflection nodded in agreement "I can't pretend I didn't see what I saw. I know it'll hurt but...it's for his own good...right?"

Star pursed her lips, mirror Star looking unsure if she could really hurt Marco even if it was for the best. She didn't ever wanted to hurt her best friend and this could crush him. Years of hard work, planning and effort down the drain all because Jackie Lynn Thomas didn't want the same thing as Marco.

At the beginning of their Junior year, Marco had finally done the task once thought impossible by the entirety of the school. A challenge so monumental that the student population openly cheered at Marco's success, congratulating him on a job well done.

He _finally_ jokingly referred to himself as Safe Kid.

Oh, and he also manged to ask out his long time crush Jackie Lynn Thomas out, only turning a bright blood red and stammering for about 30 seconds as he attempted to talk to Jackie about being his girlfriend.

At the time Star was proud of Marco who had turned from gawky, geeky safe kid to gawky, geeky _attractive_ safe kid. While Marco had always been taller than Star unless she wore her rhino styled boots, he shot up over the passing years, his thin, stringy limbs becoming more full and toned as his body spread that baby fat around evenly now that it had more room to do so. Marco also became more relaxed as time went on by. His hair was a bit more wild, less kept and a traces of facial hair could be found on occasion gracing his growing face but he often simply let it be rather panic and try to lob it off like he used to do when he was younger.

But 3 measly months passed and while Jackie began to eat up more of Marco's time, hogging him as if he was only hers to own and enjoy, Star had accepted the shift of their dynamic with the grace and poise everyone came to expect from the magical princess.

She would go dimension hopping and pick fights with anything that remotely angered her for no discernible reason.

At first she was unsure why she was acting like a jilted ex-girlfriend, unaware why her heart sighed at the sight of her best friend, why she would break into an uncontrollable stammer, unable to look into his light brown eyes without feeling faint and flushed whenever he would appear without warning and why she found herself staring at their countless pictures together with a longing hope and empty void swirling in the space that held a vital organ in her chest.

It wasn't until one of her daily rants with Pony Head that the magical princess discovered her true feelings for Marco.

There she was, mid-rant about how she couldn't believe that Jackie didn't like Marco's nachos at all when Pony Head finally let loose the most exhausted sigh Star had ever heard.

"OMG B-Fly, just shut up about your stupid crush's stupid girlfriend and tell him you like him already!"

Star blinked once, twice, a third time in confusion, unable to process Pony Head's words Crush's girlfriend? What crush? Star wasn't crushing anyone at the moment, the childish phase of pining for Oskar having long since passed when she discovered that Oskar's record was more of a list of infractions and broken rules rather than a musical record she so blindly believed. And while Star had yet to find anyone else that she felt giddy and giggly over, she was basking in the stress free life of a single girl in high school.

"Crush? What crush?" Star asked questioningly, wondering if all that partying was finally causing Pony Head to crack at the seams.

"That Earth Turd" Pony Head elaborated "All you've been doing these last 3 months is bitch, bitch, bitch about Jackie and how you don't hang out with him much anymore and how you miss him and all those fun times you shared together..."

Star scoffed in disbelief, crossing her arms defensively "I don't..."

"Pony Head!" The disembodied unicorn replied, a mocking of Star's general tone "Did you know Marco knows karate?"

Star waved that off "That's nothing, I mean..."

"Pony Head, Marco has the cutest mole on his face!"

Star turned a bright red at her words thrown back at her "Well it is _pretty_ cute, have you seen...?"

"Pony Head, did I ever tell you about the time Marco and I stole from pirate bunnies?"

"T-that was a swashbuckling good time!"

"Pony Head, you should see Marco in his swim trunks. He is looking _goooood._ He's really grown up"

"I..I did not say that!"

"Pony Head" Pony Head mocked once more "Me and Marco stayed up all night watching stars, it was so pretty! We must've been out there hours...I think we even saw the sun. sunrise is soooo pretty on Earth."

Star stayed quiet, the swirling of her thoughts overwhelming the princess. Did...did she really say all that? Had she spoken so highly and so often of Marco?

"Every day since the little Earthturd got with whatsherface, you've been rambling non stop about him. Girl, you like him."

"Of course I like him. He's my bestie. M-my earth bestie." Star fought weakly, knowing full well where Pony Head was heading with this.

"No girl, you know what I mean. You _like_ him like him.

"I don't _like_ him like him..." Star paused, letting the implications of what Ponyhead told her sink in "...do I?"

Pony Head clicked her tongue disappointingly "Girl, for someone so open about herself, you are sooooin denial about _yourself_. You always rush off into the future but you never stop once in a while to come to terms with you girl. Future isn't going anywhere B-Fly but you better figure out what you want here and now."

Star remained silent, finally taking a moment to come to terms with her behavior for the last few months. The way she would perk up when Marco would talk to her, the once common but now irritatingly rare moments they spent together, how nothing felt right, a deep sense of loss filling her entire being that something significant, something meaningful was missing from her adventures, from her life.

No matter how she tried, how many ways she forced her thoughts in any and all directions, how hard she willed herself not think of Marco, her mind always returned to him. His smile, his jokes, his little snort when he laughed too hard and every memory caused her heart to beat with a yearning never felt before.

"I like Marco..." Star whispered to herself, her confession letting loose of a dam of pent up and unrealized affection for her best friend.

There was no denying any further. Star was crushing hard on Marco Diaz and she had no idea how to handle it.

* * *

One earth shattering revelation would've been enough for most people, something to muse over the weekend, staring blankly at the ceiling, sprawled out on the bed with no intention of getting up as they accepted the secret hidden beyond the curtain of delusion, trying to reaffirm themselves and their place in the world, their view on life skewed and permanently altered.

But Star Butterfly was not most people in the sense that when life decided to shake up your world, it would shake up hers twice as much.

It was in early morning Monday and Star hadn't been able to get any sleep. Something was bothering her, bugging her and making her restless and it wasn't the newly found truth that she had strong romantic feelings towards Marco. Something else was prodding at her, making her feel uneasy and the confines of the house, however comforting, became constricted and alien.

Star decided to go for a walk. That would help and while she normally would ask Marco to join her (to which he would groggily tell her no until she puppy pouted him into submission), the idea of hanging out with Marco made her equal parts dizzy and nervous.

No, it was best to travel solo this time. She wouldn't be going far and she knew her way around the nearby area like the back of her hand. For the most part. As long as that one tree kept its promise and remained where she told it to be all would be fine.

Star bundled herself up in one of the hoodies she had stolen from Marco, something he noticed but hadn't commented or gone searching for yet.

As Star wandered the streets, Marco's scent tickled her nose, sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. She briefly wondered what she was going to do. Her first instinct in these situations was to pretty much blurt out the truth in a reckless fashion and whatever happens, happens. That's how Star always rolled and she never thought in a million Mewnian cycles that would ever change.

But the fact Marco was involved changed everything. He wasn't just some random boy at school, some passing cutie in a dimension they were exploring. He was her best friend. He lived with her (Rather she lived with him but whatever) and before Jackie became his girl, He and Star did everything together, hardly parted for more than a few moments away from each other.

Oh and he was dating Jackie, the girl of his dreams he's been chasing for...what was it 10, 12 years now? Yeah, this would be the best time to confess.

And what would she say exactly? Hey Marco, it turns out I have a huge crush on you and I totally like you! That would go over well. That would end up with Marco realizing how much he liked Star, dumping Jackie instantly and professing to Star that they should date. Or, more than likely, a really, really awkward moment of embarrassment followed by the fact that the once safe, comforting Diaz home would become a socially awkward wasteland of tension and regrets.

Star should just keep it bottled in and pretend she didn't feel anything. It worked for her mother all the time, surely it could work for her too.

Except Star Butterfly was not Moon Butterfly. Star had always wore her emotions, her thoughts, her actions on her sleeves. Always acted and said what she felt was right without hiding a single thing. She was as transparent as those square magic screens that Earthlings used to see the outside world. Bottling up and hiding how she felt was not the Star Butterfly way.

Star let out a dejected moan, rubbing her temples gently as she tried to figure what was the best way to deal with this whole 'falling for your best friend' type deal you'd see in cartoon shows and sitcoms. But, you know, except it's happening in real life.

To tell Marco or not to tell Marco, that was the annoying question.

Before Star could get much further in her self argumentative discussion with herself that, in no way included smacking her forehead against the soft grass over and over again, she heard a rather fervid giggle.

Star rose to her feet silently, tip toeing closer and closer to loud gasps and laughter coming from nearby. Something was off about the whole thing and while Star should've minded her own business, she did want to know what was funny.

Star peered out slowly from the bush only to find Jackie, her best friend's girlfriend, sucking face with another person, a burly, football type wearing a letterman's jacket with an unfamiliar color scheme.

Star glared, a new found hatred growing rather quickly as she slink through the foliage and back to the Diaz household.

She wanted to tell Marco right away but even Star Butterfly thought twice about waking up the slumbering teen. Imagine the first thing you heard waking up was your girlfriend was cheating on you. Not exactly the most comforting thing you want to hear.

Star thought about telling him at breakfast but perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Diaz would not respond well to Marco's girlfriend cheating on him and if Star and Marco were to go on their revenge spree that very morning, the Diaz's might do something foolish like try to stop the self righteous fury of the best friends.

Star decided it would be best if she told Marco she had something important to tell him at school. That way he knew something was on the way, Star got to see a happy Marco before breaking his heart and the Diaz's wouldn't stop them from getting even with Jackie. Everybody wins!

* * *

Star hadn't sleep well that night, the knowledge she possessed bearing down on her like a massive weight and preventing quiet night's rest. she trudged down the stairs with a tiredness not seen since she tried to discover a way to remove monster arm from Marco so long ago.

She had hoped she was subtle enough, cool and keeping her Starness up to deflect any suspicion about her behavior but when Marco took a seat across from her, his eyes narrowed with concern and worry, she knew she had failed. She should've known better to think she could fool Marco. He knew her so well, sometimes better than herself.

"Star?" Marco asked curiously, peering carefully towards her with those enchanting brown eyes.

"Yeah?" Star replied dreamily, her fatigued state weakening her ability to keep her emotions in check

"Umm...you okay? You seem a little..."

Star let out a large, unladylike yawn, her cheeks flushing as Marco rose an eyebrow at her tired state.

"Yeah..." Marco went on as if nothing happened "That..."

"I'm fine Marco" Star replied with a smile, hoping to deter her best friend from investigating further.

"You're lying."

Star's smile was for show as a sense of panic engulfed her resolve. Marco stared at her, clearly knowing full well something was bothering Star and while they hadn't had a chance to hang out like they once did, she was still his best friend.

Star fidgeted under Marco's intense stare, nervousness and hesitation replacing her fury at Jackie. She had to tell him but she couldn't just break his heart. But it was for his own good. But it would devastate him...

"Star?"

"I'll tell you at school" Star manged to squeak out "It's important but it can wait till then."

Marco didn't like that answer but rather than fighting him, she offered a compromise and it was only fair he took her up on it.

"Okay Star."

Star tried for another smile but couldn't muster the courage. Who could be happy when they were about to break their best friend's heart?

* * *

Marco patiently waited as Star nervously chewed on the wand, the hallway loud and distracting as ever but allowing Star the noise needed to prevent wandering ears from hearing what she was about to say.

"Marco..." Star began slowly, taking a moment to capture her best friend's cheerful face one last time before it sunk into a depressed frown "There's something really important I need to tell you."

Marco beamed encouragingly, gripping Star's shoulder unexpectedly and surprising the girl who could feel her hearts heat up at his touch.

"It's about Jackie..."

Evidently Marco wasn't expecting this for his face became confused, unsure what Star could tell him about his girlfriend.

"Marco...I...I don't know how to tell you this so I'll just say it. Jackie's been cheating on you."

"That is a pretty bold claim."

Star shivered at the cold, distant tone that filled Jackie's voice as she slunk into view, taking a place at Marco's side while shooting Star a dirty look, seemingly appalled someone could accuse her of such a thing.

Before Marco could chime in, Jackie answered for him "You better repeat that because I want to make sure I understand the lie you're trying to sell."

Star pouted angrily "I'm not lying Jackie. I saw you last night! You were kissing some football meathead!"

Jackie was a talented actress, looking hurt and betrayed by Star's accusation "S-Star? How could you say something so horrible? I...I thought we were friends! I..."

Jackie's voice cracked as tears began pooling in her eyes and for one brief moment, Star felt shame and guilt. How could she think that Jackie could even do such a thing? She was such a wonderful person and it _was_ dark...Maybe Star didn't see what she thought she saw.

However a second glance convinced Star of all she needed. There was a dangerous gleam in Jackie's eye, far too cold and controlled to be there on accident. She was making Star look bad on purpose, she was the girl Star saw last night and she was trying to destroy Star's credibility.

Star clench her hands into fists, squeezing the wand hilt tightly as it glowed with a threateningly pink hue.

"Don't lie Jackie!" Star shouted, catching the attention of everyone within ear shot "You're cheating on Marco! I SAW YOU AND YOU KNOW IT!

Marco opened his mouth to retort but Jackie slid in once more, wrapping one arm around Marco's shoulder while placing another on his chest "Star, that is so mean. I would never, ever think of cheating on Marco. I love him so much"

Marco looked as lost as Star felt, glancing between his girlfriend and best friend like he was watching a very intense tennis match, unsure which of the two girls he should believe, torn between two sides of loyalty.

Star snarled at Jackie "I have a truth spell! Let's see how cocky you are after I blast you with it!"

Star rose her wand, aiming squarely for the frightened Jackie's head. While the syrupy temptation to simply smash a narwhal into the stupid girl's face was sweetly calling to Star, she decided she'd saved that _after_ she exposed Jackie and cleared her name.

"Come off it Star, we all know you like Marco."

Star felt the wand nearly slip out her hand, the surprise of Jackie's claim flooring Star out of her rage.

"I..I..wha?" Star dumbly replied allowing Jackie to regain control.

"I know you like Marco." Jackie pouted "I get it. He is pretty awesome but I thought I didn't have something to worry about. I trusted you Star, I never thought _you_ would try to break us up because you were jealous."

"Whoa, wait a minute." Star tried to defend herself "That's not what this..."

"Seriously Star?" Jackie interrupted, preventing Star from properly explaining "I thought you were a good person but trying to steal someone's boyfriend because you didn't have the guts to tell them how you felt? That is pretty low."

"Don't turn this back on me, you're the one kissing some football player the other night!" Star weakly countered, the momentum shifting too much in Jackie's favor to recover.

"What _were_ you doing out last night?" Jackie asked, distrust filling her eyes "I find it pretty strange you decided to wander around Echo Creek all alone especially since Marco usually goes with you places and you _happen_ to see me kissing someone that isn't my boyfriend when I was asleep. Even ask Marco, texted him good night around 11."

"I..."

"Admit it Star" Jackie smugly told the princess "You have a crush on Marco and are jealous. Say you made this whole story up and maybe I can forgive you and we can move passed this."

Star's throat became dry when she realized what Jackie was trying to do. Her defenses were weak, flimsy at best, paper thin at worst. Everyone knew that she could've easily texted Marco from anywhere around 11 and that one blast truth spell would cause her to lose. But she was relentless in her attack of Star's character, catching the princess off guard and preventing her from steadying herself. the fact Jackie speculated that Star had a crush on Marco was a lucky guess, one she was exploiting now that she knew how true it was. She also was drawing in a crowd, trapping Star from retreating and making her feel claustrophobic in the sea of students. Star was losing and losing fast.

"Star...is it true?"

Marco's quiet, almost frightened question stopped Star in her tracks, his face was a mixed bag of emotions that was almost too much to bear. Their friendship was being strained against their will and for a moment Star feared it would be far too late to repair the damage Jackie had done.

"Yeah Star" Jackie smiled smugly with her lazy skater drawl "Tell him the truth. You're just jealous and making up lies to break up me and Marco."

Star felt her blood boil at the sight of Jackie reaching for Marco's hand to reassure him that _she_ would never do such a thing to her boyfriend.

Marco pulled away from Jackie, taking a step forward towards Star.

"Marco?" Jackie asked, trailing after her boyfriend "Sweetie? What are you doing? She's trying to break us up. You can't seriously believe her."

Marco ignored Jackie, waiting for Star to stop looking at her shoes and finally look at him.

Star felt raw, exposed like her heart had been ripped out of her chest and was on display for the world to see.

Star opened her mouth, trying to figure what to say when Jackie stepped in between them.

"Marco, you cannot think it's okay for her to try and break us up! I..."

"Have been cheating on Marco for weeks. Come off it Jackie." a familiar called out from beyond the student dome.

the circle parted to let Janna into the arena, a confident smirk filling Jackie with dread as the other girl approached.

"Janna" Jackie asked, her voice tense "What are you doing?"

"Look I'm all for stealing keys and destroying the occasional public property but cheating on someone? Not cool."

"Like you could prove it!" Jackie haughtily replied, forgetting she was no longer facing down cheerful yet innocent Star but the whirlwind of trouble Janna.

"Sure I do, unlike Star, I got a phone and I got pictures."

Jackie felt the blood drain out of her face when Janna waved her tiny smart phone happily in front of the awe struck girl. Once upon a time they were best friends but ever since Jackie had been going on a one way slide to bitch town, even Janna couldn't let her promiscuous, horrible behavior ruin someone else's life.

Jackie's nonstop bullet train of lies and attacks finally screeched to a stop as the girl stood there, dumbfounded, the string of falsehoods finally silenced.

No one knew what to say, the true depth of the drama and it's effects finally dawning on everyone there. Star's feelings were exposed, Jackie's infidelity revealed and Janna was staring eagerly at the still figure of Marco.

Marco stood there, silent and unmoving, the day's events too much for the young man to handle properly.

Jackie reached for Marco, hoping to regain some sort of hold over the shattered teen but Janna quickly shoved her out of the way, slinking an arm around his neck and drawing Marco closer

"Heeeey Marco." Janna called with a cool edge "Now that you found out your girlfriend is a cheating bitch, how about you give a real girl a chance? I promise not to take your keeeeeeys."

"No way Janna" Jackie answered "He'd never date you after the whole ambushing him in his locker bit."

"Hey that was a joke!"

Jackie ignored Janna, sweeping Marco away from the other girl's grasp, eyes pouting, lips trembling "Marco, I didn't cheat on you, you can't believe everything you hear, especially with these two. C'mon Marco, let's go to class and we can talk about this..."

"Yeeeeah no" Janna retorted, one hand shoving Jackie's face away while the other reached for Marco's hand "she's lying to you and you'd be an idiot to fall for it again and you are no idiot. Now about _our_ date"

"Hey!" Star piped up "Leave him alone you two. Janna you are trying way too soon and Jackie you cheated on him! You can't just throw yourself at him and hope he responses!"

"Ugh, you know what Star? You're not fooling anyone! Stop trying to steal my boyfriend!"

"Jackie, you need to stop with this whole cheating with other boys thing, it's sad and pathetic."

"Janna, Stay out of this! You shouldn't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong."

"I think stopping you from ruining Marco's life is where it belongs and hey, if he wants to reward me with some sort of date, I'm not exactly opposed to it."

"You all want to take him from me! He's not _your_ boyfriend, either of you! He asked me out, not you or Star!"

"I..I...look Jackie, you need to stop making this worse" Star argued, openly glowering at Jackie's antics "You are going too far! You can't just play with someone's emotions like that! And Janna you need to relax. Marco just found out his girlfriend is cheating on him, not the best time to swoop in for a date."

"Psst, you're just mad you didn't swoop first Star." Janna teased, shooting Star a playful wink.

Star opened her mouth to reply when Marco rose his hand, his stoic face far more terrifying than any monster she'd ever face.

"You know what?" Marco's tone was full of raw emotion. Hurt, rage, sorrow mixed in with a furious edge "All three of you suck! None of you are asking what I want! You all just assume you can waltz in and do whatever you want!"

Star shifted guiltily, realizing in her attempts to stop Jackie from manipulating Marco further, she had stopped watching out for him and began just fighting with Jackie.

"Jackie" Marco's voice called, cold and distant "We're breaking up. Janna don't even come near me and Star?"

Star flinched when he spoke her name, worry and fear beginning to course through her veins. She never confirmed or denied she had feelings for him and this whole fiasco was her fault. If she had just told him at home, none of this would've happened. They would've not made this whole event into a public spectacle, Jackie wouldn't have been able to turn everything on her and Marco wouldn't have been made the center of attention he clearly didn't want to be. After all, no one wants the entire student population to discover the girl he's been chasing so long, whom he finally had the courage to ask out ended up cheating on him.

"Star..." he whispered softly "I'm going home."

the room gasped as Marco made his way towards the front doors, the self titled safe kid actually ditching school though hardly anyone could blame him given what he just went through.

Guilt rolled over Star in waves, the hurt, the pain Marco felt in that moment was all her fault. Never mind that Jackie was the source of it all, Star poorly handled the whole thing. Why did she think simply just telling Marco at point blank was a good idea? She should've waited towards the end of the day, not the very start. She was a horrible bestie and Marco was being punished for her pride, her belief she could just tell him something life changing with no repercussions.

Jackie tried to follow but was quickly blocked off by Janna and the crowd as Star trailed after Marco, her calls failing to slow the retreating teen.

* * *

Star huffed and puffed as she stared blankly at Marco's locked door. For all her magical ability at the flick of her wrist and her general athleticism, Star still couldn't catch to the determined Marco. In fact she had actually lost track of him for a few minutes but luckily she knew where he was heading and when she arrived, he'd already sealed himself away in his room.

Star violently banged on the door "Marco, open up please!"

No response

"Come on Marco I know you're in there! Open up!"

Nothing

"With special ice cream sprinkles on top? Pweeeeease?"

The door remained closed.

"Fine!" Star yelled, plopping down cross legged at the foot of the door "I'm just going to sit here until you come out! And I warn you Marco, I can do this allllll night!"

* * *

 _13 hours later_

Star snored loudly, her body rising and falling gently as night overtook the small town, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz had already gone to sleep, quietly sneaking pass the slumbering Star in hopes she would find her way to her bed soon.

There was a near silently groaning of a wooden beam pressed down upon, a small trail of saw dust drifting from the ceiling and tickle Star's nose.

She awoke, swatting at invisible Leech Flyers, groggily mumbling incoherently "Sorry Marco, I didn't mean to eat your cake"

Star let out yawn, stretching her body to the fullest while glancing around the darken hallway in search of her elusive best friend.

The door to his bedroom remained closed but her ears perked up when she heard the faint pitter patter of footsteps high above her, more dust quietly falling from the ceiling onto the floor.

"Marco!" Star shouted excitedly, rising her arms high into the air before realizing everyone else must be asleep. She quickly covered her mouth, glancing about to see if anyone had awoken but the house remained silent.

"Marco..." Star whispered, making her way to her room and onto the rooftop.

Star changed into her sleep dress with only the spare hoodie to protect her from the freezing winds.

She stood some distance away from Marco, in his jam jams and laying across the roof tile, hands folded behind his head as he looked upwards towards the infinite void of space.

She didn't know what to say and she didn't want to disturb his peace. After such a trying and turbulent day, she didn't want to add to the discomfort or loss even though all she wanted to do was apologize for being so reckless with such a sensitive topic.

"You can take a seat" Marco softly called to the princess, motioning to a free space just to the left of him.

Star bit her lips nervously, shame biting at her resolve.

"It's okay...I promise."

Star caved at the sound of Marco's gentle tone, sitting next to him and tucking her bare legs into the warmth of his stolen hoodie.

For what felt like forever, the pair did not speak a single word: Marco's gaze was fixated skyward while Star stared at her bunny slippers in disgust and guilt.

"You know..." Marco spoke up "...part of me knew..."

Star finally focused on his hurt, lost but yet peaceful, content face, unsure what exactly he was talking about.

"Part of me knew she was cheating..." Marco explained "I don't know if there were just subtle clues I pieced together unknowingly...or maybe I just a gut feeling, an instinct. I knew the moment she said yes...we wouldn't last."

Star said nothing, shifting uneasily at Marco's confession. It was still her fault that the situation needed up as messy as it did.

"I mean tried my hardest...but...in reality, I knew was I just holding onto sand escaping through my fingers. A valiant but ultimately pointless gesture I felt I had to do because everyone expected it from me..."

Marco rose to a sitting position, sheepishly staring at Star like he'd been the one who caught doing something wrong.

"...I wanted justify all the wasted time." Marco admitted "All those years pinning for a girl I thought was the perfect one for me...all the effort, the energy...I didn't want it to be for nothing...even though I knew in the end...that..."

"That you wouldn't last?" Star added in, gently gripping Marco's shoulder.

Marco took a deep breath, a barely heard gulp over the soft howl of the wind.

"That she wasn't the one I actually wanted to be with."

Star's heart fell "There's another girl? Then...why with Jackie?"

"A lie I wanted to convince was real. I...this other girl is sooooo out of my league...that I thought..." Marco shrugged in defeat "I mean...she's this amazing...and...I'm...I mean I stuck with what I knew but in the end, all these months? I knew it was stupid. I liked Jackie but the other girl already had dibs on my heart..."

"Marco..."

"Don't worry about it Star" Marco waved off Star's concern

"I do worry about this! You are my best friend and you are like the coolest guy I know!"

Marco gasped, a warm smile filling his face as he stared into Star's bright blue eyes "Star?"

Star felt invigorated by Marco's joy at her confession, the small admittance of the heart she allowed to slip out. Who cares if Marco didn't like her back, who cares if she wasn't Marco's dream girl. They were still best friends and besties always had each others backs! No matter what!

"You are Marco. You can fight! You are super smart, you're kind and sweet."

"Star..."

"You make the best nachos! You got the cutest mole and damnit, you are so freaking attractive!"

"STAR!"

"And any girl would be lucky to date you" Star beamed widely before dropping into an uncharacteristically shy murmur " _I_...would be lucky...to date you..."

She anxiously played with the ends of her blonde hair, mindlessly twisting a braid into existence as she let her words sink in.

She did it, she admitted her feelings to Marco. She knew he could never like her back what with that cool girl already claiming his heart but she didn't regret anything. Better open with your emotions than bottling them away, never to be heard.

There was a heavy heartbeat, and another, and another, building up to a tense and uneasy crescendo as Star awaited Marco's gentle denial of her feelings.

Star epped, turning all sorts of different shades of red, her pink hearts bursting with a faint glow as Marco wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and guiding her head to rest on his shoulders.

"I guess my long shot wasn't so long after all" Marco said, placing his head ontop of hers.

"Wait, does this mean...?"

The pair faced each other before Marco leaned in and gently kissed Star, basking in the soft feel of her lips.

Star's eyes widened before she melted into the kiss.

The two broke away from each other, blissful smiles mirroring one another.

"So..." Marco coughed "Are we dating?"

Star smirked happily "Hell yeah we're dating!"

Marco chuckled "Can we do the whole kissing thing again, I..."

He didn't have a chance to finish as Star lunged for him, knocking onto his back and kissing him passionately as she ran her hands through his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss before letting him gather much needed air.

"I'll take that as a yes" Marco gasped.

Star responded by nibbling on his lip.

"You know it wild man."


	78. Comet and Marcia (Request, genderbent)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here hoping you are all doing great and awesome as ever! Having awesome week.

a special thank you to finn- a bit on the more matured side but still i'm glad you enjoyed it.

SonicElite- you wouldn't be the first or last but luckily Starco insurance covers alooooot! yeah i'm not sure what to make of jackie right now but the request called for her to be discount Brittney basically. thank you for your support and stay awesome!

Datacommonor: YES, nachos! the greatest food prize ever. honestly i know what you mean, sometimes despite all the happy go lucky stories, we need a nice dark one for maximum feels. it's a bit hard since in general i am a happy go lucky go that's always cheerful and my darker stories have been known to cause some seriously hard depress feels. so you know got to be careful. I do have a few sad stories planned but i hope you keep enjoying them all happy gooey ones in the meantime.

heroaedrianmontilla- well it sounds like Marco and Star trying to hook each other with their respective crushes only to slowly realize they want to be with each other.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review and i hope you enjoy your request!

Axis25- I think Janna isn't good with timing. i mean it's clear she's had a crush on him for a while and honestly, i think everyone knows he likes jackie *it's not at all subtle* so maybe she got tired of waiting. honestly i do agree it was a bit rushed and while i like to think story wise Marco knew it wasn't going to last and was more annoyed at star for not telling sooner, he knew she meant well, in reality the story was getting long and i know i am quite wordy at times. still i am glad you enjoyed it!

Golfalphamike- thank you for such high praise. you are one of my favorite authors and i am so honored you gave me a shot to write this out. it was a great idea and i am happy you enjoyed it so much. and i agree, i rushed them but yeah it was getting pretty long. thank you so much and good luck with your stories!

shadowgem- i think i made it clear i too share your shipping addiction haha i'm glad you enjoyed this.

Pdavis- it's pretty trippy how much real life can spill into fiction. i hope yours is resolved peacefully or peaceful enough. and of course it was my pleasure, i just wish i read it sooner and take your time, no one is rushing you!

anoymins- well thank you for your kind words. i like to think i am slowly getting better the more i write. and we all miss canon universe heavily but today we got a promo so yes! i feel renewed in my starco. soon we shall all return to the land we love and thank you for the review :)

grim- i am glad you understand! i'm glad you enjoyed the bit of drama from the canon universe!

tora; sorry i didn't mention your review earlier thank you so much and i'm happy you enjoyed it.

guest sorta- right? umm i think i did kinda do one but i could always do another medieval and it's fine, i make grammar and spelling mistakes quite often.

CLm88 thank you for all your support and the reviews.

cartoonlover- here have a tissue.

So on starco corner, Marionette-j2x on tumblr has done some cute animations and sketches of starco, wildehopps, a covy one too so check them out. spatziline in tumblr has done some starco but i highly recommend checking out the rest of her work. sara over on idrawcartoons on instagram has some random doodles here and there. umm i reblogged a lot of stuff on mrevaunit42 and so did SVTFOEheadcanons, axis2500, hains-mae all on tumblr check them out and yes, it has happened. WE NOT ONLY GOT A RELEASE DATE BUT A PROMO FOR STAR VS and i am digging her new dress.

on FF we have some pretty awesome updates. we got another nice conclusion for a character in starfall from Golfalphamike, dimension of infinite tales from author smimph, until you realize author fanfictionfordayz is alive and well and it was so awesome, the heir of the dead by by bluestarlord1519 which i managed to read a little on before i got to work but it sounds interesting, road trip by ninjacupcakex if you are looking for older starco, bad enough for you by jacksinabox, godlegend is promising a pretty mind blowing update for sweets so keep an eye out for that and 23-8-15 1-13 9, the fall of butterfly is getting really good by the canadian infernape which just reminds me of pokemon chimchar, wands and weirdos from sonicelite, star vs the forces of marco and the princess and the safe kid by pftones3482 which star vs marco i've just started readin.

 **Story Prompt of the day:** Today we are traveling to an AU and story requested by Princessxgilex who like to know what a genderbent Star and Marco would be and thus i present Comet Butterfly and Marcia Diaz. It's the special time of the month for the young Marcia and Comet is determined to help his best friend anyway he can. even if he horribly fails at it. i tried not to be too specific about what's going given the nature of this request but also i drew from my own personal experience with my best friend. So in this story it's been a few months since comet came to earth but Marcia's time has never been this bad.

So the only author note i'd like to point out is i want to thank my good friend h mae who let me use her design of Comet and Marcia (maria in her sketches), which you can find her rough sketch on her tumblr hains-mae because out of all the ones i've seen, that was the one i enjoyed most. the others are great but some things like the leggings just didn't fit comet. so once more a special thanks to her and she may need a little help in the future but i'll wait for her to tell me.

well that's it, the next au is i have no idea. maybe a request, kingsmen, sailor moon, frozen, i have no idea. but in the mean time have an amazing week, great days, stay awesome, thank you for alllll your support, it means a lot to me, princessxgilex i hope you enjoy the story and please do not be afraid to tell me if you didn.t alright thank you so much, i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

There was a loud yawn that broke the silence of the Diaz household as a mop of wavy, blonde hair stirred from their sleep, a pair sky blue eyes peering around the room carefully.

"Ugh...I got to get up already?" The young teen muttered, his tone filled with annoyance but excitement "Well at least I don't have mom trying to blast me out of bed with the wand...which is mine! Sweet!"

The young prince leapt out of bed, sailing through the air effortlessly before landing gently on the floor with a grace not often associated with him.

With a carefree stride and bright grin usually reserved for later in the day, the magical prince strolled over to the life sized mirror and began looking himself over in the reflective surface. He was by no means vain but years of royal training required him to always appear impeccable, even if he didn't want to, and thus Comet Butterfly began grooming himself to perfection.

"Short but stylish wavy blonde hair?" Comet nodded with a smile, blowing a loose strain out of his face "Check! Blue, non bloodshot eyes with no sign that I was up till 3 a.m. Last night? Cheeeeck! Pink hearts on my cheeks signifying my royal lineage and that I am the next heir of Mewni? Well duh...why do I always check that one? It's not like my hearts can like disappear or something..."

Comet shrugged causally before biting his lip in concentration, his finger tucked under his chin while he pieced together the final part of the checklist.

"Right" Comet answered with a snap of his fingers, standing up straight a moment later and with a mocking tone that vaguely sounded like his mother, answered "Clothes befitting a royal of the Butterfly dynasty"

Comet scoffed before eying his outfit: a blue and white sleep shirt and sweats with pink stars randomly thrown about its surface.

"Oh man there's no way mom would every approve of this..." Comet complained before he realized a vital piece of information, his heart covered cheeks becoming lightbulbs for a moment "Buuuut it's Saturday and me and Marcia don't have prison! Er school...prison, school what's the difference?"

Comet looked outside only to see a sea of stormy gray clouds blanketing the entire city in its shade, the atmosphere dull as opposed to the normally energetic and bright clear skies it normally was.

"Huh..." Comet frowned at the clouds high above "that's...awesome!" Comet cheered happily "Clearly it's going to be a great day!"

Comet rushed out of his Mewni inspired room, flinching when his door slammed against the hallway wall with a floaty thud, echoing softly throughout the house.

"Whoops" He chuckled to himself, instinctively scratching at his cheek sheepishly before strutting his way over to Marcia's room, wondering if she was up already.

Which was a really silly question, Comet thought to himself, she's always up early.

"Ooooh Marcia!" Comet bellowed in a sing songy voice, rapidly knocking on her bedroom door to get her attention. "It's time to do nothing but watch movies and eat nachos alllll day! By the way, can I have some nachos?"

Comet was expecting a flurry of footsteps followed by the door swinging open wide to reveal his bestie greeting him with a happy glint in her eyes and a plastered on, totally fake smile on her lips.

What he got instead was a low and very irritated grunt followed by a thick blanket of silence.

Comet stood there, grin patiently remaining on his face as he glanced around uncomfortably.

"Huh...maybe she didn't hear me? So I guess knocking louder is the answer!" Comet took a deep breath, eyes narrowed as he rose his fist high into the air once more and...

"Oh, mjio. What are you doing?" the kindly voice of Mrs. Diaz called from behind.

Comet whirled around to see the older Diaz's sleepily trudging out of their room.

"Oh hi Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!" Comet waved excitedly "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No no no" Rafael shook his head before letting loose the biggest-bear like yawn Comet ever heard "We were just getting up. What are you doing this early?"

"Trying to wake up Marcia" Comet pointed to aforementioned girl's room "I figured since it's Saturday we could just relax and you know, not do anything. I like not doing anything."

Rafael nodded in agreement, he too enjoyed the feeling of not doing anything on a lazy weekend.

Angie did not look so sure.

"Umm...Mijo" Angie began nervously, tugging at her husband's sleeve to get his attention "Perhaps today isn't the best day to...hang out with Marcia..."

"What? Nonsense!" Rafael boasted loudly "today is a nice day to sit around the house, do nothing, watch movies and..."

Rafael paused as Angie pulled at his sleeve forcefully, finally bringing him down to her level and allowing her to whisper in his ear.

"Yes..." Rafael nodded in agreement "Yes yes...Si...si..."

Rafael's eyes widen with concern upon realizing what his wife was trying to tell him

"Oh yes, yes!" Rafael chattered nervously "Perhaps not today mijo. It is not a good day for Marcia. She's a bit...how you say...unwell."

"Unwell?" Comet repeated "Oh no! is there anything I can do to help?"

"Umm no sweetie" Angie gently replied "This is...er...human thing she has to do...very important to her health..."

Comet couldn't stop the confusion from slipping onto his face "Human thing? What kind of human thing requires you to be alone, locked away in your room and avoid contact with everyone?"

The door was violently kicked open as a pair of light brown eyes glared from the doorway, the normally well kept and immaculately groomed long light brown hair of Marcia was frizzled and unkempt, her white Spanish style inspired sleep dress looking abnormally winkled almost like she didn't get any sleep last night.

"why..." Marcia muttered low under her breath "are you all standing IN FRONT OF MY DOOR?!"

Comet's face was blank as the sheer volume of Marcia's shout swayed him back and forth on his feet, his hair windswept and messy as Marcia suddenly looked embarrassed and guilty.

"Oh man, I'm sorry guys...I didn't mean to yell." Marcia twiddled her thumbs shamefully "It's _that_ time and...ugh I'm really hungry."

"Hey!" Comet saw his chance to jump in "me too! We should totally eat some nachos! Like right now. Ah ah, what do you say?"

Comet was unsure why Marcia's cheeks became tinged with a red hue, her little mole looking even cuter with the new shade of color surrounding it.

"I..I don't know..." Marcia replied uneasily "I'm not really up for cooking...and..."

"It's okay honey" Angie cut in, scooting pass the young prince and holding her daughter's shoulder reassuringly "I'll cook some breakfast, sound good?"

"Okay mama."

Comet waited until the older Diaz's were out of earshot before quickly placing his hand on Marcia's warm forehead.

"C-comet! What are you doing?" Marcia stammer, taking a step back and breaking contact with the prince.

"Your mom said you weren't feeling so good and as your best bestie it is my duty to ensure that you feel better!"

"Oh..." Marcia murmured in a timid voice "there's nothing anyone can really do. It's a normal thing human girls have to go through."

Comet scoffed, waving off his best friend's claim "I am a magical prince from another dimension with an all powerful wand. I am _positive_ I can come up with something to make you feel better.

Marcia let out a frustrated moan "Comet, that's sweet and all but seriously, no magical spells on me. I don't want another monster arm fiasco."

"But..."

"COMET!" Marcia snarled, hands clutched into fists "NO SPELLS!"

"But..." Comet whined weakly

"NO SPELLS!"

Comet let out a sigh of defeat "ooookay..."

Marcia caught the tone of his voice "Well...not on me okay? I'm not really in the mood for a parasitic mental link with an unholy spawn of magic."

Comet smiled brightly towards Marcia, the flush feeling she was feeling returning in full force.

"Come on, let's go eat dinner!" Comet cheered loudly.

Marcia snickered at his mistake "Breakfast Comet."

"What did I say?"

"Dinner."

"...oh...well come on!"

"COMET!" Marcia cried out indignantly as Comet grabbed her hand roughly and began pulling her downstairs at full speed "NOT SO FAST! COMET SLOW DOWN! COMET!"

* * *

Comet beamed joyfully as he scarfed down the delicious meal Mrs. Diaz created for the family and their foreign exchange student.

Marcia simply stared at her plate, moving pieces here and there with her fork absentmindedly. She knew she should eat but she wasn't really feeling it and all the extra weight wasn't helping either. She hated this time of the month.

Comet frowned at Marcia, wondering what kind of illness would cause this kind of shift in someone's behavior.

"Hey Marcia! If you don't your food, I sure will" Comet jokingly told her, smirking internally at the brilliance of his plan.

Comet blinked as Marcia scraped her remaining food onto his plate without a word of argument "Sure princey, here ya go" and quickly rose from her seat and placed her dish into the sink.

Comet frowned, digging his fork into a piece of bacon "That...did not go as expected." Comet sighed once more before popping the piece of food into his waiting maw.

"I told you sweetie, she's not really feeling well. Don't take it personally." Angie patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Comet chuckled loudly "Don't worry Mrs. Diaz, I'm not. I'm just going to have to try even harder to make her feel better!"

The trio jumped at the sound of a furious and frustrated scream coming from Marcia's room.

"MOOOOOOM, I'M OUT!"

Angie could feel the sweat dropping from the back of her head "ARE YOU SURE HONEY?"

"YES MOM! I'M OUT! UGH CAN YOU TAKE ME TO THE STORE?"

Comet glanced quizzically at Mr. and Mrs. Diaz "Store? Why does she need to go to the store?"

Angie and Rafael glanced uncomfortably towards one another "Well...she needs something for...well yeah."

"Oh...okay! How about I go with you instead that way she doesn't have to worry about it?"

"Well..."

"It's settled!" Comet nodded before calling up the stairs "DON'T WORRY MARCIA, I'll GO WITH YOUR MOM TO GO GET WHATEVER YOU NEED!"

There was an awkward silence that filled the air.

"Marcia?"

"A-are you sure Comet? I mean it's pretty...umm...embarrassing and you might be overwhelmed by...the choices."

"Don't worry Mar! Your mom will be with me! You just relax and we'll be back as soon as possible.

"If you're sure..."

Comet glanced towards Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, a questioning gaze in their eyes.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, I mean how hard could it be?"

* * *

"See, not hard at all" Comet boasted as he and Angie drove down the streets of Echo Creek without a care in the world.

Comet had slipped out of his night night pjs and into something his mother would approve of: A white short sleeved collared shirt tucked under a sea green sweater vest with a pretty adorable purple octopus in the center, beige khaki shorts that were folded at the bottom with two belts hanging loosely on either side looping from the front to the back with his rhino boots completing the look.

"You really didn't have to do this Comet." Angie told the magical prince, sending him a grateful smile despite her previous statement "I'm sure Marcia could've handled it well enough."

"Are you kidding me? She's my best friend! She's done so much for me and she's so cool! It's the least I could do. Besides you're doing most of the work. I'm just here for support!"

Angie noticed how much...happier Comet tended to be whenever talking about her daughter.

Angie briefly wondered if Comet harbored certain romantic implications towards Marcia. It was very hard to tell due to Comet's broad nature and how highly he thought of Earth in general but she was pretty sure that he was far more fond of her than he realized. And even though that was the cutest thing ever, Angie concluded they were much too young to reach that stage any time soon. Best for them to grow up first before she implied to Marcia that she would like a magical prince as a son-in-law.

Angie slammed on the brake as a large SUV suddenly peeled out in front of her, cutting across at a frighteningly close distance.

Angie glared at the retreating vehicle before turning forward once more only to find the shopping center packed to the brim with people walking about with little concern for their safety and cars circling around the full parking lot like sharks searching for their next meal.

"Oh no, it's full. I can't find a parking spot anywhere!"

"Don't sweat it Mrs. Diaz." Comet told her with a confident grin "I'll just get off and go get the thing myself!"

Angie wanted to argue given Comet's lack of knowledge about the object in question and the vast amount of choices but at the same time they could potentate waste up to 40 minutes simply trying to find a space a lot.

Angie studied Comet's face carefully, the self-assurance brimming from every inch of his entire being filling her with a sense of hope and trust. He's been here a few months, surely he could handle this simple task. It wasn't like they were asking him to pick up the groceries...again.

"Okay mijo, go ahead and I'll catch up as soon as possible. Here's some money in case. Stand in the front if you're done before I can find a spot."

Comet saluted Mrs. Diaz "Yes ma'am, don't worry I totally got this."

* * *

"Yep" Comet smirked to himself as he took in the vast sea of products on the wall that seemed to tower high above him "Tooootally got this."

He began stroking his chin thoughtfully, wondering how so many products with different features could achieve the same result. Also what was their purpose exactly.

"Soooo does she want pads? With wings? No wings? Leak proof? Water absorbent? What in the world does absorbent mean? And why does this one look like a tiny space ship and this one look like looks like a stick?"

Comet rolled his eyes in annoyance, carefully reading the varying prices of each product while clutching the crumpled up 20 tightly in his hand.

"If they cost this much monies" Comet told himself, holding up several fingers as a visual aid to his thought process "and I have this much money" He eyed the 20 dollar bill carefully "Then I can get this many! I think. Not sure. Oh well, grab one of each!"

* * *

The cashier looked at Comet sympathetically when he dumped the different sized boxes onto the belt, each more different than the last and with different aspects to their design.

"First time shopping for your girlfriend?" The cashier asked curiously, more to comfort the young teen than actually prying into his business.

"Yep!" Comet answered without a hint of embarrassment "She's my bestie and she's done so much for me I figured this is the best way to pay her back!"

"You poor soul, venturing into that section all by yourself."

"Poor soul? Why?" Comet asked, unsure what was so wrong with the aisle. There was no monster attacks, no dutiful knight guarding the items and they were all easy to reach for and not at all protected by that invisible glass shielding that so many other products in the store seemed to hide behind.

"Never mind. Let me guess, she didn't tell you which one?"

Comet shook his head "Accccctually I forgot to ask but I'm sure one of these is bound to be the right one!"

"Don't count on it buddy. Okay your totally is 20.03."

Comet glanced downward at his single 20 dollar bill "oh..."

The cashier raised an eyebrow, wondering if this kid was really trying to pull the dumb act to get out of paying an extra 3 cents.

"...I don't have enough." Comet shrugged "I guess I'll just have to get rid of one. Hmm"

Comet studied each box carefully, wondering which was the least effective in helping Marcia with her...whatever was going on.

"You know what." The cashier said upon realizing that this boy was being serious about not having the extra change "You did enough getting all these for your girlfriend. I got 3 cents, let me cover you okay?"

"Oh awesome! Thanks man!"

"It's cool. Here you go, have a nice day."

Comet carefully made his way out of the store, wondering where he could learn how to read minds. After all the cashier seemed to know that Marcia was a girl AND his friend.

* * *

"MAAAAARCIA!" Comet sang at the top of his lungs as he opened Marcia's door, a bag of much needed products hanging proudly from his wrist "I broooooought it!'

Marcia turned to Comet, a huge smile creeping out of the frown that was plastered on her face.

While Mrs. Diaz and Comet were gone, Marcia decided to change into her every day clothing for some sense of normalcy. Her long light brown was clear of her face and tied up in a long singular ponytail while she was bundled up in her trademark red hoodie with her thigh length demi shorts and a pair of longer bike shorts worn underneath covering up to just above her knees, a pair of green sneakers finishing the look.

"Really? Comet, you rock!" Marcia cheered, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and squeezing before releasing him from her death grip and snatching the grocery bag, rifling through the products with a hopeful expression that faded more and more each passing moment before falling into complete disappointment.

"You didn't get it..."

"huh?" Comet stared at the bag "R-really? All those products and I didn't get the right one...?"

"No."

"Oh..." Comet couldn't believe after all that effort he still hadn't managed to help his best friend.

Marcia noticed the crestfallen Comet and quickly faked a smile in hopes to spare the boy from the hurt she accidentally caused.

"D-don't worry Comet, this one will do just fine!" Marcia reached for a random box and held it up for the prince to see.

Comet knew she was lying. Ever since the Blood Moon Ball, he always knew when she was hiding something from him in hopes to spare his feelings from any mistakes he made.

"Wait!" Comet smacked his fist against his open palm, the lightbulbs lighting up his cheeks once more "Rainbows! You like rainbows!"

"Wait, I don't think..." Marcia began but Comet had already pulled out his wand, aiming it towards the ceiling before saying at the top of his lungs "RAINBOW CHEER UP BLAST!"

The musical chime told Marcia it was too late as a multicolored beam of refracted light smashed against the bottom of her roof, forming a luminous, fluffy pink cloud far brighter than any outside her window.

"Comet..." Marcia asked slowly in case sudden noises caused the rapidly growing cloud to burst "What did you do?"

Comet chewed nervously on his wand, a sign whose meaning Marcia knew far too well.

"Well, ideally, it was supposed to be a rainbow..."

"And...if it isn't?"

"Well..."

Marcia shrieked, narrowly avoiding a rainbow beam that shot out of the cloud, cracking the tile where her foot had been a moment earlier in half.

"That...that would happen."

The cloud burst and countless rainbow beams streaked downward towards the best friends.

"COOOOOMET!" Marcia yelled as Comet leapt towards her side, wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her closer to himself.

"Super Shiny Hamster Ball!" Comet shouted, flicking the wand as the rainbow attack inched ever closer.

The pair were suddenly surrounded by a translucence pink, sparkling hamster ball just in time. The attack crashed against the sphere, rattling and shaking the two teens within violently as the force of the assault caused the ball skid out of the room and become an out of control boulder of doom.

"WOOOOO! YEAH THIS IS AWESOME!" Comet yelled, his elated joy muffled by their defense.

Marcia said nothing, clutching both her stomach and mouth with either hand as the spinning and blur of colors started making her feel very sick.

The hamster ball rolled down the stairs, building more and more speed before striking against the far wall with enough force to pop it out of existence.

Comet cheered as the best friends found themselves atop big piles of confetti that cushioned their fall.

"that was awesome, I..." Comet started before catching sight of Marcia in so much pain "Mar? Are you okay?"

Marcia's pale skin and the way she clutched at her stomach worried Comet immensely despite her shaky smile trying to tell him it was alright "I...I..motion sickness it's okay I..."

Marcia winced as she clasped at her stomach tightly, tears building in her eyes as the pain became unbearable.

"Mar don't lie to me, what's wrong!?"

"Cramps" Marcia wheezed, letting an anguish cry of pain "Very annoying. It'll pass sooner or later."

"Another thing?! There's got to be something I can do to help!" Comet knelt next to the fallen girl, trying not to let the worry overwhelm him. As tempting as the wand was, he promised he would not cast any spells on her during this sensitive time.

Marcia shook her head "No, I'd only hurt you. Just...just let me..."

"Nonsense Mar, you'd never hurt me! Just tell me what to do."

Marcia looked at Comet's eager, desperate face. All he wanted to do was help her out and no matter how hard he tried, there wasn't anything he could do. Well maybe one thing but it might hurt him give how much pain _she_ was in.

"Pleeeease?" Comet pleaded, blue eyes at maximum puppy pout.

"Okay..." Marcia caved, letting out a sigh as she offered her hand to Comet "Hold my hand."

Comet stared at the hand as if it had suddenly began talking again "Hold your hand? Really? It seems a little..."

"JUST HOLD MY FLIPPING HAND!" Marcia snarled before closing her eyes in pain once more.

"Right...right!" Comet quickly agreed, slipping his warm hand into her cold, clammy one.

They were simply there, half crawling, half sitting on the floor for a second or so, the storm within Marcia's body seemingly passed and gone.

"I don't see how..."

Marcia shivered and violently crushed Comet's hand, squeezing every bit of strength she had into the gesture.

Comet opened his mouth to scream at the bone crushing pressure Marcia was applying to his hand before clamping it shut with his free hand.

If he hadn't known better, he would've suspected that Marcia was using her immense skill and karate strength to get back at him for a previously unknown transgression against her but given how she was squeezing shut her eyes, watery tears among her light brown irise, he realized whatever she was going through must've been incredibly painful. He understood what he felt was nothing compared to what she was going through.

He gulped down the aching, almost numb feeling of his hand being crushed and allowed Marcia to press down on it as much as she wanted, silently chanting in his head that it was for Mar, it was for Mar, it was for Mar.

Minutes passed and the pain finally subsided. Marcia took a deep breath in and out as she slowly (very, very slowly) released Comet from her death grip and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Comet" She smiled his way only to notice his face frozen in a mixture of determination and suffering "Oh, I'm sorry...I...did I?"

"Nope" Comet's voice was tight and strained "Not at all. I'm goood, goood, greeeeat. I...I'm just going to go...umm..." Comet looked at his purple and bruised hand "I got to go do something. Be back okay Mar?"

"Okay Comet" Marcia muttered sadly as Comet rushed to his room quickly as possible.

* * *

Marcia nodded to herself in the mirror. While Comet had not brought the correct brand she needed, he did get the next best thing and she could live with it for a while. Now that the initial pain was over, it might be smoother sailing from on out. Maybe, hopefully.

Marcia glanced at Comet's door, wondering what he had been doing for the last 30 minutes. Every time she knocked on his door, she received a hurried "Just a minute!" followed by several minutes of silence.

Marcia normally wouldn't have done this but given the...special time of month it was, she was feeling a bit rebellious. She was not the safe kid everyone believed her to be. She was a misunderstood bad girl and she was going to spy on her best friend.

"Unless he's doing something private" She told herself "or busy...or changing."

Marcia flushed a brilliant red at that last comment, trying to ignore the rouge thoughts that began filling her brain.

"Nope, nope, nope." she muttered quickly as she raced to the other side of their shared bathroom.

She took a deep, calming breath, murmuring softly "please don't be changing, please don't be changing please..." she cracked open Comet's bedroom door just a little and peeked inside to find Comet speaking to his father River about something "Whew...it looks like a family check up. I guess I'll just..."

"Really? Nothing dad?" Marcia's ears perked up at the sad, disappointed tone of Comet's voice.

"Sorry son but we simply have no information on humans and their biology."

"I'm pretty sure it's anatomy but okay, I understand."

Marcia smiled at what she heard. Comet was contacting his father in hopes his parents have some sort of information on what was going with her.

"I know you are disappointed, which is natural son, but you seem a...little _too_ disappointed."

"Oh, do I?" Comet replied nervously, rubbing the back of his head anxiously as if he did not like where this train of thought was going "cause I'm not. Nope, no sir, not me said the Butterfly."

The tense chuckle was all Marcia needed to confirm that Comet was lying and evidently River picked up on it too.

"Comet." River warned firmly.

"ugh, okay, okay. Just don't tell mom...she might...no, she _will_ get the wrong idea."

Oh, Marcia thought to herself, what's this about?

"Wrong idea about Comet? You and this Marcia?"

Comet blushed wildly, not that Marcia could see, as he twiddled his thumbs.

"Yeeeeah. I mean I know mom wants me to find nice girl to settle down and marry, produce royal grandbabies but.. she would jump to the wrong...ugh. Look, I...I really wanted to help Marcia out."

"I know, she is your best friend and you do enjoy her company and her cute mole"

"DAAAAD" Comet whined, face palming himself in embarrassment "could you like never say that again? Ever. As long as I live, great thanks!"

"I am simply jesting with you my son."

"I know..."

"Why do you feel so disappointed about failing to help Marcia with what is clearly a normal human thing."

"Because" Comet answered, rubbing his arm anxiously "she's done so much for me since I got here. I mean she puts up with my antics, helps me learn about cool Earth stuff, let's me test super danger spells."

"What was that last thing?"

"Test out safe, useful spells" Comet told his father quickly "And she's so cool. She's smart, she knows how to fight, she's super good at stuff like making these triangle shaped food called nachos that I totally need you to try and she's the best friend I could ever ask for...I...I just hate letting her down."

Marcia pulled away, closing the door silently, tearing up a bit at Comet's confession. He really was a good guy and her best friend.

And she knew exactly what to do to cheer him up.

* * *

Comet poked his head into the darken room, eyes scanning carefully for his elusive best friend.

"Hey Mar Mar" Comet called quietly, pushing the door all the way before taking a stealthy step inside "Look who brought out the deeeeevil horns! This guy!"

No response.

Comet frowned, unsure where Marcia had gone to but feeling the shame of failure crawling down his back once more.

"Hey Comet"

Comet let out a startled yelp, arms flailing wildly as he tried to keep a steady grip on his wand.

"Geesh" Marcia said from the hallway, hand on her hip and the other around a big bowl of nachos "I didn't think you were that jumpy".

"I'm not" Comet argued "I just didn't expect you to sneak up behind me! So mean."

"Sorry, I was in the kitchen making nachos."

Comet's eyes widen at the sound of his favorite food, the smell of the freshly cooked treating tickling his nose and causing the drool to start pooling.

"I figured after such a long day, we could use a nice treat. Maybe watch some movies in my room if you're up for it." Marcia told him with a smile, pushing past and switching on the lights.

"...Nah" Comet replied "I...I'm good. I mean I didn't really do anything...so you know."

Marcia rolled her eyes at Comet, taking a seat on the bed and patting for the magical prince to join her.

Comet pursed his lips, unsure if it was a good idea to take Marcia up on her offer.

"Sit down, will you?"

Comet took his step quickly turning to face Marcia who began fiddling with the magic movie box's control

"You couldn't help me" She started off simply.

Comet scoffed "yeah no kidding. I'm a total failure."

"No you're not, nobody could've helped me. It's just something I have to go through."

Comet sighed in defeat "I know..."

"But you tried and that means just as much to me."

Comet stared at Marcia, unsure why his failure would mean anything to her.

"Look Comet you're my best friend "Marcia admitted "And honestly, you are an awesome best friend and you aren't always going to succeed when you try and help me but you tried and that shows you care which is more than enough. So stop being a pouty pants or I'll squeeze your hand again."

Comet looked at his hand, phantom pains from his experience earlier filling every inch of it.

"That's fine, if it helps you out, I'll do it!"

Marcia couldn't help but return Comet's glowing smile.

"Right now" Marcia told him, motioning him closer "You can help me eat these nachos and watch this movie."

Comet shook his head in disbelief as he reached for one of the delicious treats "haha alright"

Marcia pulled away the bowl at the last minute, openly glaring towards her best friend "You washed your hands right?"

"Umm, yeah."

"Liar"

Comet shook his head defensively "I totally did!"

Marcia kept the glare but returned the bowl to its proper place between them "Alright but I'm crushing your hand if you're lying to me."

"I swear on the 13 protectors of mewni I speak the truth.

"Alright."

The pair happily munched on the snacks as the first of many movies played on, the cozy and relaxed setting of the moment greatly appreciated after the hectic nature of the day.

Marcia placed her head gently on Comet's shoulders.

"Is this going to help you make you feel better?" Comet questioned.

"Yep" Marcia replied

"You're not just saying that to make _me_ feel better, right?"

"How about you stop talking and enjoy the movie with me Comet."

Comet smiled brightly as Marcia snugged up a bit closer to him.

"Whatever you say Mar, whatever you say."


	79. Dead but not buried (Overwatch)

Hello fanfiction, mr.E here finally able to update after so many things i needed to talk care of. it was grad week for a lot of my family. thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me and make me so happy. seriously they make my day.

a special thanks to imagine-thank you so much and i am happy you enjoyed it so much. honestly i am considering doing more of the genderbend au, nice change of pace with two kinda but different star and marco character's. honestly i don't know. Would i keep them as nova and connor? would they be Noel and Connie?! I DON'T KNOW!

guest: nice read before sleep. i do that a lot and i forgot about cake and fiona. haha good parallel . thank you for reading and the review. much appreciated :)

heroaedrianmontilla- you know now that i stop and think about, are most genderbent rated m? hmm i can't be the only teen one...can i? well thank you so much but i recommend anoymins, axis25 and golfalphamike's they are really knocking it out of the park this week. honestly the reasoning behind the hearts was because they are a key feature of star and clearly are important to the story given the diamonds from moon, the clovers of miss henious and the unknown spade mewnian. so i felt it needed to keep it in. i have many favorites shows spanning real, cartoon and anime. soul eater, detective conan, firefly, breaking in, star vs, original teen titans, gravity falls. just too many. just let me know about the request i could be anything from an au i did, to your own idea and even nova is on the table.

author smimph- no worries these stories are meant to be enjoyed whenever and life is getting pretty busy. haha thank you and thank princessxgilex who requested it.

aquaburst07- star is pretty sharp yet naive to earthly things it made sense to give comet the same trait. haha don't worry about it, it is a fair question given she is from another dimension and there is another reviewer who asked the same question. curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back. thanks for your kind words.

grim: honestly i will probably come back to this.

princessxgilex- thank you so much for your review and this request, it was so much fun and i am very honored you let me write it for you :)

shadowgem- yeah even though they are just a different version of star and marco, they are not star and marco and due to their genders, they would be treated differently. i imagined moon being more patient of Comet's more reckless behavior and approving his fighting but pushy about finding a suitable girl with Marcia being more babied and more free form with her speech and actions. it's always the little things and thank you so much. THEY ARE COMING BACK!

h mae- they are super adorable. SUPER I SAY thanks but your drawings helped inspire me to bring them to life in the way i did so thanks and thanks for letting me use it. you're as awesome as ever too!

finn; thanks and they're coming back! YUS!

cartoonlover- they really are.

Pdavis- thank you kindly i always try my best and i might not always do it, that's all i can really strive for. haah i don't really get breaks during summer.

misfortune- thank you i know right? do mewmans have their own version. is it only the guy's, is that why river went off the deep end when he visited?

Godlegend- sans, is that you? haha i'm crazier than you good sir. and it is a good thing.

tora- haha sorry still working on getting your popcorn for the read. you know time and space.

anoymins- aww (HUGS!) hope you have a better month and now that i stop and think about they were very much phiabella. huh didn't realize that. thank you for the review, it really makes my day! :D

Lilith avadonia-that's okay, this story isn't going anywhere. honestly there's 12 stories in the world and only so much you can make original which is why i say make it your own. it doesn't have to be unique but try things and combos no has done in a while or see what works. hope you enjoy the next ladybug au when i get to it.

xminercbora- maybe. might do a paordy where Marco and Star end up selling candy during a candy ban or something. or i might just go full breaking bad. we'll see.

cml88- in order, yes both going solo, i am glad you liked guardians.

blue avenger- yes it was cute, awww agreed, confident Marco makes every girl swoon and bad boy au was too much fun

guest- haha i asked that sometimes when mine disappears midstory haha i'm glad you enjoyed it haha yeah those are side effects from the starco don't worry the insurance will cover and i hope you keep enjoying the works.

Artist wise we got Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr giving us some awesome star pictures. good luck on the artist brawl thingy hosted by disney xd. oh btw, her art work was actually shown by disney xd so give her a hand! spatziline on tumblr showing off more of her awesome work with a little comic about something regarding 'smooch buddies' for people who've seen the new promo. lots of great art floating tumblr over on my site mrevaunit42, svtfoeheadcanons,findoworld. go check them out sara on idrawcartoon on instagram also has some cool stuff.

on FF another cute chapter of stardust from ellefreak which i really need to review, the fall of butterfly from Canadianinferape, a very meta breaking story from godlegend's sweets. some more concluding goodness from golfalphamike' starfall, star vs the forces of mystery from twelve-days-of-misfortune, AN EXTREMELY WELL DONE CHAPTER FROM ANoymins little talks like go read it now. some nice falling action from axis25's nothing comes easy, keep up the great work good sir. heir of the dead from bluestarlord1519 is getting very good. curious where they take it. another awesome chapter of princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482, wands and weirdo from sonicelite.

 **Story Prompt of the day** : Overwatch, a good game i have some minor issues with. mostly its pay for loot crate system. blizzard, you already rich enough. this version of the story, Watchpoint (because i'm bad with names) was once the heroic alliance sworn to protect the world but now that world has moved on and watchpoint fell from grace, the heroes have faded away and crime is at an all time high. but what happens when someone decides a hero must always do what is right, even when the world says it's a crime, not allowed?

brief overview. so what is overwatch? other than a game with so much lore not in the actual game, a pretty cool yet well known idea. take a dash of terminator *fighting robots* add some incredibles *heroes protecting the world then asked to stop) add tf2 style antics and gameplay and you have the futuristic overwatch world. I chose two heroes for today solider 76 a man on a revenge mission and tracer a perky british bundle of joy who loves fighting evil. i don't ship them though. I ship genji and mei.

So that's all you really need to know. this more of a warm up for my hero to zero series, coming soon though i have enough chapters planned to finish this proper if you wish to see more so let me know.

so thank you so much for all your support, sorry i was so busy last week. seriously everyone was graduating. i hope you enjoy the story. Have an amazing week, hopefully i'll update this story sometime this week. and let me know if you want more of this story. enjoy and i own nothing!

* * *

"And in recent news, the World Security Bureau continues its ongoing investigation into a string of recent attacks targeting key WSB installations and corporate sponsors with a number of former Watchpoint facilities being among them. Watchpoint, of course, was the precursor to the WSB before allegations of corruption, human rights violations among various classified concerns closed down the..."

The television suddenly shut off, startling the young man as the glow from the screen faded away and the darkness returned, the silence of the abandoned building becoming unbearably unnerving.

The young man shifted uncomfortably under the intense gazes from the rest of his team, their jet black tactical gear and heavy weapons in their grip reminding him they were not here for a simple stroll in the park.

"Keep in your head in the game" The commander growled angrily "We're not here to play around and we're sure as hell not to here to get pinched because you decided to watch television."

The young man let out a pained yelp as the commander gripped him tightly by his short hair and gave him a violent shove to the ground.

"Focus or else I'll shoot you myself."

The young man sat quietly on the floor, unmoving as the rest of his team disappeared further into the decaying, deprecated shell of what was once a hub of vigilance and justice, their echoing footsteps fading further and further away into the inky black of the night, the light of the moon overhead unable to pierce the thickness of the shady silhouettes.

The young man quietly rose to his feet, bending over to retrieve his firearm that slipped from his grasp when the commander threw him to the floor, his gloved hands shuffling ancient and faded papers across the dusty, dirtied tiles.

He glanced across the room, taking in the spacious but hollow lobby that once thrived with life but now was void of any sign of it.

He briefly wondered how it happened, how the symbol of hope and peace became hated and despised. How the heroes of old were asked to step down and disappeared into obscurity, to simply turn off their moral code and stop trying to save those who no longer wished for their assistance. To live a normal life or be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, labeled a criminal for performing what was once sought after and given freely.

The lobby itself showed signs of what must've happened that day, when the bright beacon dimmed and went out, when the world discarded their champions without a second thought. Papers were scattered throughout the floor in a frenzied disarray, pencils, pens, cell phones even clip boards and tablets were broken, cracked in half and their remains thrown onto the ground with uncaring abandon.

The sheen of the paint was now dull, chipping away from neglect, the radiance that once shone brightly vanishing as time reclaimed the building piece by piece, the symbol that brought hope now a hollow husk, a reminder of an age long since passed.

The young man wish he knew why they were at this former Watchpoint research and development facility, how much money was offered to lure his lowly group of mercenaries into a relic of the past but this was his first mission and he was not privy to that information. Any mention of police officers or WSB agents was waved off with a simple "they don't care."

Were they in on the mission? Had the WSB hired a bunch of nameless henchmen to rob their own place? Granted no one really ventured into any sort of Watchpoint building anymore but it was still very suspect that WSB would simply leave security lax in such a location. Gone may it be but its secrets remained within this hollow, dead shell.

The young man let out a sigh. He was not cut out for this kind of work. He should've just listened to his wife and simply not take the job offer.

But the money was good even if how he got it wasn't and he didn't have much offer to that amazing woman...

The young man jumped at the sound of paper being scraped across the floor, a sound that filled the silence of the night quickly.

The young man fumbled with his gun, nearly knocking it loose from his grasp once more before he managed to retain his grip on the handle and barrel.

"Whose there?" The young man asked, peering into the blanket of night fearfully "I won't warn you again, I _will_ shoot."

The wind's muted howl was the response he received, the building groaning under the force of the nightly breeze.

"This is your final warning. Show yourself or I will open fire."

There was an electric whine behind him, an unexpected noise that caused his heart to flutter anxiously.

He pivoted on his heels like he was trained to do, holding tightly onto his rifle as his body switched directions to face the approaching threat, one eye closed as the other aimed down the sights, lining the barrel up with his target with his finger preparing to fire.

The young man felt his heart stop, an icy chill running down his spine as a pair of blood red silts stared at him from the darkness, their harsh yet soft glowing illuminating the face of his target. The rational part of his brain knew he was staring at a mask, a day of the dead skeleton with intricate design covering the identity of the assailant who used a pair of infrared goggles to pierce through the darkness, that he was very much human given his light brown hair was free of the confines of the mask, sliver streaks across the lines of brown revealing the enemy is of an older age.

But it was the coldness of his stare that froze the young man, the feeling that empathy no longer existed in his foe's mind that caused the young man to freeze, to become petrified with fear, an overwhelming urge to run and be with his wife taking hold for he had a sneaking suspicion that this man beneath would kill him without a second thought and that the young man only still breathed was because he willed it.

The masked man surged forward, seemingly emerging from the shadows itself, a much more menacing, futuristic rifle in his hands that made the young man's weapon look like a child's popgun.

The masked man was oddly dressed wearing a thick red and white sports sweater with a small number 330 over his heart. black gloves, military slacks and combat boots completed his look.

The young man was unable to do anything but scrunch his eyes fearfully, praying with all his might that he was able to see his wife one last time.

"Kid."

The young man opened his eyes slowly, surprised at the youthful edge that filled the Masked Man's voice. He _was_ older but he couldn't have been by that much more than the young man himself yet there was a weariness that seemed to age the Masked Man entire lifetimes.

"Go home" The Masked Man muttered, holding his rifle in a threatening and imposing manner "You don't belong here. I don't give warnings often if at all."

The young man thought for a moment before placing his weapon gently on the desk that once housed a receptionist. He muttered thanks to the Masked Man before hurriedly rushing home to embrace his wife. He did not want to be a witness to what was about to unfold here.

The Masked Man glanced into the darken hallway, gripping his rifle firmly before muttering to himself "It's time to go hunting."

* * *

"Where's the kid?"

"Probably shit his pants and ran off."

"What a scrub."

"Silence" The commander barked, closing his fist to ensure his lackeys knew he meant business "First we get whatever WSB wants then we go teach the kid a lesson about neglecting his duty. His wife should be reason enough to remind him not to cross us. Now get to it losers, time is money and I don't want to lose a single dime."

With an angry yet soft grumble, the team spread out across the sea of cubicles, weapons prepped and ready to mow down anything while their flashlights dispelled the inky abyss enough to search comfortably for their objective without alerting anyone on the outside world.

Aside from their creaking of the floorboards, the thick thuds of footsteps planted on the ground and the slight moan of firearms shifting here and there, the room was nearly silent with the low hum of electricity flowing filling the air.

"Captain, do you hear that?"

The commander nodded suspiciously "sounds like the power's on...but no one's been here in years...WSB told me that the electricity had been shut off a long time ago...Wait, the kid was watching tv...I don't like this"

Swoosh

The team turned as one, aiming their concentrated source of illumination where the sudden rush of air came from but there was nothing there but emptiness.

The commander narrowed his eyes.

The team whirled around as a stack of papers fell to the floor, the sudden rustling causing the team's frayed nerves to go into overdrive about any noise that appeared from the silence so quickly.

The commander flicked his fingers in a circular motion, ordering his men without a single word having need to be said.

The team resumed their search, now for an unknown intruder than the information they were sent to gather. If someone wanted to play hide and go seek with them, the team was more than happy to oblige and fill them with lead when they won.

The commander closed his eyes as a sudden glow filled the room, blinding him for a moment as the speakers of the television hanging lazily on the wall came to life, words echoing loudly through the silence "...A tragic end when Marco Ubaldo Diaz, leader and head of Watchpoint, was killed in the attack. He was later buried at Echo Creek memorial park with full honors for his previous service with Watchpoint. And thus Watchpoint finished with a bloodied, dark chapter of its story. And the WSB was..."

the gunshot rang through the halls followed by the shattering of glass, the television shutting off in a fantastical flare of sparks and crackling.

"I am not in the mood for this" growled the commander

"Pity, I liked that channel" The masked man muttered in the commander's ear.

The team opened fire, flashes of muzzle fire filling the room as everything in the way was cut to shreds: Papers ripped into millions of pieces and sailing through the air like makeshift snowflakes, bullets sinking deep into faded walls, coughing up drywall and dust, covering everything with a makeshift mist as the walls separating the cubicles were mowed down in a hail of gunfire. Glass panels were broken, electrical equipment broken down to their basic and now useless components and bullet casing covered the floors, their soft thuds covered by bullets whizzing everywhere a member of the team was not.

Smoke curled off the barrels, the now used up gun magazines dropped carelessly to the earth as the team began searching through their packs for ammo, the lull of night covering the event that transpired. The room settled now that the rain of metal and gunpowder had ended and silence return to fill the void left behind by noise.

Someone cried out, vanishing from view as their flashlight was snuffed out as quickly as the person had disappeared.

The team opened fired, their pay worth far more than the life of any member.

The room lit up once more from the attack but another cry of panic could be barely be heard over the lead storm.

The team scrambled to regain lost footing and courage as one by one the mercs fell to the unknown assailant, some dragged screaming into the dark clutching into empty air, others desperately clawing at the floors with childish fear, their guns abandoned and left where they fell as the shadows claimed each one by one until only the commander remained.

"You are a coward!" The commander screamed into the night, his shotgun blasts streaking into the shadows as more of the forgotten building broke apart "YOU DARE ATTACK ME? YOU DARE RUIN THIS OPERATION!" plastic, drywall, wood cracked and scattered into countless pieces "I WILL NOT BE HUMILIATED BY ANYONE!"

"Tough luck, game's over chump"

The Commander barely registered the finality tone the voice spoke with before the butt of a rifle came rushing into view and the dark overtook everything he knew.

* * *

The commander's head throbbed dully though a sharp pain stabbed at his temple every few seconds. He struggled to open his eyes as he felt like he was swaying back and forth freely through the wind. In fact, he could've sworn the wind itself was howling loudly in his ear, the cool night breeze whipping past his face.

"Wake up, it's time to talk."

The man knew that voice. It was the voice of whoever managed to get the drop on him and his team.

The man's eyes shot open as his memory caught up to his fuzzy and disoriented brain.

The commander was confused by what he saw, birds flying below his line of sight, the bright and colorful skyline of the city far in the distance and giving the illusion that the buildings themselves were raining down from the heavens as the view rocked left and right,

The commander screamed bloody murder into the dead silence of the night, his hands and feet bound by a thick metallic looking rope as he hung precariously outside the Watchpoint building several stories above the ground.

The commander heard the crunching of boot stepping on broken glass and smooth flooring tile over head as he began to ascend upwards, his body bouncing up and down every other second.

The commander wasn't surprised to see the Masked Man crouching nearby in the empty window frame, staring at him intently through his red goggles, fixating on every last feature of the leader's face like he was committing it to memory.

"I'm not talking" The commandeer snarled, trying to spit in the face of his captor only for a gust of air to redirect the insult back into his own, the slimy, moist feeling of saliva dripping up his forehead.

"Neither did they." The Masked Man answered ominously before rising to his feet and holding onto the rope with one hand.

The commander could feel his blood grew cold as the Masked Man lifted the 230 pound mercenary high into air one handed, showing no visible strain or effort in the act as he gestured downward.

The commander played the Masked Man's game, certain that in his 20 years of illegal gun running and wetwork operations have hardened him to the point that nothing in this world could shock him further.

The commander looked towards the ground and felt his stomach churn uncomfortably. It was kind of hard to see through the pitch darkness and the lack of any sort of strong illumination on the facility grounds but he could piece together what he was supposed to be seeing.

The bodies of his teammates were sprawled about in different poses, a steady pool of dark substance spilling from their lifeless forms, staining the ground blackish red.

"Turns out dropping people out of a six story window might kill them. Took me a couple lessons to figure that much out."

The commander nearly yelped in surprise as the Masked Man hauled him closer, the light from his goggles basking the commander in red hue.

"But I don't think I've learned the lesson quite yet. Still room for one more test."

The Commander tried to glare at the Masked Man but all he could manage was a pathetic whimper

"What are you looking for?" The Masked Man growled impatiently "I know the WSB sent you to collect something but what I want to know it is"

"WSB? Those goody two shoes? Why the hell..." The Commander began but was quickly silenced as his breath became short and labored, the Masked Man's fist ramming into his stomach and knocking loose all the air from his lungs.

"If I wanted to be lied to" The Masked Man snarled furiously "I'd watch the news. Now tell me what I want to know Hector or I might decide to try my hand at surgery."

Hector paled at the sound of his real name escaping the Masked Man's lips. He felt vulnerable, exposed. His true identity was known and his dual worlds were about to collide violently and probably for the only time.

"Okay okay!" Hector submitted "The WSB wanted us to comb this place for information about a project! Some secret shady shit Watchpoint had been working on."

There was was an awkward silence between the two men as both waited for the other to say something at the reveal of information.

Hector frowned at the masked Man "Ain't you going to like interrupted with a gravelly voice shouting 'what project?' or something like that?"

The Masked Man shook his head at the stupidity of the idea "Why would I do that? That's idiotic. I mean you're already talking, why the hell would I interrupt you when you're spilling the beans?"

"I...I...I" stammered Hector "You see it all the time in those cop shows and with those dark brooding hero types."

"This ain't a comic and it's sure as hell not a show Hector. Now tell me before I put a bullet between your eyes." The Masked Man threatened, lugging his future rifle one handed to make a point.

"Why did you even bring that thing if you're not going to use it?"

"I expected you and your goons to be trouble" The Masked Man told Hector before bringing him face to face, the rifle's barrel just inches from Hector's eyes "Clearly I didn't need to waste the bullets on scum like you when a fall will do nicely. Now, the project!"

"The project was called Stormy Night!" Hector squeaked "WSB wanted information on it. Thought this place would have something on it. We were supposed to take it to IllumaCo headquarters if we found it and torch the place if we didn't"

"Looks like I'm heading to IllumaCo next. Meanwhile you're going for a little ride."

"WAIT WAIT" Hector screamed "I TOLD YOU WHAT I KNEW! I TOLD YOU!"

Before either man could react, there was a flash of pink light in the distance, a figure with wings composed of pinkish energy reappearing in the starry night sky before disappearing just as quickly, a trail of pink light zipping closer every second.

"W-what's that?" Hector asked quizzically, wondering how could this night get any worse.

The Masked Man rubbed his left ring finger unconsciously and Hector a slight bulge that was not present on any other part of his gloved hands.

"A memory" The Masked Man answered before ripping the chord to held Hector aloof and sending the mercenary plummeting to his death below.

Hector couldn't hold in the scream, closing his eyes in terror as the rushing wind raged all around him while he prayed to any and every god he could think to spare his life, that he would become a good person if he got to live another day.

There was a loud thud as Hector sunk into the previously unseen trash bin, softening his fall while assaulting his senses with a putrid and vomiting inducing smells, the soft groans of pain of his still breathing and very much alive team giving him little comfort.

* * *

"Whew. got here in record time!" the perky blonde girl let out a celebratory cheer, wiping the fog from her aviator goggles placed in front of her ocean blue eyes, her British accent joyful at her success "Nothing like a nip to action to refuel the spirits."

"Star, you're not here to have fun." Tom's voice scolded from her ear piece "There's been some strange activity here and we need you to check it out."

"Psst, calm down brav. Star Butterfly is on the case! And evil shall be punished without nary an effort!" Star pumped her fist excitedly as her energy butterfly wings dissipated out of existence.

"First the check list. Are you properly dress given you are a representative of WSB security forces?"

Star rolled her eyes but proceeded with the mandatory checklist that came with all WSB ops. While she was grateful to still have a job after the fall of Watchpoint, she did miss the days of personal freedom and trust Watchpoint gave to their agents. All WSB did nowadays was treat her as some sort of glorified trophy and she was lucky to stretch her legs with any sort of heroics.

Star flicked her medium length hair, cutely cut but still longed for her long mane of yellow sunshiny hair though WSB regulations forbade it. She glanced down at her modified aviator bomber jacket. It really was only half a jacket, covering the upper part of her body with the sleeves cut off about bicep length of her arm. She also checked the spherical device harnessed in front of her chest, its pink glow giving Star the reassurance that she wasn't going to suddenly slip and become lost in the time stream again and with a final flourish towards her pink bodysuit, Star was prepared for battle.

"Right-o Everything is a go, go, go. Outfit acceptable, chrono stabilizer fully functional and one Butterfly ready to smack evil in the face and have some tea and biscuits to congratulate herself is ready for ops."

"Soooo" Tom began nonchalantly "speaking of tea and biscuits, when you're done, I was thinking maybe you and I could go out on a..."

"Sorry Tommy" Star shouted loudly, cutting off Tom from the rest of his inquiry "Can't hear, radio silence, WSB protocols and all that bollocks, okay TA TA!"

Star pulled out the earpiece as quickly as she could, letting out a depressed sigh while she glanced upon the plain sliver band she wore on her finger, a grim reminder of what she lost so long ago.

It's been 2 years since Marco died, selfishly taking her heart to the grave with him and failing to give her any chance to give it back. Not that she would want it back. Not if it meant her heart returned without her beloved husband.

She knew she was being childish, a love sick teenager longing for a time and man that no longer existed but she couldn't help it. She loved Marco with all her heart and Marco returned the love full force. They were perfect together and their marriage, however brief, was the best time of her life. With him she felt invincible, powerful, able to hold the entire world up...but now...she was listless, vulnerable and the world threatened to crush her underneath its weight.

He no longer remained on this world with her but she's been chasing after his ghost ever since.

Star reached under her goggles, wiping a lone tear that managed to break through her happy facade.

"Cry on your own clock love" She told herself, nodded in determination as she drew her sleek, streamlined dual machine gun pistols "Right now, it's hero time!"

She blew her bangs out of her face, leaning carefully and taking a quick survey of the situation. All seemed to be peaceful, no sign of any visible distress or break in.

Star wondered if this was some sort of WSB field test or something. She found it very strange that despite having prior knowledge to whatever was happening, the WSB decided to wait a whole 30 minutes before sending out the alert that a nearby Watchpoint facility was being broken into. Luckily for them, Star happened to be nearby, calmly reading a good book with a healthy helping of tea and not at all drinking beers loudly at the local pub, screaming at the telly soap opera with a reckless waterfall of tears about how the two leads should kiss already.

"I remember this place." Star murmured wistfully "Me and Marco were cadets here. Met right there in the lobby. Haha cutest blush when he accidentally knocked my things outta my hands...Fate is a bit cruel, isn't it brav?"

Star turned around slowly, unsurprised to find the intruder standing behind her, a man hidden beneath a calaca skeleton mask and red, infrared goggles.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop. Mum never told you it was rude?" Star cooed, shooting the Masked Man a wink "Sides, look like you're off for a game of rugby more than breaking into an international peacekeeping R&D lab. Why not give back what you stole and I can pretend I didn't see a thing."

The masked man shifted uncomfortably, holding his rifle in an almost sheepish manner.

"Oh, what's wrong love? Bit of a crush on me, have we?" Star leaned forward, offering a wide smile to the Masked Man "Think I'm nothing but a pretty face?"

"No..." The Masked Man muttered, his voice causing Star to experience a wave of nostalgia "I just wanted to warn you."

"Warn me?" Star placed her hands on her hips in, visibly shocked and annoyed by the Masked Man "Warn of me what? Stay out of your way?"

"Exactly."

Star clicked her tongue in disappointment, waving off the Masked Man's threat with a giggle "Alrighty love, gone a bit bonkers. Must've if you don't know who you're dealing with."

The Masked Man cleared his throat loudly "Star Butterfly, formerly known as Slipstream. 29 years old. Now head of security for World Security Bureau."

"Wow" Star grinned mockingly with falsely impressed features "Learned that off the web? Probably looked me up before decided to hit the place?"

"I knew you...once."

"Then you know what happens next love."

The Masked Man sighed in defeat "Afraid so."

Star leapt into action, disappearing as a trail of pink light surged forward, Star reappearing a few feet closer, opening fire upon the Masked Man with a storm of pink energy bolts.

The Masked Man leapt into action, tucking into a roll and returning fire, his bullets whizzing by Star's ear and forcing her to dive sideways to avoid the volley.

Star disappeared into a trail of light once more, curving upwards and reforming high above the Masked Man, blowing him a kiss and another stream of bullets.

The Masked Man gave a hearty chuckle as he leapt backwards, his back sliding across the concentrate floor, shooting towards the airborne Star while putting some distance between them

"Say!" Star called to the Masked Man, the trail light bending around the gunfire and searching for higher ground before Star went on "You seem familiar, we've gone dancing before?"

The Masked Man replied "no" before taking cover behind a concentrate divider, the thud, thud, thud of Star's attack collided harmless against The Masked Man's cover.

The Masked Man popped out of cover only to find empty air, the night silent and tranquil with no sign of Star anywhere in sight.

"Psst, whatcha looking at?" Star's voice whispered flirtatiously from his side.

The Masked Man caught Star's fist easily when she tried to surprise him. He gripped her hand tightly in his palm and pulled the young women forward, vaulting her over his shoulder and sending her skyward.

Star flailed wildly sailing through the air, caught off guard at the reversal the Masked Man performed, she looked backwards to find the man aiming his scary looking rifle directly at her chrono stabilizer. Star paled upon realizing that the Masked Man knew what the device strapped to her chest was really for and how to take her out of the fight.

"Bugger off creep!" Star shouted as she willed the chrono stabilizer to active. Star froze in midair, protected by a pinkish aura that halted the agent in midair and prevented her from being affected by the passage of space and time.

Without warning, Star began moving backwards, her arms flailing, her face shifting from panic to determination as her body rewound itself seconds, moving against the current of time and causing her blunder to be erased, allowing the young woman a second chance of turning the battle into her favor.

Star reappeared where she had launch the attack against the Masked Man and while he turned to meet her once again with only Star affected by her time travel powers, she still was well protected for another second or so. The startled Masked Man would waste his shot on the still invulnerable Star and she was going to counter attack ferociously.

The Masked Man made no shot, waiting patiently for the reverse to end, knowing full well Star was completely invincible for moment more.

Star's eyes widen as the Masked Man delivered a firm yet gentle kick to her stomach, not her chrono stabilizer, and sent her skidding away from him, Star rolling and bouncing across the floor until she came to a stop, dust and dirt kicked up and bellowing slowly out of sight.

"I warned you." The Masked Man grumbled unhappily "I know you and I know how to beat you. Next time they send you after me, stay away."

The Masked Man turned away from Star, taking his leave of the fallen hero. He knew she couldn't use her recall ability for another 10 minutes and she was never the up close type. Any enemy that managed to get the drop on her and thwarted her recall would severely shake her nerves. He didn't need to worry about her getting back up again. It was time to go before he had to deal with anyone else tonight.

Star clutched at the ground angrily, fear and pure rage ebbing away at her resolve. She hated feeling so weak, she hated feeling useless, she hated IT ALL!

The chrono stabilizer's light grew increasingly bright, pushing away the dark chill of the night with a warm, soft glow.

The Masked Man saw the light's gleam from the corner of his eye, a sense of dread filling his entire body as he turned once more to Star.

She was upright, standing on her feet, surrounding by swirling pink aura that shone with the intensity of the sun. Even the Masked Man couldn't stare directly at her without squinting his eyes to alleviate the pain.

Star's hands were curved into fists, her breathing heavy and fierce as she shouted at the top of her lungs "HERE COMES THE CAVALRY!"

The Masked Man jumped when Star blinked far faster than he anticipated, leaving a trail of pinkish purple after images in her wake as she quickly closed the distance between the two combatants, her eyes blazing with a righteous fury.

"Well shit Star, looks like you learned a new trick" The Masked Man instincts kicked in, his arm already moving his rifle into position to take the perfect shot. One that would stop Star from progressing further.

Time slowed down as he aimed down the sights and nearly squeezed the trigger. The cursor was focused directly in the center of Star's forehead, in her anger she'd left herself completely wide open. One squeeze and it was done.

The Masked Man took in her ocean blue eyes, her lips, the cute way her forehead crinkled when she was angry and the sweeping medium length hair trailing behind the agent.

The Masked Man took his finger off the trigger, muttering to himself "I liked her long hair better."

There was a loud sonic boom as a surge of air swept across the empty Watchpoint grounds, Star's fist smashing into the Masked Man's face with a force of a speeding car. Star could hear the shattering of his goggle eye piece, the cracking of the mask underneath her soft skin but no bone, somehow this guy was able to withstand such a powerful strike.

The Masked Man was forcefully pushed away, tumbling and twisting recklessly from the strength of Star's attack. Star was ready to continue the assault but the Masked Man fired in bursts, each wave strategically keeping Star at bay.

The Masked Man crumpled to his knees, leaning on his rifle for support as Star's raged cool, the aching of her hand reminding her not to try that again any time soon.

"Give up love? Or want to go 2 out of 3?" Star mocked, placing her hands cockily on her sides while trying to ignore the painful throb in her hand.

The Masked Man slowly rose to his feet, keeping his half exposed face away from Star. He became oddly still as if something heavy weighed on his mind.

"What? Lost the fight in you already? Give up." Star smirked his way.

The Masked Man turned to Star, the pale moon light illuminating his exposed face so Star could clearly see who he was.

Star let out a pained gasp, clutching at her heart weakly as tears began to pool in her oceanic blue eyes, pain, confusion, anger, happiness, sorrow pulling at her from all directions.

"M-Marco..." She whispered quietly, her eyes becoming blurry as her tears overflowed and slipped down her cheeks.

It couldn't be him. It couldn't! Marco was dead, killed by a fatal attack. She was there when they buried him, she was there when they had to pull her away from his casket, when they had to physically separate her from her dead husband! MARCO WAS DEAD!

Yet...there he was. His light brown eye filled with barely contained emotion, his cute little mole she loved and cooed over so much, his lip curved down like he used to when Star's teasing went too far. His light brown hair in his traditional hair style though Star swore she saw more gray than there had been last she saw him.

He looked a little older but there was no doubt in her mind, this was her Marco...and he was alive.

"Marco..." Star whispered, her voice cracking. She rose her free hand to her mouth, covering it as tears streaked down her cheeks.

Marco held his warring emotions in check. He didn't want her to find out this way. He didn't want her to find out at all. Marco Diaz was dead and he was supposed to remain dead and buried.

Marco slung his rifle onto his shoulder, turning away from Star and began walking away into the darkness of the night. He knew she wouldn't chase after him now. This was too much for her to handle.

"Your husband is dead. I'm not Marco."

"If you're not Marco, who are you then?" Star screamed at her ex-husband's vanishing figure, tears freely flowing "WHO ARE YOU?!"

Marco turned to Star, half his face covered in the day of dead mask, the other half giving Star forlorn yet hardened look of determination.

"I'm his wraith, here to finish his work. There's no need to mourn your husband a second time princess, he hasn't returned. Go home"

Star's tears slowed to a stop as Marco grimaced in disappointment at himself, the slip of the tongue giving away the shard of longing he felt for Star. He knew why he stayed behind despite the risks of being caught or his identity revealed: He missed her. He missed her terribly and far more than she could ever know, he wanted to see her one last time, to ingrain her beauty, her playful flirty wink, her smile in his memory so he could hold onto the small piece of his past he had left as he ventured into the one way future.

But he wasn't Marco Diaz. Marco Diaz died a long time ago, unappreciated and labeled a failure both to people who looked up to him and the world. Rightfully so. He allowed Watchpoint to fall into disgrace under his care. He allowed the WSB's dark, corrupt influence to spread across the globe unchecked. He alone was responsible for the new, horrible world that now existed, the exploitation that many were forced to endure under the guise of protection and safety.

Solider 330 will succeed where Marco Diaz had failed and when this was all said and done, return to the grave where he came from.

Star fell to her knees as Marco disappeared into the thick darkness, unable to believe what she saw.

Tom was calling for her loudly in her earpiece but she wasn't responding, the shock of seeing her beloved husband alive causing too much surprise for the day and despite the fact she failed in her mission, that they fought, the knowledge he was alive brought her more comfort than anything else these long 2 years. And she knew he wasn't trying to hurt her, just dissuade her from fighting...maybe he still loved her.

Star wiped the dry tears off her face, trying to put on brave for the no doubt approaching WSB back Tom foolishly sent in. The problem came in if she should tell the WSB who was behind the attack. Duty to her job dictated she reported everything she discovered today. Duty to her husband dictated she bury that information and tell no one.

Star sighed when she caught something moving in the corner of her eye.

* * *

Hector left his still writhing team behind, unwilling to get caught for their stupidity. This job had gone south and the only way to salvage anything from it was to leave those fools to get pinched while he started a new team.

Hector let out a gasped when Star came from out of nowhere, pinning against the chain link fence with a pistol aimed up his nostril.

"SHIT, NOT ANOTHER ONE!" Hector whined.

Star smirked triumphantly "Another one eh?"

Hector gulped as Star shoved the pistol's barrel further up his nose, releasing the safety off the firearm to show him she meant business.

"And tell me what you told the other one, okay love?"


	80. watch ended, dead rising (Overwatch pt2

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows then mean the world to me and make it so much fun to write for you all.

a special thanks to Finn- kinda. game is solid, lore is good but none of it is in game. disappointing really.

CLM88- thanks, that was one of my more quicker fight scenes. haha there's always typos but im working on it. happy you enjoyed the story! here is part 2 and is more sad and dramatic.

tyrekm576- here is more!

heroadrianmontilla- thank you so much. i need to catch up though. haha it is a little weird at least but it seemed fair since i gave Marco one in another au and sometimes i think that too (it's coming i swear, i'm just working around this block i wrote myself into) Star lives with her parents. yes stormy night. what could it mean?

cartoonlover- haha right? i bet she sound adorable! i want british accented Star once in the show! haha nice and sad isn't it? haha Starco forever, sorry tommy!

Jayanna- thank you so much, i am happy you liked it so much! I know right. british Star, BRITISH STAR!

anoymins- my best friend used to ask me to put other characters in other stories and i kinda just picked it up. i always try new stories, new universes while keeping core starco traits. i am glad you liked it! this one has more of those emotions :) BRITISH STAR!

Shadowgem- i know right? i get worse. Overwatch has pretty awesome lore. game is solid but it takes the team fortress route, digital comics instead of in game story. haha yes british star. here is the next chapter.

grim- haha it started off as practice for zero to hero and it kinda became its own thing. i kinda am but yeah there is a doctor who au in the works but i couldn't decide who should be the doctor but now i have my answer. 10th or 11th?

Romantic sloth- moar granted!

h mae- thank you, this one i had to heavily rely on the setting rather than the characters, a bit of experiment for me. thank you so much for your review.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

misfortune- well get ready for more sweat

wookie1- the lore oh yeah it's great even if it's the incredibles. gameplay is fine but i got an issue of the separation of game and story.

SonicElite- yeah this story is more adult than usual but you know it felt it was the best style for this kind of story.

guest sorta- oh...sorry...i cranked it up

Axis25: oh yeah, it was fun to write and made it easy to create the story around it. now to answer your question, its a good question. and i think mewmans do have .'s but maybe its once a year in a different way. I mean i wrote the whole they have kids with the idea that Mewmans are just humans that found their way to mewni and were exposed to magic. or maybe they are their dimensions regular humans. because we got talking tiny horses that put on horns and become unicorns to power wands and monsters of course. we'll see sooner or later. or it'll never get answered.

Catattack: Sorry i keep forgetting to update the story with a sugar warning. thank you for your kind reviews! keep the sugar in mind.

We got some awesome drawings up this week and i have been all kinds of spoiled. My good friend Bernadette over at marionette-j2x and weather-art at tumblr sent me some awesome covy art so if you are in covy mood, visit their sites. SVTFOEheadcanon on tumblr, findoworld on tumblr, spatziline also on tumblr, some stuff on my own site have some great drawings and pictures and funny stuff. and of course sara over at idrawcartoons1314 on instagram.

FF has awesome stories. dimension of infinite tales from smitty theories and nymph did wrote 3 great chapters a little bad boy au a cross over with role reverse au and bad boy au in the setting of my chapter 50 and of course some nova with a magic show for little nova! which i declare canon! seriously just spoiled this week. the storm for PDavis32, just normal life from guest sorta, the day after crazytomboy78, my shooting star from queen of the shipping, stardust ellefreak, wands and weirdos from sonicelite, more awesome ending goodness from golfalphamike's starfall, a great chapter from anoymins little talks, meet me in Elysium from jennylovesjordon, starshots from sklreeo,

 **Story prompt of the day:** Back to the overwatch au, this second part of the story takes place 3 days after our british accented Star discovers her beloved husband is alive. and as she trails behind him, past and present collide. This switches between Star trying to catch up to Marco and the day a fatal attack from Watchpoint's greatest enemy, Nightshade tore Marco from Star. this is more heartbreaking than the last chapter. _This means a flashback_

In case you forgot, Watchpoint is like the justice league, watching over the world. 2 years ago, there was a massive and horrible attack that supposedly claimed the life of the leader of watchpoint Marco. Star survived and was hired by the replacement of Watchpoint the world security bureau with any sort of heroing work considered illegal and a punishable offense. of course it turns out Marco didn't die and is now hunting down the true mastermind behind the fall of Watchpoint with Star discovering her husband is still alive.

well i hope you enjoy this more mature story. the next chapter won't be part 3 quite yet, i will probably do a request or more traditional starco piece. not sure yet. i am working on starco academy which has officially been moved to crossover with gravity falls, guardians, marco vs and a halloween chapter of nova because it's still October in that story. thank you for everything, all your support, sorry for this length, it got away from. have an amazing week and enjoy the story! i own nothing!

* * *

 _Star hummed happily to herself, keeping a firm grip on the plastic bag, her cute adorable boots clack, clack, clacking against the cobble stone street as she made her way through her beloved London_

 _Star took in the sight of the sleek, modern headquarters of Watchpoint glowing brightly in the distance on the outskirts of town, a shining beacon of justice and peace that could be seen for miles around and was known the world over._

 _Marco wanted the main branch to be located in the states across the pond given his natural inclination to the place of his birth but given Watchpoint's string of key and strategic victories against the peace hating organization Nightshade across Western Europe, diminishing and lowering their control and influence the globe over, being right on the front lines seemed to be more important. Successful raids on several Nightshade safehouses has revealed critical information that Watchpoint was slowly closing in on the group._

 _Still not all was well. Watchpoint was under investigation for various outlandish and false claims of human rights violations, corruption and abuse of power among various stupid political bullshite._

 _But Star wasn't worried, she knew the case against Watchpoint was nonexistent, an attempt to soil the good name of honest working heroes in an attempt for some gripping headlines and soon would pass over, especially with her husband in charge._

 _Star took a deep breath as she basked joyfully in the spacious lobby of the main headquarters, people in varying uniforms, armor and gear hustling and bustling in every direction, working hard to bring peace to a war torn world._

 _Star herself was casual today, just some nice jeans, blouse and her chrono stabilizer._

" _Never leave home without it!" She jokingly told herself as she began greeting everyone who caught her eye, unaware the effect her mere presence was having on the people. To Star, she was just a humble, spunky fighter for peace and unity but to others, she was a living legend who inspired hope to all._

" _Star!" A deep, muffled voice called out to her._

 _Star stopped at once, squinting around to see who in the vast sea of agents called her out during her brisk walk towards her husband's office._

" _STAR!" a gigantic, gloved hand waved from behind a wall of guards "STAR! IT'S ME!"_

" _Ferguson?" Star wondered at aloud "Ferguson, is that you darlin?"_

" _AYE! IT'S ME STAR!" Ferguson's filtered voice answered as his massive battle frame came into view, his boots echoing loudly through the room._

" _Ferguson! How ya been?" Star excitedly greeted her old friend, wrapping her arms tightly around his armor's midsection._

 _The suit was modeled after the typical and well known medieval knight armor. It was 7 feet tall, jet black like a moving shadowy mass of pure darkness that not even the sun itself could reflect off of, heavily plated armor that thicker than Star's head, a tri-horn helmet with a soft orange light glowing from the visor, the low hum and slight warming of the air surround Ferguson reminding Star of the jet engine built into the back of the suit._

" _I've been good. Just came back from France, managed to foil a riot while I was there"_

" _Wow, that's great!" Star patted the armor's forearm happily_

 _Ferguson chuckled loudly, his joyful guffs filling the room as everyone tried to sneak a glance of two of the most renown heroes having a simple chat._

" _They were no match for the Ferg! Though I had admit I never thought Parisians could be so violent."_

" _Ferg, never underestimate the french" Star lightly scolded_

 _Ferguson laughed once more "And how are you doing? Haven't seen you since that raid on Rome."_

" _I'm doing alright. A bit cooped up if I'm honest." Star quietly replied in her British accent "The move hasn't been all that easy, what with the high level of security sweeps and checks and whatnot but everyone seems to be settling in well. Mum and dad are happy I'll be living closer to home and the in laws are excited to finally see London in all its glory"_

" _That is great. How is Marco?" Ferguson asked quizzically, placing his hammer on the floor, lightly cracking the smooth tile as he leaned against it, placing all his weight on his weapon._

" _A bit nutty himself. Desk job not really what he wanted" Star admitted "You know how he is, wants to be where the action is. Saving the world and all that. But I think it's best he slows down for a while. Likes to run himself ragged."_

" _Agreed Star. Oh! There he is now. Why don't you go say hi to him and we'll catch some dinner before I ship out in the morning. Heard Nightshade is trying to stir up trouble in Russia."_

" _Sounds bloody brilliant!" Star nodded in agreement "Meet you after work?"_

" _Agreed! BYE STAR!" Ferguson waved eagerly, the thud, thud, thud of his footsteps slowly retreating away from the young woman._

 _Star pivoted on her feet with all the energy of a school girl and nearly skipped the rest of the way like one when she caught the backside of her husband giving instructions to what appeared to be new recruits, looking so handsome and commanding in his white and red commander uniform._

 _God Star loved that coat._

 _Star motioned to the cadets not to say a word when they began to get rowdy upon seeing her. She slipped one finger over her lips as she began to tip toe closer to the unsuspecting Marco, almost letting out a dreamy sigh at the sound of his confident tone as he addressed the newest members of Watchpoint._

" _This is our duty to the world. To protect it and maintain it. To keep it safe" Marco told them in a serious, nearly emotionless voice, each word filling them with a sense of courage and inspiration in a way only Marco could ever instill in people "We will fight so others may know peace. Even if we ourselves are not allowed that same peace."_

" _Very inspiring love."_

 _Marco let out a surprised yelp, flailing in a panic, the giggling of the cadets lost on the commander as he whirled around only to find the bright, loving smile of his wife staring back at him, holding up a plastic grocery bag hopefully._

" _Honey" Marco coughed quickly, trying to shake off the loving tone of his words, the cadets laughter growing in his ears "I mean, Star...what are you doing here?"_

" _You didn't eat today" Star supplied, holding the bag closer to his chest "Nary a bite! And as your wife, I find that appalling! APPALLING I SAY! So I brought you lunch. Not much to be honest, some fish and chips is all but I figured it beats whatever they're serving here. Healthy, healthy, healthy. I like a bit of fat in my meals thank you very much."_

 _Marco stifled a chuckle, trying not to dumbly smirk at how cute his wife was being at the moment. In all moments really._

" _Star, I'm in the middle of briefing the new cadets."_

 _"You don't mind, do you darings?" Star called back to the cadets who shook their heads in response "See? No harm, no foul."_

" _Staaaaar."_

 _Maaaaarco" Star countered, pecking his lips quickly before he could get another word in._

 _Marco blushed terribly but he didn't know what was worse: The expected look on Star's face that he return the gesture or the childish ooooo that came from behind._

" _Kiss her already!" Someone called out from the crowd and before Marco knew it, the entire lobby was chanting "KISS HER KISS HER KISS HER!'_

 _Star beamed cockily, giving her husband a playful wink as she leaned forward, closing her eyes and waiting patiently for her kiss._

 _Marco could feel his red hue becoming a darker shade as he quickly kissed Star's lip, all attempts to retreat failing as Star wrapped her arms around his neck, trapping him in place while deepening the simple action._

 _Loud cheers filled the room before quickly becoming silent as an awkward cough caught the attention of the lovebirds_

 _Marco and Star parted, though Star did not release her grip on her husband, as they turned to see who needed to speak to them._

" _Oh, hello subcommander Oskar" Marco politely greeted before his voice's edge became hard, distant while greeting the other man that stood before him "Ludo."_

 _The man nodded in acknowledgment, his arms crossed as he scanned the area for any potential threats. Bald, thinning with a beakish nose, Ludo was never calm even in the heart of one of the most secure buildings in the world. Ludo never faltered in his duty as Oskar's bodyguard for a single moment._

" _I need to talk to you urgently" Oskar told Marco, uncharacteristically to the point. No lazy drawl, no laid back tone, just quick with no fluff._

" _Of course Oskar."_

" _Tell us, what's going on?" Star asked, shifting casting her glance around before letting out a girly giggle._

" _No, privately." Oskar firmly told the pair._

 _Star frowned. She hated when people who were higher rank than her thought she couldn't handle a little bit secretive information. She was the commander's wife! That should've counted for something but alas it counted for nothing but an excuse that didn't work._

 _Star opened her mouth to argue when she felt Marco's hand grip her shoulder lovingly, his touch cooling her rage and bringing her a calm no one else could._

" _We'll go to my office. Star, I'll meet up with you for lunch. Keep the fish and chip warm for me, okay?"_

 _Star tried to cut Marco off but he beat her to the punch this time, catching her lips with his own and causing the 27 year old to slip into a daze, letting out a silly giggle as Marco, Oskar and Ludo entered the private elevator that led straight to Marco's office._

 _Star pouted for a moment. Why did Ludo get to go in that super duper secretive meeting. She technically outranked him and if she couldn't go, neither could he! It was only fair right?_

" _I really got to talk to Marco about the don't let your wife into your meetings rule. Seriously what a load of bollocks!"  
_

 _Star angrily stamped her foot on the ground, letting out a sigh while blowing a strain of hair out of her face "Best look on the bright side love. Yooooou got yourself a date miss Star Butterfly with the handsomest man in all of the London!"_

 _Star ran her hand down her long mane of blonde hair "but I heard he's married!"_

 _Star scoffed "His wife will never know! Besides, I heard she's quite the beauty herself!"_

 _Star embarrassingly held a hand to her cheek "Oh why thank you, you are far too kind. Want to grab a nip at the pub in the meantime? My treat."_

 _Star stood up straight "Why Star Butterfly, that is the most wonderful..."_

* * *

Star jumped, startled out of the memory as the sound of gunfire broke the quietness of the night, cries of panic filling the night as flashes of light filled the lobby of the IllumaCo building.

IllumaCo was one of the major sponsors of the World Security Bureau and thus any attack on them was considered an attack of the WSB itself, an alliance forged in the flames of need and in the absence of Watchpoint.

Of course Star wasn't here on official WSB business. No, as far as her bosses were concerned, she was sitting at home, weeping loudly into her tea, trying to recover from the incident 3 nights ago. When she failed to stop Solider 330 from raiding a former Watchpoint, when she was found so distraught that she could not fill out the incident report, when she demanded Tom and everyone else leave her alone (That yelling at Tom part was more gratifying than she'd like to admit. He wasn't a bad guy but he clearly didn't know when to take no as an answer.)

It was hard keeping Marco's secret, not revealing who lay under the mask and even harder to hide the evidence. Star must've looked crazy frantically searching for every single shred of the discarded mask and electronic visor on the ground after Star smashed her fist into her husband's face. She could not leave any clues that she managed to get a good look at her opponent's face. Marco was up to something and she needed to know what.

Star ran her hand through her short blond hair, wondering what would happen next. This was the second encounter she would have with her supposedly dead husband in 2 years. Something she dreamt and prayed for...well...the same amount of time but now that she got her wish, she was afraid that her husband hadn't really returned, that an angry vengeful ghost took his form despite evidence to the contrary...

She looked carefully at the destroyed lobby, memories of that faithful day returning in full force as she slowly made her way closer to the truth.

* * *

 _Star let out a pained moan, the throbbing of her head scrambling any attempts her brain tried to regain her bearings. Her hands nearly slid off the smooth, cold tile as she tried to rise to her feet. The ringing in her ears was unbearable, throwing off her balance but she could still hear screams of panic, the popping of gunfire that shattered the tranquil peace._

 _Star's eyes were heavy and it took a considerable effort to crack them open even a little and when she did, she wished she hadn't._

 _Bodies were scattered about both in the refined, respected white uniforms of Watchpoint agents now stained a bloody red and the empty, void of shadow of tactical gear and coats of Nightshade enemy combatants hidden beneath cartoonish skull masks with discarded weapons thrown carelessly on the floor._

 _Star could feel her blood turn to ice, the rage bubbling in the pit of her stomach as she saw collapsed entrance give way to dozens of Nightshade._

 _"Watchpoint, to arms!" Ferguson's voice called over the chaos as anyone who managed to survive the surprise volley scrambled to seek shelter or return fire._

 _Star angrily grasped at the tile, crouching to a kneeling position, righteous fury overtaking any sense of restraint she possessed._

 _Star let out a furious battlecry, startling and catching the attention of Nightshade soldiers who'd assume she died in the blast._

 _The pair of gunmen whirled their rifles towards Star, opening fire without realizing just exactly who they were dealing with._

 _Star growled, transforming into pure light that shot forward towards the gunmen._

 _Star reappeared in between the two, causing the two to jump backwards in fright and struggle to reposition their aim but Star was not in any mood to dole out mercy._

 _She grabbed one gunman by the collar, slipping her foot against his as she pulled him into a spin, knocking him off-balance and launching him into the other with all her strength._

 _The two gunman fell to the floor, tripping over each other to get back to their feet but Star had already caught up, driving her fist into the face of one and into the stomach of another._

 _"Stay down!" She snarled at them while picking up a rifle, shooting the remaining weapon into tiny pieces._

 _The whizzing of approaching bullets across the ground did not escape Star's ears and she blinked away before they could find their mark. Each time she reappeared, she made sure to make as much noise as she could, shouting, cheering, taunting every Nightshade enemy within ear shot to draw their fire so the others had a chance to race to safety Star waiting till the last possible moment before moving along her chosen path._

 _Star formed ontop of a desk, giving a mocking bow before leaping backwards, insultingly waving goodbye as she fell behind the cover the office furniture provided. Star winced at the sound of bullets digging deep into the woodwork of the desk_

 _Star peered out from her cover, biting her lip down as Nightshade soldiers began pushing deeper into the lobby, pushing back the few defenders further and further away from the front door._

" _HERE COMES THE FERG!"_

 _Star raised the rifle, opening fire from her secured position as Ferguson swung around the corner, the jet engine on his back blazing as he propelled towards the enemy's front line, his left arm raised with a large wall sized clar blue barrier projecting from it, absorbing the storm of lead harmlessly as he closed the distance._

 _Ferguson smashed into the group, shutting off the jet at the last moment but still sliding forward due to his momentum, running down as many enemies as he could while they attempted to stop the lumbering giant by shooting at the massive target only to find bullets to be completely ineffective against the armor's thick frame._

" _HAMMER TIME!" Ferguson cheered happily, swinging his large hammer with reckless abandon upon the hapless foes. The lucky ones were sent sprawling to the floor, slipping into unconsciousness with only a headache for their troubles. The unlucky ones were thrown into the air, trying to reach for any and everything before falling back to Earth, their bones cracking and breaking from the force of Ferguson's attack in addition to the standard headache._

 _Star leapt into action, blinking forward to catch up to her good friend, shooting for any non-vital body part she could: Ferguson's armor may be durable but even it had a limit and the barrier could only stop so much._

" _FERG!" Star called out, twirling out of the line of fire just in time to narrowly avoid being pierced by metal "Whirly bird!"_

" _Gotcha Star!" Ferguson confirmed, slamming the poor Nightshade agent in his grip into the ground. Ferguson raised his barrier high, protecting himself and his hammer which he slung lazily on his shoulder "Hurry though, I can't hold out forever!"_

 _Star began making her way over to the giant, her pink light trail weaving in and out through the thickest parts of the group, Ferguson taking up all their attention as the one man war machine kept thinning their ranks._

 _Star hopped off an unfortunate goon that was surprised when he felt a heavy weight on his shoulder only to disappear a moment later and in that moment, Ferguson's hammer came sailing towards his chest._

 _Star appeared on the hammer, clutching it tightly with one hand and the other still hoisting the rifle._

 _"Ferg now!" Star cried, bracing her body for the wild ride she was about to take._

 _Ferguson wasted no time, his barrier finally giving out a loud electric whine before vanishing but Ferguson was already swinging his hammer in a circle, letting it go with a mighty toss._

 _The hammer span around rapidly, colliding with everyone who was too slow in avoiding it with Star taking pot shots at anything wearing black, trying to suppress her usual elated cheers of exhilaration she normally would exhibit when performing the whirly bird._

 _Star jumped off the hammer before it crashed with the far wall, landing perfectly on her feet before resuming fire, suppressing the retreating enemy force as the security force finally manged to enter the battle._

 _Star smiled, dropping the now empty rifle onto the floor, raising her arm and closing her hand into a fist "pound it."_

 _Star winced as Ferguson's fist touched hers "We trounced them good didn't we daring?"_

" _Aye!" Ferguson agreed, digging out his hammer from the indention it left in the wall "Our work isn't done. We must stop them before they manage to escape. Capturing every single one is our top priority."_

" _That's all you Ferg, I got to go calm Marco down before he decides..."_

 _The building shook violently before the shattering of glass and metal echoed from above, a plume of smoke rising from the very top of the headquarters._

 _Star felt her heart stop, unaware she was already rushing towards the elevators with Ferguson and countless guards following close behind._

" _Marco..." Star whispered fearfully, her tears beginning form in her eyes "MARCO!"_

* * *

Star did not like the broken glass covering every inch of the once clean lobby floor but she did take solace in the fact that there fallen guards were still groaning, clutching painfully at their various gunshot wounds.

Star quickly made her way past the disabled guards, not worrying any trace of her existence left behind. Marco knew what he was doing and there was no doubt the cameras, and really anything that ran on electricity, were no longer functional and god help any guard that ran across Marco.

Star ducked into a nearby staircase, staring upwards the twisting, spiraling stairway that stretched high towards into the sky.

"No doubt he's heading up." Star mused to herself "The penthouse office. That would be the best place to get the information either from a computer...or a first hand source."

Star stood at the center of the spiraling steps, eyes narrowed as she glanced far into the distance.

Star took a deep breath, closing her eyes while directing her focus inward.

The Chrono Stabilizer hummed quietly in the silence of the night, the pinkish glow began glimmering brightly in the darkened room, the light becoming harsh yet warm.

Star could feel her body surge with energy, the power filling her entire being and causing her body to twitch uncontrollably, the want...no the need to release all that pent force flowing throughout herself. She could feel the time stream calling to her, trying throw her forward but at the same time call her back through the sands of the ages and she would've gone too if it hadn't been for the chrono stabilizer.

She never knew she had such control of her powers. That her abilities stemmed beyond creating wings, rewinding her personal time a few seconds and teleporting short distances. Perhaps it was due to her sorrow, the sense of loss she suffered these last 2 years that diminished her resolve to fine tune her condition to perfection but ever since she discovered Marco was alive it was like she had returned with him. Life and determination coursed through her veins. She hadn't realized how lifeless she had became until 3 days ago. Until the chance to reunite with Marco became a real.

This second attempt at channeling her power was much more difficult without her blind rage to guide her. Without that fury, she felt like she was trying holding onto water slipping through her hands in the desert but she had to. Each second passed was a second Marco could be lost all over again.

Star took a calming breath, letting her love for Marco guide her actions, each heartbeat bringing a sense of calm to the troubled young woman.

Star transformed into the trail of pink light once more, shooting straight upwards towards the ceiling like a rocket, able to bypass countless flights of stairs within seconds.

Star could feel her body threaten to reform against her will, the strain of maintaining her blink this long beginning give her a splitting headache in her incorporeal form but the sheer thrill of success was far too intoxicating and invigorating for Star to stop. She was doing it, she was doing it, SHE WAS...

Star's control slipped for a moment as she approached the end and she felt her body flicker back into existence against her will. She gasped, struggling to switch back into pure light only to be pushed back into her solid form and causing her to reform over and over again, each transformation slowing her speed dramatically.

Star blinked one last time, spiraling wildly skyward, the distance to the top closing quickly but her movement fading just as fast.

Star gave one last mighty push forward, putting everything she had one final blink. She had to reach Marco, whatever the cost.

She overshot the railing she was planning to grab, smashing into the ceiling and leaving a mighty crack on its surface. Her vision blurred and darkened as she felt herself began to fall back to the Earth.

* * *

" _Star! STAR! STAR STOP!" Ferguson's voice called out over the chaos of the attack "STAR!"_

 _"I can't!" Star cried, tears running freely down her face "Marco's up there! I...I can't...I need to get to him!"_

 _Star ran into the elevator door in her despair, ignoring the slight dull ache in her nose as she rapidly pressed the call button, wishing and praying the elevator came down any second._

 _But there was no sign the elevator heeded Star's prayers, no sign of it descending as quickly as it could to carry the distraught woman to her beloved husband_

 _Star fiercely smashed her fist on the call button. And did it again and again and again and again, over and over, each time using more strength than the last until someone pulled her away into their embrace but she didn't stop. She kept slamming her fist over and over into the smooth, cold metal of the person who grabbed her, not caring how much it hurt, how much it was beginning to sting._

" _Star you got to stop!"_

" _NO" Star yelled "I AM NOT GOING TO BLOODY STOP! MARCO IS IN DANGER AND I NEED TO GET TO HIM...I...I..."_

 _She broke down, a torrent of tears down her face at how helpless she felt, how scared. She should've gone with him, she should've argued and pouted and held him until he gave into her demands. He could never say no._

" _We'll get up there, but it isn't safe. We can't just run about. Nightshade is still outside trying to get in and...'_

" _They're already in cuz! AND THEY GOT TO MY HUSBAND AND IF YOU BLOODY WELL THINK THAT I'M JUST GOING TO STAND HERE AND TWIDDLE MY THUMBS I..."_

 _Star trailed off, the tears ceased as she gripped Ferguson's massive gloved hand, pulling him along with every fiber of her being though she didn't get far._

" _Star?"_

" _I...I can blink up there!" Star answered, a strangled, panicked edge replacing her normally cheery, charming tone "I can make it! Ferg, I can make it!"_

 _Ferguson wasn't so sure but seeing Star, the bright shining light of Watchpoint, the girl who would go out of her way to ensure everyone was happy and content even at her own expense, so shaken up, so scared tugged at his own heartstrings._

" _Okay Star lead the way."_

* * *

 _Ferguson held the diminutive Star in his hand which would've been comical if not for the situation._

" _So...what am I doing again?"_

" _You're going to toss me Ferguson." Star stated simply, focusing on the still fresh bellowing smoke coming from Marco's office._

" _Star, I don't think..."_

 _"TOSS ME!"_

 _Ferguson was startled but quickly engaged his rocket, lifting up into the air a few feet before taking a careful aim and launching Star as far as he could, praying Star made it in time to ensure Marco's safety._

 _Star zipped through the air, blinking in and out of her light form every second she could, wishing she could somehow extend the distance of her power but that was something to experiment with later, when she had time and wasn't running out of it. How ironic the woman out of time was begging for more seconds._

 _Marco's office was at the very top, supposedly protected by a large amount of anti-air defenses to defend him from any outside attack._

" _Big load shite that did' Star mumbled under her breath as the massive hole in Marco's window inched closer, Star's only way to her husband's side. Luckily she was moving horizontally. Star could not, and probably will never, travel straight up. That's why she creates wings for that job._

 _Star landed inside the office, frantically searching for moment before some invisible force violently shoved her out the window as flames appeared from nowhere._

 _"No, no no NO!" Star cried frantically as her vision darkened, blurring as the explosion engulfed Marco's office entirely "MARCO!"_

 _Then nothing._

* * *

Star snapped back to reality, the ceiling of the stairway slowly moving away from her as she fell.

Star reached for the railing, barely managing to hold on for dear life.

"Whew...gotta work out more love..." Star murmured to herself, lifting herself to safety after a moment of rest.

Star breathed heavily, her arms and leg wobbly from effort and exhaustion.

Star struggled to stand, noticing a large crack on the case of her stabilizer but she knew she didn't have to worry about it. The stabilizer would fix itself, tapping into Star's own power to reconstruct a past, undamaged version of itself.

Star, too, would likewise recover her strength in time, her body already resetting to a time she wasn't exhausted or fatigued but due to the complexity of human anatomy and her unique temporal state, she didn't recover as quickly as her device.

Still Star trudged on, unwilling to let Marco go a second time.

Star exited the stairway, tiredly hugging the posh, polished walls of the top floor, the lack of guards or even bodies disconcerting Star. Even if they hadn't known Marco was coming, there should still be some sort of security force guarding the head of the most influential company in the world.

Star could hear the sounds of gunfire echo down the hallway, surrounding Star in a symphony of cracks and thuds.

Star hurried to the main office where the fighting sounded the loudest. Star pressed her ear against the thick, solid doorway, hearing muffled shouts, back and forths and the sounds of more firearms.

Star ducked low, slowly opening the door to ensure no one would hear her coming.

She peered inward and was surprised by what she saw.

It wasn't Marco who surprised her. Fresh calaca mask and visor covering his face as he dove into cover as loud bang filled the room, shotgun pellets digging deep into the desk that protected him. No, it was the appearance of his opponent, a familiar outfit from the past dug up once more.

He had a long, flowing black cloak that was tattered from use, thick combat boots with a bird like skull mask covering his face, two nasty looking shotguns in his hands, held up with little to no effort. Nightshade attire through and through.

Reaper, an assassin who killed countless people and disrupted any attempts to free the world of constant chaos.

While his true identity is unknown, there has been substantial evidence that once upon a time he was Ludo who'd undergone some sort of experimental treatment to save his life the day of the attack but apparently it robbed him both of his humanity and his body. He was now a shell, just a mindless, remorseless killing machine.

Marco rolled out of his cover, unleashing his lead storm upon Reaper who took bullet after bullet into his shoulder without a single care, returning fire to Marco who was forced into another dive, sliding against the ground, continuing to aim at the assassin who finally moved, sidestepping Marco's attack.

Marco got to his feet, his rifle letting loose another rapid fire volley but Reaper's body dissipated into smoke, a loose mist that each shot sailed through harmlessly and smashing into the bullet proof glass on the other side.

Marco let out a feral growl, rushing towards the mist that was once Reaper, his shots failing to do any damage as he raced closer to his enemy.

Reaper's body came into existence, aiming the shotgun directly at Marco's face.

Marco dropped forward, between Reaper's legs, barely avoiding a buckshot to the face. Marco whirled around as he rose to his feet, slamming the butt of his rifle into Reaper's mask, sending him skidding uncontrollably backwards.

"Where is he!?" Marco shouted, pointing the barrel of his rifle at Reaper's face "I know he's still alive! WHERE IS HE!?"

Reaper chuckled "Dead men walking seems to be a common troupe around here."

Quicker than Marco could react, Reaper lunged forward, wrapping his talon gloves around his neck, squeezing the life out of him while holding him aloof without any effort.

Marco clutched at Reaper's gloves, trying to break his hold on his jugular but having no success.

Star couldn't stand by and do nothing. She raced into the room, drawing her machine gun pistols and began shooting at Reaper's back. She had no idea how Reaper managed to bypass everyone or if maybe he was the one behind the attack but she did know he was attacking Marco and no one, NO ONE WAS GOING TO HURT HER HUSBAND.

"Don't worry love, cavalry's here!"

"Star?!"

Star ignored Marco's incredulous, disbelieving tone, opting to focus taking out Reaper at all cost.

Reaper glanced backwards. Star could almost see his annoyed glare as he swung his shotgun backwards and connected it with Star's face.

Star would've blinked out of the way but she hadn't gotten enough rest, her body having not yet recovered from the strain she placed upon it.

Star fell to the floor, her weary body giving up as she lost consciousness.

Reaper threw Marco to the ground, blasting shell after shell into the glass until it crumpled under his assault, the silence overtaken by the howling of the wind.

Reaper reached into his coat, pulling out a small spherical device. He let out a hearty chuckle, tossing the now beeping object towards the helpless Star before free falling out the exposed window.

Marco began to chase after him, his only lead to the true mastermind behind the fall of Watchpoint, behind the 2 long, lost years stolen from him

Marco glanced back, taking in the sight of Star, breathing softly, looking angelic despite how she ended up in that position, reminding him of the life he once possessed.

The bomb beeped loudly, increasing in volume each passing moment as Star groaned, the memories of how she ended up on the floor oddly missing from her mental banks.

Star looked downward and noticed the explosive, the light getting faster and faster as the beeping matched its speed.

Star tried to reverse time but she was still too weak. She drained too much of herself rushing to get here and now she was going to pay the price for it.

The bomb went off, reducing the office to smoke, flames and rubble, everything within was broken down and flung everywhere.

Star felt warm, an odd sensation for someone who just died. She wondered it was because her body was charred to a crisp that her body was feeling hot rather than cold but that didn't make sense. Dead bodies did not get warm.

Star fluttered her eyes open, confused why she was seeing dirtied, grime covered brick walls instead of the refined interior of IllumaCo.

Star tried to get to her feet but something wrapped themselves around her frame, completely covering her as if to protect her from sort of unknown danger.

She struggled to get free but whatever held her refused to let her go, whimpering softly as if the idea of her leaving frightened it.

With a mighty tug and the weakening resistance of whatever held her, Star broke free, stumbling onto the cold, concrete alleyway.

Star staggered to her feet, using a nearby wall as support as she turned to what held her prisoner.

"Marco..." Star whispered.

Marco had been knocked out but was alive given that he was breathing. Thick, black smoke blanketed his entire body, curling off his clothing like he was just oven roasted. His rifle was nearby, also steaming from the attack but both weapon and owner were perfectly fine. Well at least at first glance.

Sirens filled the air, the red and blue lights showering everything in its glow as they raced closer to IllumaCo.

Star groggily made her way to Marco, conflicted by what was the correct course of action. She should've turned him in for attacking IllumaCo, for hurting innocent guards in his attempt to...do whatever he was trying to do.

But...

She couldn't bear the idea of parting from him again, not after he selflessly saved her life. Not to mention Reaper's presence raised more questions than it answered. Was he one behind the attack? And if he wasn't, how did he gain access to the office? How did he set the trap Marco hand sprung if he was an enemy to the WSB?

Star pulled at Marco's unconscious frame, trying to get him as far as she could away from the crime scene. She needed to know what he knew and he couldn't be in jail. They would wrongfully accused him now that Reaper disappeared into the night and this whole thing smelled fishy. She needed to know what was going on. She needed to hear it from his lips.

She needed her Marco to stay with her.

But no matter how hard she tried, she was still too debilitated to make much progress helping Marco escape and soon the police would find them and to say it would be awkward to be caught aiding and assisting his escape would be an understatement. It was a futile effort but Star couldn't stop. She couldn't stop for anything, even if it was hopeless.

"Please" Star pleaded with anyone in the sky who would listen "Please, help me."

"Star?"

A large shadow basked Star and Marco in darkness, the deep thud of footsteps approaching frightening the young woman as she drew her pistols to face the threat, her eyes opening wide in surprise as she gazed upon who found the pair first.

"Ferguson?"


	81. Is something missing? (canon AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here hoping you have an awesome work! thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me!

a special thanks to finn; i am glad you enjoyed the story.

guest; haha i think the v-day nova story is all set. you can draw your own conclusion but thanks for enjoying it!

heroaedrianmontilla- it's okay, i'll try to explain it best as i can, yeah he had an accent in the steampunk au because he was british in that one. for the request pm me so we can work out the details and i have a place to look back at it in the future. trust me, you'll see what stormy night is :) Ludo is reaper. he went through an experimental process to save his life from the attack but lost his humanity in the process. thank you i hope you enjoy this one.

author smimph- yep Ferguson didn't exactly retire like everyone else did. I know right? i am having too much fun having star be british. i would love hear that thanks i really wanted to capture Star's desperation yet hope she could still be with Marco and why. it'll be a bit but soon

queen of shipping; approved, APPALLING I SAY!haha sorry but it's that or reading a huge chunk of text. haha enjoy!

cartoonlover- oh sorry i wanted a change of pace is all. thank you for your kind words. british STAR!

jayanna- im going to type this because it's easier on me, hope you don't mind! haha thank you. i think we all want brit star now.

guest sorta: well i guess the heroes are walking into a trap huh?

catalyst- yeah are right, it has been a year. trippy how time flies. thank you for your review! yeah i try not to rely heavily on outside lore so anyone could enjoy this. well most of the time

anoymins- yeah even i got emotional writing it. haah and the show is just beginning

romantic sloth- thanks i try to keep my own version of stories with a couple of nods to the source but i saw that and i was like welp looks like Marco's gonna be reenacting it.

jayanna: im glad you liked it! book of life!

princessxgilex: thank you for the review! :)

Clmm88: i got more role reversal planned in the future..

shadowgem- yeah its fall came too soon. thank you so much i shall try

grim- yeah i wanted to try a past and present collide type thing and to be fair, Ferguson's look is basically in game with a character. haha im still working the doctor who au but it will probably be star with little nods to the other doctors. thanks for waiting patiently!

acosta perez; thank you and i am happy you enjoyed it!

godlegend: was tempted to make ferg the gorilla.

narrator nymph haha just 4? i was really spoiled, like insanely so. im glad you liked it. honestly it's good game personally i wouldn't pay full price of admission (I sold games to get it) but its alright. think more diverse, faster team fortress two with moba powers that's basically it. lego star wars is fun and the force awakens just came out! thank you the backgrounds were fun to work on. oooh let me help *sprays bill eye again!*

magicorns1; yeah and it is its own series, i moved starco academy to the crossover page with gravity falls.

an obessessed fan: i am doing more was thinking bout mewberty but we'll see. thanks for the review and suggestion.

okay so first up we have my good friend h mae over at hains-mae on tumblr that gave me a really awesome sketch of little connor and nova (thanks so much mae!). Marionette-j2x also on tumblr who spoiled me again with my new covy icon that looks amazing (And in general lots of covy stuff including a jack sketch and all my oc's drawn thanks deth YOU RULE!) with weather-art on tumblr also giving me a poster for the nova vs series. seriously very spoiled this week and i recommended checking out their pages or mine mrevaunit42 on tumblr because i post random stuff up. don't forget SVTFOEheadcanons too!

on ff we have a super cute chapter from PFtones3482 princess and the safe kid, out of context from anoymins, ever after from artgirlullaby, some covy goodness and cross over hijinks from author smimph, heir of the dead from bluestarlord1519,a darker star story from queen of shipping called mind games, fall of butterfly from the Canadian infernape, and the official but not quite ending of Axis25's nothing comes easy! Congrats good sir you did great work! and i can't wait to see your next projects but i will wait because you deserve a break.

 **Story prompt of the day:** We are coming back to the canon universe in this stand alone chapter. I like to think of it as a episode that never was and takes place towards the end of season 1 and beginning season 2. So something is wrong and something is missing but Marco can't figure out what. Life seems normal as ever but is it really? _this means a memory_

I hope you enjoy this story, i felt a little disconnected because it's summer and i do not do well in the heat but i think it still came out pretty good. have a great week, im not sure what is next in the cards. kinda want to do a lot of things like nova vs force awakens and other things but i will be doing a request soon. now to remember who is next. anyway have an amazing week. thank you for everything, it means a lot to me you read my stories just so much. I own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

Marco moaned groggily, his head pounding violently as the harsh sunlight pierced through his window and covered his slumbering form in its glow.

Marco struggled to sit up in his bed, his body feeling sore, a phantom tingling coursing throughout his aching limbs almost like he ran a marathon while wearing lead covered sweatbands.

Marco felt off, strange as if someone reached into his brain and pried out some sort of important information, something critical and irreplaceable…..Something…special….

"Maaaarco!" Angie's voice echoed from downstairs "It's time to get up! You got school today mijo!"

"COMING MOM!" Marco replied, sleepily stretching his tiredness away before a frown set in. His mother called for him only. Well obviously, He was an only child after all, it was reasonable his name would be the only one acknowledged.

So then why did it felt weird that _only_ his name was being spoken? It's solitary sound foreign and unnatural.

Wrong.

Marco hung his head thoughtfully, straining to find an answer through cloudy thoughts that plagued his mind, scattered trains of ideas unconnected and lost, but before he could make any progress, there was sharp pain that streaked throughout his brain, his previously annoying headache becoming unbearably agonizing within a moment.

Marco clutched at his head fearfully, wondering what had caused such a dramatic shift and praying it would stop soon. He could feel tears building in the corners of his eyes, his body tensing as the pressure in his skull only grew larger.

And, without warning, as suddenly as it had came, the headache faded away, leaving dull, muted pulsing in its wake.

Marco breathed heavily, hoping never to experience that type of headache again. He'd no idea how it came to be but he was not eager for a repeat performance.

" what was that about?" Marco murmured softly to himself, rubbing his head in an effort to relive the pain, instinctively turning to the bathroom door that connected his room to the guest bedroom "Hey **** did you….?"

Marco flinched, shuddering at the faint sound of scratchy static filling his ears as he trailed off, confusion replacing the dull ache he felt.

Who did he try to question? Whose name rolled off his tongue effortlessly? And why couldn't he remember? Even now, just a second after asking, the name had vanished into thin air, his mind drawing a fuzzy blank as he tried to retrieve the memory….

Marco shook his head. It was early, school was going to be annoying what with his safe kid nickname and the general boring life of an American teenager. He wasn't in any sports (Karate was not considered a sport for some stupid reason and thus granted no respect) and he was as noticeable as a wall (Looked at but never really seen.) and with only Ferguson, Alfonzo and...and?

He didn't have many people in the friend department, did he?

"Sigh, let's just get this over with." Marco told himself, rising out of his bed, making his way over to his closet filled with his 12 identical matching red hoodies.

"I like red, I like hoodies, so I bought a dozen of them" Marco stated automatically as if justify his choice of attire, nodding proudly before realizing what he said outloud "Who...am I talking to? Great, losing your mind early Diaz. A good way to start the day."

* * *

Marco blankly stared at the kitchen table, unconcerned that his cereal was steadying reaching inedible levels of sogginess as some thought poked at him, trying to catch his attention that something was amiss.

"Marco, are you okay? You haven't touched your breakfast. I know you hate soggy cereal" Angie asked, unable to keep the worry out of her inquiry.

Marco shifted his gaze between his mom and dad repeatedly, instinctively pausing for a brief moment at the space between them as if expecting someone to be there, someone to be staring back him, someone...bright...

"Mom, isn't there supposed to be someone else here?" Marco innocently asked, hoping his question did not set off any warning triggers in his parents mind.

Angie pursed her lips "Well you know we used to host foreign exchange students Marco but lately, with the economy so bad, we decided it was best to put the hosting duties on hold. Remember?"

Marco nodded, seemingly content with the answer provided to him, but as he shoveled spoonfuls of now completely disintegrated sugary wheat, he was even more suspicious: his parents would never give up the chance to learn new cultures and give the same opportunity for others to experience the true American experience and not just what they heard on the bias media.

Something was going on and Marco was going to figure out what.

* * *

Marco felt lonely on the bus ride to the school despite being crowded by dozens of his fellow teenagers, their overlapping voices giving the illusion there were more bodies on the vehicle than in actuality.

Marco sat by himself, his bag occupying the space that should really be for another person but every time someone would greet him, wishing him a good morning and ask if anyone was sitting next to him, he would always reply the seat was taken though he could not for the life of him remember who was supposed to be right there next to him.

Marco briefly wondered all the possible reasons the person was absent from his side since any attempts at actually _remembering_ the person failed to achieve any results.

Were they sick? Maybe they just didn't feel like dealing with the chaotic nature of school today and begged their parents to stay home. Were they on vacation, not yet returning from their trip to wherever they went. Transferred out? Moved to a different city? School? Dimension?

Marco shook his head at that last one, mentally scoffing at himself for thinking of something absolutely ridiculous.

Coming from another dimension? Like that was even possible.

* * *

"Heeeey Marco" Justin the burly jock greeted Marco warmly, shooting him a friendly thumbs up before disappearing into a side hallway.

"oh. Thanks!" Marco shouted after the retreating Justin "You too!"

"Marco!" The whiny, wheezy voice of Francis the diminutive, glasses wearing teen waved to the Latino.

"Francis, my man!"

"MARCO!"

"HIYA MARCO!"

"Oh, is that Marco? Hi Marco!"

Marco smiled widely at the sounds of the entire student population greeting him happily with his name being spoken by everyone's lips.

Marco strutted down the hallway cockily, cheerfully returning hellos and heys to everyone he came across before rounding the corner and straight into Jackie Lynn Thomas.

Marco flushed a bright red, chuckling idiotically as Jackie gave him a small, playful grin, giggling at his stunned appearance.

"H-hi Jackie..." Marco muttered softly, trying not to outwardly flinch at the sound of his own pathetic attempts at communicating.

"Maaaaarco" Jackie answered with her trademark lazy surfer drawl "I'm glad I ran into you."

Marco leaned forward dumbly, unable to keep the shock out of his face "Y-you did?"

Jackie nodded "Yeah. I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie after school? There's this really awesome action film I wanted to check out but I don't want to go alone and who better than Echo Creek's very own bad boy?"

"B-Bad boy?" Marco replied, gesturing to himself in disbelief "M-me?"

Jackie laugh was music to Marco's ears "Yeah dude. Remember you're legendary nickname? Don't tell me you forgot."

Marco laughed loudly, manly waving Jackie's claim off in the manliest way possible "Psst, me? The bad boy of Echo Creek forget? As if Jackie."

"Awesome" Jackie beamed brightly "I'll see you after school okay?"

Marco clicked his tongue and pointed at Jackie with a smirk "See you there skater lady."

Marco held his breath Jackie shook her head, laughing all the way as she rolled out of view.

Marco's legs gave out forcing him to lean against the lockers, clutching at his chest anxiously while drawing in as much air as he could

"I...I...I DID IT!" Marco let out a cheer, lifting his fist in victory but flailing to steady himself from his still unsteady legs "I am going out with Jackie on a date! See **** I told you my 23 step plan works!"

And without any conscious effort, Marco's head snapped sideways, fully expecting someone to be there basking in his success with pride and happiness only to find empty air.

Marco was confused why he did that, why he was expecting a mane of yellow and orbs of blue to be waiting for him...

and that name. again he spoke a name that had already disappeared into nothingness the moment he muttered it, a scratchy static deafening him once more.

Before Marco could ponder further, the school bell rang, shattering his thoughts and sending them into skidding away from him

"I think I'm getting sick or something" Marco mused to himself as he made his way to 1st period, trying to ignore how wrong that statement sounded in his mouth.

* * *

Marco doodled, something he didn't really do in math class but today he was overwhelmed to just draw, just draw and draw even if Miss Skullnick the troll-like teacher was just a few feet in front of him, berating the class at their fail with a simple pop quiz.

Marco wasn't really the artistic type, he did not have his parents natural talent for the craft, but he found himself drawing the same thing over and over: a rather cute looking spider with more expertise than he would give himself credit for.

He could not recalling seeing a spider like the one currently gazing back from his once blank sheet of paper but he must have because there was no way he would've came up with such a cute design himself.

 _Isn't this sooooo cute Marco? I mean look at it! It's an adorable little spider! It's going to bite you! RAWR!_

Marco nodded in agreement, eyes becoming unfocused as he slip into a trance, the classroom around him becoming fuzzy and unclear.

 _Come on, admit it! It's cute. Most spiders are all gross looking but this one has got to be the cutest._

Marco chuckled himself, his hand drawing some sort of symbol over and over again without any input from the young teen who held the pencil.

 _Coooooome on._ Marco felt a playful nudge on his side, one that drew a smile from his lips _Pleeeeeease! Tell the truth! As your bestie, I deserve to know how cute you think it is!_

Marco shook his head "Okay, yes it is a very cute spider. Can you stop it now Sta...?"

"MARCO!"

Marco jumped out of his daze, startled as he found himself staring upward. For a brief moment he saw towering trees basking him in their shade, the sky far above him as a shadowy figure hovered over his body, inching closer and closer while ocean blue pupil stared at him fearfully.

"Marco Diaz!"

Marco shook his head only to find himself back in Miss Skullnick's classroom, the pale fair skinned woman leaning towards him angrily

"I...wha?" Marco responded, glancing downwards to the outstretched palm Miss Skullnick planted on his desk.

"You might have gotten the highest grade in the class Mr. Diaz and did not fail horribly like the others" Skullnick snarled, removing her hand to reveal his perfect A+ score with a smiley face.

 _Not meeeee! I got an F for Faaaaantastic_

"But that does not mean you get to daydream here! Just because you have good grades doesn't mean I have to be happy for you!"

"S-sorry Miss Skullnick." Marco answered with a numb feeling settling in his stomach.

Marco glanced downward only realize he had drawn something in his daze. Butterfly wings stretched outward as if to take flight attached to...attached to...

What _was_ that? What was the symbol scrawled carefully across the paper, so important that Marco had covered up his cute spider to draw it. 5 points in five different directions with each connected to the others on either side with a long v line, perfectly forming to make...something.

"And no drawing in class!"

Marco reached for the crumpled paper Skullnick snatched away only to pull back at the glare and low growling Skullnick was throwing his way.

Man, Marco thought to himself, sometimes she can be a real troll.

"No more daydreaming in class. I don't know what or who you have on your mind but it's annoying me! If I can't read my romance novels in class, you can't think of your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" wait, me and S*** aren't da...ting..." Marco trailed off, unsure what had just so casually rolled out of his mouth.

"I SAID NO DAYDREAMING!" Skullnick snarled, frightening Marco and causing him to bury his head into the textbook quickly.

* * *

Marco hid away for lunch, trying desperately to replicate the drawing he accidentally created in math class but was unable to even conjure the image in his mind.

Marco tried to keep himself calm but he could feel his nerves starting to bite into his entire being. He was going crazy, steadily reaching mental institution levels of insanity: Seeing images that don't exist, continuously talking to someone he couldn't remember, even thinking he was seeing an entire forest inside his classroom! He wasn't dumb! He had an A in psychology and none of these signs were very comforting to him.

"Hey Marco, you okay having your massive breakdown in private?"

Marco looked up to find his two best friends Ferguson and Alfonzo standing over him, their joking question belittled by the serious faces both held.

"I'm fine. Just...tired" Marco lied, avoiding their gaze in case his facial expression gave it away.

"You sure buddy? I mean word on the street Mr. Bad boy got himself a date with the girl of his dreams. Expecting more drooling and blank stares. The kind the girls give the Ferg."

"Please Ferguson, the only blank stares you get are when people see you talking with your stomach seriously."

"Hey, it's how the Ferg gets allll the attention. Don't be jelly."

"I'm not jelly, I'm just trying to draw something."

"Draw something?" Alfonzo questioned "Err but Marco you're terrible at drawing!"

Marco gave Alfonzo a deadpanned stare "thanks Al."

"It's true Marco. It is better to accept it now than go off the deep end convincing yourself otherwise."

Marco felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing Alfonzo's perfectly regular, normal statement. There was some sort of threatening undertone that gave Marco the idea that it wasn't the drawing Alfonzo was referring to.

"Okay Al, you're right. Sometimes it's better just to accept things and let it go."

Ferguson and Alfonzo shared a smile, one that Marco half halfheartedly returned.

* * *

Marco was closing up his locker, trying to ensure himself that he wasn't slipping, that his grip on reality wasn't slowly sliding away from him each passing moment he tried to remember St...St...

Marco let out a frustrated groan, smacking his head into his locker, wincing once the pain began to filter into his forehead

"Not my smartest idea..."

"I don't know Marco, you've had a couple equally 'brilliant' ideas before."

Marco whirled around, cheeks tinged a nice shade of red upon finding a cheerful Jackie waiting for him to notice her.

"J-Jackie!" Marco flinched at the sound of his voice cracking "W-what are you doing here?"

"The movies, remember?"

"Oh...oh! I'm sorry...I totally spaced..." Marco apologized "D-did you still want to go?"

"Of course Marco" Jackie smiled patiently "Ready?"

"Oh! Now? Like now now? Like right this second?"

Jackie laughed joyfully "Of course...unless...you don't..."

"No!" Marco waved his hands defensively "No, I mean yes! Yes! We can go right now! Yeah I mean it's no problem. I mean you know it!"

Marco chuckled nervously, wondering how he was going to handle this situation. He was just Marco, nothing special, nothing amazing despite what everyone around him was said about them. They were just saying what he wanted to hear...

 _Just be you Marco. You are like the coolest guy I know! Don't forget that, okay?_

"Star..." Marco whispered, a flood of memories filling his head, each clearing his fogged mind more and more. Countless moments in time, forgotten but never truly gone, just buried.

"Star!" Marco cried out, the realization she was missing hitting him like a ton of bricks as he frantically searched for the magical princess across the school grounds "STAAAAAR! STAR, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Marco turned to Jackie and felt his skin crawl at the sight of Jackie deathly still, her head tilted and preventing him from getting a good look at her face.

"Jackie?" Marco asked slowly, taking a careful step backwards, trying his hardest not to simply run away, screaming at the top his lungs.

"You just had to remember didn't you?" Jackie's voice murmured softly a dangerous edge to her once lazy drawl "All my hard work crafting a world for you to live in...and you just had to bring your delusion into this, didn't you?"

Marco let a sharp yelp, flailing about as Jackie lifted her head towards him, eyes empty and lifeless and the more Marco stared into them, the more he felt she was staring directly into his soul, dragging out his secrets and exposing them for the world to see.

"I'm trying to help you Marco!" Jackie snarled, angrily strolling her way closer to the terrified teen "You need to understand your delusion is unhealthy Marco!"

"D-delusion?" Marco fearfully questioned, keeping Jackie in sight while still searching for Star.

"Star! Star, star, STAR IS NOT REAL MARCO!" Jackie growled furiously "And the more you buy into the lie, the more you're just going to hurt yourself!"

Marco pivoted on his feet only to find Ferguson and Alfonzo barring his path, their eyes too faded and distant

"Come on Marco buddy" Ferguson said calmly, opening his arms wide for an embrace "This is for your own good. You can't live in the real world anymore"

"Re...real world?" Marco felt faint, dizzy and lost. The world began cracking at the seams, large gashes ruining the surface of the sky above, the sun flickering on and off wildly, the walls, floors, surroundings switching between clear and blurry each passing heartbeat as reality began to tear at the seams.

"Er that's right" Alfonzo told him anxiously, fearfully staring at the crumpling universe with the most genuine emotion Marco had ever seen from the real Al "You're not well. I created all you see...just for you."

"I...I don't understand."

"You are unwell Marco" Jackie stated matter of factly "And you were never getting better, so I built this world for you. It beat the real world where you were mocked, teased and unappreciated. Here you are the bad boy you know yourself to be."

"Here" Ferguson took a step closer "You are the coolest guy ever and everyone knows it"

"Here you get the girl" Alfonzo motioned Jackie who flirtatiously waved towards Marco.

"Yeah right! Who are you really?"

"That doesn't matter Marco." Jackie shrugged "What matters you need to let me wipe your memories. Your mind is starting to remember and see past the illusion. If it fully remembers everything, you will break my treatment

"Just cast a spell...spell. Star has a wand! She could use spells! Ha! Real enough for you?"

The world rocked violently, bits and pieces of the walls, buildings and the skyline falling to Earth, their painted surface cracking once hitting the floor and leaving only gaps and splotches of an endless white background in their wake.

Jackie glared at the desecration of reality, annoyingly turning to Marco with her hands on her hips

"See what you're doing? All my hard work ruined because you won't her go."

"She's real!" Marco shouted "and I'm really not going to trust some people who've been lying to me. That would be stupid, duh."

Jackie let out a frustrated moan, lunging at Marco. Marco let out a surprised shout before managing to slip by the approaching blonde harmlessly, sending her crashing into Ferguson and Alfonzo who effortlessly break into countless, tiny fragments.

Large chunks of reality were breaking away, crumpling into dust and shards around the remaining pair.

"Marco, please" Jackie pleaded on all fours, tears building her blue eyes, concern etched all over her face "You got to stop. You will never make it in the real world. Star is not real."

"Star is real" Marco argued "I remember her."

"NO!" Jackie yelled "You only think you do! C'mon Marco, think about it! A magical princess from another dimension? Really? Hate illusion all you want but at least it was realistic. "

Marco didn't believe false Jackie but he could feel them planted into his very being. The seeds of doubt, of fear, worry. What if Star wasn't real? What if he really was a basket case? Could he survive on the outside world with that knowledge? Would he work up in a mental ward, strapped down, bumbling incoherently about a magical girl that never truly existed.

"You were lonely" False Jackie provided, lifting herself off the ground "You were sad and you wanted a friend. The coolest friend you could ever have. A friend that everyone wanted to be friends with and if everyone wanted to be friends with her, they would be friends with you too."

"But" Marco weakly countered "The rainbows, the happy go lucky attitude, the whole magic...I wouldn't make that stuff up. I mean seriously come on!"

"You wanted her to be liked and since you think people don't like you, made someone who was completely opposite of you. A girly girl who kicked ass, loved rainbows and narwhals and was confident, bright, bubbly and reckless. You made Star to be your opposite."

Marco could himself wobble uncontrollably on his feet, only the small patch of hallway that they were standing on was left of the world he destroyed. This couldn't be true...this couldn't.

Jackie closed the gap between the two, offering her hands in surrender "I can still save you Marco. Let me wipe your memories. Forget about Star...Forget her. She's not back there. She never was."

Marco stared uneasily at false Jackie's palms, his mind already becoming foggy and disoriented just standing near her.

"Please" Jackie whispered lovingly "Let me save you."

Marco paused, staring at Jackie's waiting hands.

Had it really been so bad here? He was loved, respected and he even got the girl of his dreams, was that really so horrible?

"This place has it all, doesn't it?" Marco said quietly "And you can always change it to whatever you want, right?"

Jackie nodded "Anything."

Marco frowned. He remembered his memories before he 'created' Star. Boring, average, being mocked as safe kid with no one, not even the real Jackie giving him any attention or care. It was better this way, wasn't it?

Marco slowly reached for False Jackie's hands, readying to grip her hands in his and wipe away the truth one final time.

"It's better this way..." Marco murmured.

"Yes, better."

Marco took in a deep breath, cherishing his memories one last...

"MARCO DIAZ DON'T YOU DARE STAY SLEEPING!"

Marco's eyes snapped open at the sound of the perky yet angry voice of Star

"Star? STAR!" Marco called back, searching the white void for any sign of her.

"We cannot be besties if you are just laying around all day! I can't say sorry if you don't wake up and accept it Marco! So get up! UP UP UP!"

The world rocked violently once more and Marco realized it wasn't his doing, it was Star's trying to wake him up from whatever _this_ was.

False Jackie lunged at Marco one last time but Marco simply waved goodbye with 'I told you so' smirk.

* * *

Marco's eyes shot open, his body stiff and tense. He tried to focus on the bleak, crisp white walls of the room and for a moment, his fears that he was really crazy began to take hold.

Then he calmly turned his head and let out a sigh of relief.

Marco was in a hospital bed and the only thing he was strapped to was an I.V and monitor.

Star's head lay on his lap, her arms tucked under her chin like a makeshift pillow, Marco's red hoodie wrapped around her frame like a blanket.

Marco felt guilty at the sight of the bags under her eyes or the state of her unruly hair. It was obvious both Marco and Star had been in here for a while and she refused to leave his side.

Before Marco could help himself, he let loose a loud yawn, feeling every crick and tight muscle in his body.

Star groggily stirred in her sleep, lifting herself back into the chair and letting a mighty yawn that rivaled Marco's before her eyes blinked once...twice...three times...

"Marco?" Star tiredly asked before the realization of had occurred while she slept hit her full force "MARCO!"

Marco let out an unmanly yelp as Star tackled him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly and holding him close to her cheek.

Marco could feel his cheeks burn when Star began nuzzling him.

"You're okay! YAY!" Star cheered before releasing him from her death grip, settling back in the chair before taking on a serious facial expression.

"Star, what happened?"

"I'm sorry Marco" Star replied, voice low and unable to meet Marco's eye

"Sorry? For what?"

"Our fight" Star shifted guiltily "If I hadn't pushed you...you wouldn't have..."

Pushed? Fight?

Marco remembered at once the events that transpired: Star and him were talking about his slow and steady approach with Jackie. While Marco argued it was working and it was the best way to win her heart, Star countered that Marco wouldn't get anywhere and that sooner or later, someone else was going to ask Jackie out. Marco was offended by Star's lack of faith in him and shot back about how Oskar wasn't ever going to ask her out if she kept just sitting there watching. One thing lead to another and Marco remembered storming off to the forest for some stupid reason. He remembered sitting down at a rock and then waking up in his bed in the fake reality.

"I know you must be mad at me...I really Star'd the situation." Star muttered "And then you got put into a fantasy illusion."

"How do you know about that?"

"This guy!" Star presented a clear glass jar happily. Inside the container was a small black red frog with a forked tongue and sharp fangs that dripped with a rainbow colored poison.

"It's called a Trip Frog. I guess Ludo or Toffee let one loose during one their visits. They're rare but usually found in Mewian swaps. I came after you after I cooled down but by the time I got to you, this guy had already bit you and you were slipping into a coma."

"Whoa" Marco stared at the creature like if he was a commonhold puppy "that is preeetty spooky."

"yeah...I..."

Star let out a small sob, eyes watery and filled with shame and guilt

"I was scared I lost my bestie and it was my fault. I mean if a Mewman got bit by this, they would be trapped in a fantastical hallucination for a week unless they found the strength to wake up but I had no idea what it would do to you..."

Marco held Star close, stroking her hair in an effort to calm the distraught princess down.

"It's okay Star, I'm not mad and I'm fine! See?"

Star said nothing so Marco tightened his grip on his best friend.

"I mean it Star. Fights happen and everything turned out good."

"...I'm sorry Marco. I just want you to be happy! You're like the coolest guy I know, you know? I just wanted to help achieve your happiness, you always do that for me..."

Marco smiled at Star who returned a small, shy grin back.

"I know and you are the best friend I could ever ask for Star."

The two embraced tightly before very slowly separating

"Were you asleep the whole time?"

"Yep!"

"And you didn't call for me, like at all"

"Nope"

"What were you dreaming about?"

Star didn't reply, just shrugging but Marco noticed her pink hearts lightly glow in the pale light. She had been dreaming of him...maybe. Probably not. He'd get the answer later.

"Star, how long have I've been here?"

"a year."

"A YEAR?!"

Star giggled at Marco's panicked expression, playfully nudging at his side "Nah, like 4 hours."

Marco stared at Star deadpanned

"...put me back in the coma"


	82. Hey, I need a favor (canon AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here with a light update. thank you for every review, follow and favorites. they mean the world to me! :)

a special thanks to Jayanna- haha sorry i was almost done and it was late for me so i wanted to get it out asap. I am glad you liked it.

finn- yeah i was experimenting a bit.

heroaedrianmontila- yeah i was trying a star episode in the style of storm the castle which was abit darker than usual star starness. wait, you can goggle it? trippy that's it and i don't blame you, there was a lot of down time there. sounds get. pm me to finalize the details like if you want the visiting pair to get together at the end or if you have a scene you want to see.

Catalyst- thanks i was really hoping to give off that whole season 2 first episode vibe! i'm glad you enjoyed it.

shadowgem; very trippy you may dare say. thanks I had to admit when i was writing it, i totally forgot starfall did a similar thing though on a much grander and more heartbreaking scale. I am glad you enjoyed it.

Author Smimph- i aim to surprise though i honestly i think Marco is the preferred choice because compared to Star, he's less sure of himself an easier target to mess with if you will. right. you always need princess...bright...cosmic body...thing. haha

romantic sloth: was it? oh i'm sorry. it wasn't meant to be.

king of france- i suppose that's the real question. Is marco awake? is there even an awake to be? are we awake?

Guest sorta- i thought it was a very star thing to do even after such a serious event.

anoynmins- thanks you are far too kind. i was thinking the same thing too. star in general seems like such a surreal fantasy doesn't it? I remember that episode! man that was insane trip. but fun change of pace! rant and ramble all you want I don't mind. Sorry for almost making you cry and the one story that is designed to make you cry. This would be a fun episode. Stay cool too and happy Bastille day!

xprincessxgilex- thank you for your review.

grim- I love that episode. so mind blowing to think Bruce isn't batman haha well here's some like starco.

sonicelite- thanks im trying to switch between the two forms of dark and light hearted but still keeping it starco and well basically star vs. Honestly i love my subtle details and letting you readers piecing together what's going on. like you could figure out its a dream and not an illusion early because Justin (the quarterback and stereotypical the most popular guy in high school based programming) and francis (the smaller student marco defended in monster arm from lars) are the ones greeting him. Add to the fact Janna (Whom Marco gets annoyed at despite her having a clear crush on him) and oskar (Whom he was never fond of anyway) were never mentioned once. haha im a tricky like that. Honestly i could've done more but it would've been repeating myself. I mean i established early on something was wrong and adding more might add the downside of dragging out the story. still I am so happy you enjoyed it and i really hope for more critiques from you! i really do appreicate it and it always helps me grow as a writer. see you this chapter haha

Random human- i think i remember that episode. it's been a while though. well thank you for leaving an awesome review!

queen of shipping- E gad i'm dead homles! I don't think anyone can imagine a world without star.

Axis- good to hear from you again good sir, yeah that's the problem sometimes you know the person is coming back even if claimed dead but oh well. if it makes you feel better, there is a story coming up where Marco dies and doesn't come back.

Pdavis- thank you for your kind words. Honestly don't worry about it! leave reviews when you can if you want. life likes to get us all time but all i care is that you enjoy the story. :) I'm excited for the new character ana. Don't worry I was fixing up the story branch of Starco academy because this is the final arc so i wanted to work everything out before giving it to you awesome fans. you're not a dumbass trust me. Hope you can figure out the truth! oh I am so glad i could introduce you into a new fandom. its a great one though i have to admit i have to watch the french ones because sometimes the english one is just too cheesy and don't worry we'll come back soon to Ferguador THE NEW EPISODE WAS GREAT!

smitty theories- haha sorry frog seemed to be the easiest.

CLM88- indeed who is the big bad. :)

riderZ- haha thanks im glad extra lives are covered by starco insurance and i'm glad you enjoyed it. try not to drop into comas though! and yes covy!

maya phantom- i am so happy you enjoyed, i hope you enjoy the rest.

xxinfamousxx321- done and done. just give me a bit

I am going to be very quick with this because honestly this is a light update.

 **Story prompt of the day:** knotasocialite on tumblr mentioned me in a small story idea where person A can't sleep for some reason and asks person b to sleep with them on their bed. this is that story but with Starco. this takes place in the canon universe right after the Star's got a new wand episode that just aired *SO MANY QUESTIONS i miss gravity falls* so minor spoilers and spider mentioned don't worry i don't describe it but you know don't think about it.

What else? I am currently working on guardians of the starco so hopefully that'll be up later and starco academy which is now in the cross over section. xxinfamousxx321 wanted a story where Marco and Star's daughter has a quinceanera and Marionette-j2x on tumblr thought of nova, mentioned me, i wrote a little preview and that is now on the list. Bernadette has actually drawn out 3 different sketch outfits for nova to wear and would like your help voting on which she will officially draw out and the one i will write in the story.

Well that's about it. enjoy this small little chapter. have an amazing week in case i don't came back to this story this week and enjoy, i own nothing.

* * *

All was peaceful throughout the Diaz household as the moon hung overhead silently, not a single soul awake, panicked or frightened in the inky darkness.

All except one.

There was a quiet yet shy knock on the bedroom door, one too faint for most people to hear but not Star Butterfly.

Star let out a tired yawn, stretching her body as far as she could before groggily smacking her dry lips, rubbing tiredly at her eyes only to feel the soft fabric of her sleep mask instead.

Star lifted the mask onto the top of her ruffled blonde hair, her sleepy sky blue eyes squinting through the sea of darkness to her bedroom door as she briefly wondered if she had heard the knock in reality or was it something her dream cooked up.

She waited a moment to ensure if someone had been knocking at her door.

There was silence in that moment but a light rapping against the wooden barrier came a second later.

"Ugh." Star moaned in annoyance, lazily throwing off the blankets and rising to her feet, trudging her way over to the door while muttering under her breath about how this better be a good reason.

Star was unsurprised to find her bestie and fellow roommate Marco Diaz staring there in his cute striped pajamas. What was surprising was the slight discomfort that danced across his face.

"Marco..." Star greeted politely

"oh, hey Star" Marco replied nervously.

There was an awkward silence as the two just stared at one another, unsure how to proceed with whatever this midnight trip was about.

"...So..." Marco began shyly "I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

Star let out a loud, adorable yawn to remind Marco what time it currently was.

"Marco, it's like 3 in the morning."

"It's 11 P.M. Star"

"Yeah yeah 11, 3 whatever" Star waved him off "I know I'm your bestie but I'm not sure what favor you need from me right now."

"Well I need help taking care of a problem"

Star nodded "ah huh, yes I see."

"See I'm not the biggest fan of spiders but normally they aren't much of a problem for me."

"Of course misunderstood bad boy."

Marco frowned at Star's teasing but went on with his request "I found one in my room that's juuuuuuuuust a liiiiiiiittle too big for me to handle."

Star giggled at Marco's embarrassed, sheepish smile.

"Oh Marco, that's cute" Star patted his shoulder playfully, striding passed him and making her way to his room "You need your bestie to take care of the big bad spider?"

"Umm Star! Maybe you should grab your wand. In fact, you should totally grab your wand!"

"Please Marco" Star scoffed at her best friend "I am a magical princess. I dug deeeeeep inside and I just learn I am more advance than my mom when she was my age. I think I can handle a little spider."

Star threw open Marco's bedroom door, lips pursed in thought as she took in the sight of the room.

"hmm..." Star hummed to herself , scratching her chin thoughtfully "yeah maybe I'm going to need the wand."

The room was covered in thick strains of spiderwebs, crisscrossing through the room ceiling to floor, wall to wall with a thicket of it blanketing random areas like a silk colored wall.

Star could hear a low clicking coming from somewhere in the room, the quiet rustling echoing softly from the room.

Star stared blankly into the shifting shadows of the room before hurriedly closing the door, the sounds of a muted thud slamming against the door told Star it was time to sleep.

"Well" Star said calmly "I'll just take care of that in the morning."

and without another word, she made her way back to her room with Marco trailing close behind.

"Star, where am I going to sleep?"

"The living room? That cramped bed down there isn't the worse thing in the world."

"Staaaar I can't sleep down there! I'll never get a good night's rest on that lumpy thing."

Marco nearly tumbled backwards when Star pivoted on her feet and angrily poked his chest

"Hey, you leave Mr. couch alone! He works hard to make sure you are comfy when we watch movies."

"Buuuut" Marco cut in "I wouldn't want to give Mr. Couch more work by sleeping on him, right? That's not really his job you know."

Star let a guilty gasp "You're right! It would be unfair to poor Mr. Couch...but where else can you sleep?"

Marco shrugged "I guess your floor? I'm not going to lie, I'm not feeling very safe with that spider in the house."

The pair jumped as the house violently shook, the sounds of something throwing itself against the lock door muted in the silence of the night.

"Good thing it doesn't have thumbs." Marco murmured to himself.

Star bit her lip nervously, unsure what was the proper choice in this matter. She couldn't let Marco sleep outside a room with that thing loose but the floor also didn't seem like the best choice for a bed...

Star could feel her hearts glow in the dark of the night, dimly lighting the hallway as she muttered quietly "You can sleep in my bed. I think it's the only way either of us are getting any sleep tonight."

"Oh, are you sure Star? That isn't too awkward? I mean..."

Star let out a false laugh, waving Marco off with more confidence and starness than she actually possessed "Come on safe kid, we're besties, what's the worst that can happen?"

* * *

Star gazed at the ceiling, heart pounding in her chest as Marco slumbered next to her, facing away from Star and clutching a pillow tightly.

Star could see his back out of the corner of her eye to see her best friend's calm, tranquil breaths, his body rising and falling in an oddly peaceful way.

The glow from Star's hearts was steadily getting brighter as Marco lay with her in her bed, the memories of earlier poking and prodding at her waken form.

Marco had found her diary, her secret books of secretive secrets in her closet full of secrets and what was worse is that he nearly stumbled upon her most guarded secret. The one that she never pray he found out. That was a lot of secrets in that sentence.

Star gently placed her hand over her heart while the other lightly traced its touch across her cheeks.

She now knew what Glossaryck meant by digging deep down and what her mother meant by everything she had. She needed to use all her emotions, _all_ of them. Even the one that she pretended didn't exist.

Star let out a tired yawn as Marco's light breathing filled her ears.

It wasn't time to reveal that secret yet and it probably never would be but that was for the future, right now it was time to go to sleep and take the next day on its way to greet the princess.

Star nearly yelped in surprise when Marco suddenly faced her, eyes still closed indicting he was still asleep, pillow vanished from sight and without a word of warning, wrapped his arms around her frame, drawing her closer and enveloping her in his warm embrace.

Maybe I won't tell him now, Star thought to herself as sleep began overtaking her sight, Maybe I'll never tell him...but that doesn't matter. These moments...this is what I'll remember...Just me and my bestie.

"Good night Marco" Star mumbled softly, tucking her head closer to Marco's chest.

"Good night Starshine."


	83. Chapter 11 My thoughts on Marco (Canon)

Hi everyone, Mr.E here wishing you all an awesome, great week! thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and really make my day :)

a special thanks to sonicElite- agreed! i really need to do more of these small pieces haha I'm glad you liked it and honestly I wanted to make a joke about an everyday reason you would call someone for help but much bigger so its more justifiable haha

CLM88: haha sorry but it had to be done. it wouldn't have been dramatic without that ending i am glad you liked it

princessxgilex- thank you for your review.

random human- it was one of my favorite too! and for my 100 chapter i might have a few more marcos and stars meet up. :)

anonymims- aww thank you for your high praise. it means a lot especially coming from one of my favorite authors. haha i know right? its so obvious but it makes me wonder what is going on with her. Maybe she has a good reason not to tell marco. other than keeping starco a thing.

guest- im glad you enjoyed it. i always try to make my aus story friendly so while its based in a story, you dont need to know it to enjoy the story. except undertale.

guest- haha that's always the trick question huh? am i going to mess with you by revealing its not actual his reality but another dream he created. I'm not. he's back. but next time, who knows? bwahhaha

heroaedrianmontila- huh, that is trippy. but cool! aww thanks but still going to try my best to deliver. hmm well its all over the internet. maybe you can find one with subtitles? basically Marco got trapped in the closet, Star's wand is going crazy, Star can do magic without the wand and Marco reads star's diary with a chaptet about her thoughts on marco which triggers her using magic without her wand.

finn; thank you so much im glad you liked it

shadowgem: it's been a while since i did canon, figured it was time to go back.

author smimph: haha you kidding me? it didn't explode, it opened a giant wormhole releasing countless works of star vs into the world. yeah i felt for that chapter it was not a good idea to reveal the secret. this chapter which is basically the after of star's new wand i do make a claim because it's the only way the story works. i hope you enjoy this! p.s it is fun! super fun fun fun time of funness!

guest (who i believe is axis) I am glad you liked it and i agree. I'm pretty sure Marco would seriously considering setting the room on fire. I sure as hell would or at least call Marcus. in response to your response to my response. ah my bad but sorry, I got to kill marco at least once. its a thing i have to do. for reasons. super secret reasons. sorry. but i will warn you!

Catalyst; thank you for your kind words. yeah i pretty much wait for it to drop online to watch. honestly i loved both episodes. the animation is smooth, jokes solid, building up the arcs for the story and does nice character growth while setting the stakes for the following season. i cannot wait.

grim- aww thanks. it had been a while since i did a canon story. right?

thewookie- too much awww OVERLOAD!

Pdavis- thank you so much i am glad you enjoyed it. i know right? i was expecting some sort of slip of starco! UGH but still it was great. i called it on smooch buddies though and yeah english isn't the worst but still pretty cheesy haha

misfortune- I know right? i am glad so ludo got some development. he seems like a real threat now. honestly i have no idea. i love writing and i'll try my hardest to go as long as i can but sooner or later i will have to stop but for now let us enjoy the stories huh? because i have no plans to stop any time soon.:)

Jayanna- its okay! im glad you liked it! and yes i would too.

sirleirbag- haha i love that ending. that game in general. i think i got that ending. its all pretty great. nothing can stop starco spending time together! NOTHING!

guest sorta- oh...thats..new...i better add that to the starco and covy side effects. thanks for letting me know. umm...starco insurance will cover that.

we got a lot of awesome explosion of starco art all over tumblr and sara over at idrawcartoons1314 on instagram, spatziline (who did an amazing pearl tom art work and her own oc work) on tumblr, my good friends marionette-j2x and hains-mae on tumblr. i got some stuff on my mrevaunit42 on tumblr. lots of great stuff. star fandom rises!

on ff we got some awesome works everything wrong with star vs the forces of evil season 2 from Iknmjh, AN amazing chapter from anoymims called little talks (Seriously go read it.) it's hard to be in love with your rival in fanfictionfordayz, dimension of infinite tales smimph, the fall of butterfly from the Canadian Infernape, wands and weirdos from sonicElite, the heir of the dead from bluestarlord5119. such a surge of great star vs and its hard to keep up

 **Story prompt of the day** : Asked by from starcoanonymous, this is another Star's new wand story but this time i decided to take a guess as to whats in chapter 11 of the journal. Another short story and really just a different view from the last chapter.

Don't worry everyone I am still writing the requests and stories but I live somewhere hot and i work in a truck all day in said heat so when i get home i'm kinda plunging myself into subfreezing temperatures, Don't worry i drink lots of water and all that jazz but the heats been really tough lately so ive been doing smaller, bite sized chapters. the next few chapters will be requests. thank you for all your support, i hope you enjoy the chapter! a special thanks both starcoanonymous and knotasocialite on tumblr for their ideas. I hope you like this little fun take on what could written on chapter 11: Star's thoughts on marco. Im going to laugh if its like some kind of psych evaluation on him. have a great week!

* * *

"Thank god, it's safe" Star let out a comforted sigh at the sight of Marco's retreating figure, the self titled bad boy heading to his room to change out of both slime and the makeshift clothing found in her secretive secrets closet.

Star glanced downward at the source of today's trouble: her own personal thoughts swirling around in a little tiny book she never expected anyone to discover its existence.

Star's diary was one of the few things she brought from Mewni because while she was excited to visit a brand new dimension and make all new friends, this was the first time she would be staying in said dimension: Not sleeping over or visiting or sneaking into to catch the latest Flaming Ponies concert.

Staying. Away from her home, her parents, her bed, her mom, the Forest of Certain Death, her mom, the nearby village she used to wander around in, her mom and her royal duties. And while she did miss her home, the freedom Earth offered was intoxicating.

Star chuckled to herself. Intoxicating. that was a word Marco taught her.

"Now that you know it's possible to diiiiip down!" Glossaryck appeared at Star's side, lazily swimming midair as if it were water "It should be very easy you to use magic without your wand especially that's...well let's practice dipping down more."

"Why did you show Marco my journal?" Star glared her magical tutor, hands on her hips "That was not the thing he should've been looking for."

"Dipping down" Glossaryck explained with a pointed finger "means accepting all of you. Everything that makes you Star Butterfly must be recognized and embraced, _not_ denied."

"Not...cool" was Star's reply as she placed the journal on her desk and went to go change out of her slime filled clothes, reemerging a few minutes later in her favorite sleep dress. The day hadn't ended yet but she didn't think her or Marco would be eager to go outside after today's adventure.

Star stared at the journal, skimming through its contents absentmindedly. Even when it was first created, it was a source of secrets, her most inner thoughts written down into the physical plane for all to see, ironically the very type of information she never wanted anyone to discover.

It was a small habit at first, a way for her to deal with her mother issues without actually dealing with them. But with each passing entry, it became more therapeutic and what started as a way to deal with the friction between the elder and younger Butterfly grew to any and everything: her crushes, her fears about the loss of freedom the future held, how excited she was about gaining ownership over the wand, how her mom was still a poophead. Secrets and secrets let out of the Star vault and poured onto a small book anyone could find which is why Star was naturally protective of it. For Mewni's sake she put it on a shelf! SHE PUT A SHELF IN HER SECRETS CLOSET!

And Glossaryck led Marco straight to it, raising the stakes on getting her best friend out of the closet to a very personal degree.

Glossaryck might've meant well but Star still felt it was too risky to warrant such action.

Star paused, staring at the dreaded chapter that caused today's anxiety.

"Chapter 11" Star murmured softly under her breath "My thoughts on Marco..."

Star took a deep breath. She knew what she wrote of course and she knew how far Marco had gotten in the short time he held possession of what basically amounted to Star herself but even she was curious what had change since she came to Earth.

 _I met Marco on my first of school. Somehow the principal knew we'd be the best of friends, and it's true, we were! Weeeeeell not at first. So it turns out on Earth if you are visiting from another dimension or 'country' as they call it here, you get to live with a local family! So cool and I got paired up with the coolest family ever the Diaz's! Mrs. Diaz came and picked me up after Marco ran off to go do something and brought to their home. They loved my magic so much and then Marco came home and I made puppies! So cute! But...then I made Marco mad. I accidentally caused a black hole to eat up all his stuff. He ran off and I realized I would've been mad too if someone came and caused a celestial event to eat all my stuff too. I like my stuff. So I went to tell him I was sorry and I would move out. Then Ludo attacked and it turns out Marco knows this awesome Earth form of combat called Kayrate! And we took on Ludo's monsters and beat them! Then Marco told me he wanted me to stay with them. Nothing makes best friends like battle. I think I'm going to like it here on Earth._

Star smiled to herself as she flipped the page to her next journal entry.

 _Journal, journal, journal! You'll never guess who came today! Princess Pony Head. So Marco made these cute little triangle foods called nachos when Pony head knocked on the door. Marco was so freaked out at a disembodied floating magical unicorn head. The look on his face was priceless. And then we went dimension hopping! We went to the bounce lounge, my favorite place to chiiiill but I noticed Marco didn't seem to have fun so I asked Pony Head to go to amethyst arcade. I figured with all those games he would have more fun! And he is so good at them, he actually tied with Pony Head! She was working up a sweat. I didn't even know Unicorn heads could sweat. SO I left to get towels for them when Pony told me a pretty obvious lie...that I believed...she's my bestie! I had to give her the benefit of the doubt...but it turns out she did leave Marco behind and some strange masked men were chasing her. We popped back in and saved Marco! Well I did, with magic. He was totally helpless without me. I knew the two of them weren't getting along...but Marco surprised me! He actually defended Pony Head. In the end she was still sent to princess jail but...I'm glad Marco was willing to stand up for Pony Head. He's a really good guy._

Star could feel her cheeks burn, her emotions for her best friend already shining through even at the 2nd day mark.

Star hurriedly change the page, skipping several entries, knowing full well it would just get worse from here on out.

 _Dear journal, Marco apologized! TO ME! Graaaaanted I did turn his broken arm into this gross monster tentacle thing but it was nice. I mean I spent days looking up the counter spell to the monster arm mishap and he goes 'I've gone mad with power' and tries to crush this little tiny man (I think it was a tiny man, I mean I fell asleep so.) but he realized that kind of power corrupts and I fixed his arm and its all better. I just hope he doesn't remember I called him Oskar. Whoops._

Star frowned at the next page, closing her eyes as she saw the written account of her descent into madness.

 _Gustav. Gustav, Gustav, GUSTAV, GUSTAV! GUSTAV IS A LIAR LIAR!_

 _I mean...I don't trust Gustav._

"Let's just ignore that phase of my life" Star muttered to herself, turning the page as the echoes of unconstrained jealous flowed through her veins once more.

 _This was a great day! I got to talk to Oskar! OSKAR! He called me! He was even practicing his music in the background (He is so dedicated) and he has the cutest voice. Oh! OH! And Marco cheered me up. I might've been a liiiiiiittle too hopeful Oskar would call right away. I mean he has a record. He must put a lot of hard work to get that record, I should've know better. But Marco really tried his hardest. He did this incredibly dangerous thing with fireworks and then he got Ludo to attack us and it was so much fun kicking their butts! Of course they were so rude when one of them yelled at me as I was talking to Oskar but I handled it as the refined, emotionally poised princess I am. some sticky syrup took care of that problem. I mean I accidentally got myself kinda stuck to Marco but it was worth it. He said I was the coolest girl he knew. ME!_

Star tried to suppress the smile on her face as she remembered how honest Marco was with that confession. About how great he thought she was.

 _So Mewberty happened today and...I'm a little confused. I mean my book says any intense emotion will 'hasten' the effects of Mewberty especially romantic feelings. So you can understand why I was so confused when Marco triggered it. I mean I was staring at Oskar when the hearts appeared so yeah makes sense he's such a bad boy then all the sudden in pops Marco and I start muttering "Marco's a boy" all zombie like. I mean I was already shoot webs and turning purple when Marco grabbed my wrist (something that isn't supposed to happen so early!) in fact the whole timing of Mewberty was off. I was certain I had until after school go hide myself away but I guess I miscalculated or something. Anyway, I carried Oskar into the sky and then came back with my Mewberty wings! And the craziest thing happened! Marco hugged me! Not me hugging Marco, Marco started the hug! I think he's really starting to warm up to me._

Star could feel her heart quicken as she reached the next page, the words scrawled on its surface causing her to feel all floaty and flushed,

 _I can't believe Marco. Today was the Blood Moon Ball. Some cosmic event that makes everything have a red filter for a while and I went with, ugh, Tom. I wanted to go as friends, Tom was trying to convince me to date him again. He tried to defang a demon event. DEFANG A DEMON EVENT. I just. Sigh. I should've known better. Then it turns out Marco followed me there though I would've never guessed it was him. I got to admit Marco he knows how to dance. Swept me right off my feet with those impressive moves and the light from the blood moon gave him this dreamy, mysterious edge to him. I...I had to admit I was pretty awestruck. Jackie is going to be a lucky girl. I was mad for a bit but we kinda had our own thing at home. Just eating nachos, dancing to goofy pop songs. It was so much more fun than I had with Tom. Maybe I'll invite Marco to the next ball or whatever I'm forced to go to. He'd make it a blast._

Star could feel her little pink hearts glow faintly, the goosebumps spreading throughout her body just recalling the memory of the event. The way how she became paralyzed by his mere touch, how much control she willingly gave the stranger in their short dance, allowing herself to be guided like a marionette and unable resist his charm.

 _Journal, I just spent 60 hours alone. WITH MARCO!_

Star quickly turned the page, trying to ignore how easy it was to be with Marco, just having fun, causing trouble in a frozen world with no other person for company except her bestie and how easy it was to lose track of time. And if she was being quite honest, she would've never known just how much time the two spent together if Marco didn't mention it.

 _Marco is the worst._

Star rose an eyebrow at those words, wondering at what point she would make such a statement.

 _Marco is the worst. Okay not the worst but he was being a poophead today. Today I, Star Butterfly, explored Echo Creek alllll by myself! I talked to a wizard, I ran into some pirates trying to fool me with their 'food servicers' disguise (I did not fall for it) and I helped a lot of people they were holding hostage by making them chasing me! And then Brittney helped me lose them but I guess I made a mistake because they found me pretty quick. Oh well, at least Brittney tried. And I found it! The powerful wand of Earth: The Banagic wand. It doesn't do much aside making this really yummy ice cream but that's okay. I once owned a box that melted anything put inside it (useful for getting rid of all of Tom's stuff) but my moment of success was ruined by Marco._

 _Not on purpose. Marco couldn't be mean even if I gave him a guide to book on how to. He...he told me he's sorry he underestimated me...he...didn't think I couldn't do it. Sigh, I pushed his ice cream to the floor, claiming there was a fly. It hurt...alot. I mean this is Marco! My bestie...I thought...I mean I'm used to it from a lot of people: the servants, my mom, my tutors, my mom, even Pony Head...but I never thought Marco would tell me that. I mean he's always been supportive of me...I..._

Star remembered how much it stung to hear Marco say he underestimated her. A lot by the way. More than it should've. Now she knew why it hurt so badly but when she wrote it...ignorance was bliss. It was so much simpler then and it was hard to believe this was just all over the course of several months...

Star glanced down at the latest entry, one that filled her with an intense sense of dread that she could not shake, even now.

 _Marco's gone_ Star noticed the hurried and panicked stricken frenzied style of her writing. She could feel the paralyzing fear coursing through her entire being, a sense of loss like no other at Marco's disappearance and the absolute desperation she felt gnawing at her thoughts. Her heart was heavy like it had been then as she wrote those words, the memory still clear even days later.

 _Ludo took Marco! I...I...I'm a poophead! I fought with Marco and all over a stupid sandwich! I...a sandwich?! Marco is worth so much more than a sad excuse of a sandwich. I...It's my fault_. _How could I say such a terrible thing to him? I don't know why we're even friends!? I know why we're friends. Best friends. He makes me laugh, he makes me feel so important, he makes me feel like I can do anything, He's so much fun! He can fight, he's so smart and he's forgiving...I...I think...I think I'm falling for him. Something is there. Something deep inside my heart. Something that beats whenever he hugs me, something that sends my heart reeling whenever he's near. Makes me crave his attention, that makes me hide something. A secret. I'm actually hiding something for someone. I've never done that before! I'm so open! I...I always feel like he could read my thoughts. About how cute his mole is. How distracting his light caramel brown eyes are._

 _He doesn't know. He's denser than a rock and I am quite good at hiding it...but...I can't tell him. I mean...I'm a princess doomed to be a queen...and he's a boy from Earth. It would never work...no matter how much I..._

 _I need to get him back. No matter the cost. Even if I got to give up the wand. Nothing is worth losing Marco and the small amount of time we have left._

 _I can't lose Marco._

"Dip down...with everything you have" Star murmured softly as she closed the book gently

Star stared at the window, the shadowy curtain of night covering the outside world and anything that could distract the young princess from her warring emotions.

"I don't think I can..."


	84. I was reading that! (Nova College AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here! thank you so much for all the support you show me and every single review, favorite and follow. it means everything to me! you readers are the best.

a special thanks to thundermist- i know right? did you see Star's face during the blood moon? she was totally digging Masked Marco. haha hopefully we get some answer in the future about what's in the journal. haha so do i have to add a headbanging warning to starco now? *hands you an ice pack*

ilya39- it really seemed like this what happened afterwards. i mean with 3rd season, starco might take a while or they're going to pull a kim possible and have them dating during the 3rd season.

finn- thanks but it makes me wonder if they are ever going to reveal the truth what's in the journal.

Heroaedrianmontila- oh dip down means Star can use magic without her wand. ouch i feel here *hands you a water* it's okay! these stories are meant to be enjoyed whenever you get a chance, no rush :) take care and good luck in school!

fanfictionfordayz: oh hey! that was you? awesome! i'm deeply honored you chose me to write it. it means a lot to me and we all need starco. all of us

axis25: no need to apologize good sir, it happens and sometimes phones like to sign people out for no reason. it happens to me a lot. yeah and it seems like we got more and more of their caring throughout the season. it's happening at a decent, natural rate too. can't wait. have a good week sir!

anoymims: *hands you a tissue.* haha sometimes i stay up all night on accident. every station ends up in starcoland station one way or other another. thank you for your kind words, they mean so much to me and im glad you enjoyed it so much okay this is canon, i can live with that. haha your very welcome and thank you for your permission for doing so. your work is incredible and i just wanted to give you a little exposure. the honor is all mine.

guest sorta- sometimes we need some sad starco. haha i am a strange one as well and if it could really happen, we're sure it will actually happen to us all.

guest (chapter 2): Sol was Marco's original name back when Star was an elementary school girl who thought she was magical and Sol was her frienemy.

author Smimph: YEAH (high five!) I always try my hardest to catch Star's stariness. im really happy i could convey Star's emotions and maybe that under her happy go lucky face may be a girl who is deeply conflicted haha honestly i imagined Star was starting to write it but then decides against it then decides no i do want to write it! and the stammers and sighs are kinda placeholders for physical actions or i just got used to writing that way haha. have a great week you two.

kunichichan- haha thank you so much for your energetic review and im glad you think so it Kawaii! :)

Jayanna- haha haha no no, pun away! haha it is a bit more emotional than my usual writing.

shadowgem- thank you I'm starting to do some shorter chapters between requests and other stories for a nice change of pace. :)

cartoonlover- starco is life! STARCO IS LOVE! and we all know Star has intense feelings for Marco that heart shaped key was pretty suspect.

guest *chapter 31*: I'm glad you enjoyed it despite my mistakes. Honestly while i speak spanish fairly well, writing it is much harder for me and i usually cheat by combing my knowledge with google but thank you for help. I'm always trying to improve myself and i am grateful you took the time to help correct me with my mistakes! I hope you enjoy the rest of the stories, mistakes and all. :)

tora inazuma- thank you and im glad you enjoyed it and agree the starco is strong this season.

aqua burst 07- haha if you say so, it is canon.

H mae- I think Star has trouble dipping down because her feelings for Marco are the first thing she's had to hide. She's always so open even if it wasn't the best course of action and even her mother said she had to give it everything. it wasn't until Marco found the chapter on himself that Star used her magic, probably because she freaked Marco was going to find out the truth so she accepted she likes marco to give the spell everything (since she kept denying or hiding her feelings) which is how she used magic. thank you and i think Star would have a few times where she finds Marco's overprotective nature the worst even if that not exactly what she means. thanks for your review mae!

Sonicelite- *bro hug* it's okay man you need to talk let me know. nice quote. given the recent episodes, i might do more shorts on the episodes given how well done they are. have an awesome week.

grim: oh yeah the episodes are so great and you can do so much with them. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

princessxgilex- thank you for your review!

thewookie- hopefully she or marco can stop her warring state.

requestforaguest- yeah i noticed that as well. i was confused when i was writing it but i didn't have time to check without breaking the flow of the writing. i mean both scenes take place with a tired star but oh well mistakes happen to us all and they aren't the end of the world. thank you for pointing it out!

sirleirbag- yeah i finally got to see that awesome artist. Comet and Jane are pretty cute and starco and jantom is equally as adorable. i recommend people to go check it out later down the line. haha congrats for catching up and sorry for the wait, hopefully with the summer waning, ill be able to get back to a stable schedule

CML88: haha star is a treasure trove of excellent psych evaluation . haha its possible Star left a portal open one day and it just got in. ugh come on Star stop leaving portals open!

random human: don't worry there's a few more Bad boy au's coming up including suicide squad au and maybe another hero one. I like the idea of Bad boy marco as a anti-hero

So we have some awesome art scattered across the universe! THE UNIVERSE OF ONLINE. I just discovered atomicmangos on tumblr making sweet starco art, jantom and of course their awesome ocs Comet *Star and Marco's son* and Jane (Janna and Tom's daughter) who are super great. Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr created the Nova banner! it looks great and made me cry manly tears. Sweatermermaid over on tumblr also has some great work and she drew Nova holding a familiar plushie that she submitted to me and i really hopes she puts it up on her tumblr (it's currently buried somewhere on my mrevaunit42 on tumblr.) There's findoworld, firestar, nostranebula, so many great starco and fandom artwork in general and of course we can't forget sara over idrawcartoon1314 over on instagram as well.

on FF we have an excellent chapter from fanfictionfordayz you're my wish come true, the fall of butterfly the canadian infernape, everything wrong with star vs the forces of evil season 2. been a busy summer and i really need to read more. any more ideas please feel free to let me know.

 **Today's Story Prompt:** So this story prompt is a request from sweatermermaid as my way to thank her for that amazing nova drawing. so this comes from opt-imagination on tumblr who i recommend if you need story ideas to write. Person B is reading a book that person A is also reading over their shoulder. So Sweatermermaid asked for A Nova AU where both Connor and Nova are 18 years old in their first year in college. They don't know each other and Nova is just a regular human girl.

Well that's it for now, i hope you enjoy this story. The next story i will try to do more requests buuuut the suicide squad movie is coming out this friday and I've been wanted to do an au on that for a while so we shall see. Thank you for all the support and love you show this series. it means everything to me and really motives me to write for you amazing people. Have an amazing week and i own no...well actually I do own this...that's...that's weird.

* * *

18 year old college student Connor Sinclair glanced blankly at the opened book in his hand, looking upon but not really seeing the words on the page. Not yet anyway.

The deep rumbling of the bus was replaced by the rusty creaking of its brakes, the forward momentum slowing as the bus came to the next stop, a gaggle of people off to the side shifting dully and tiredly once they noticed the bus approach.

Connor could feel his cheeks redden, his pulse skip a beat or two when he realized this is _her_ stop.

Connor's hand twitched against his will as he saw the familiar tips of her red devil horns slowly rising from the steps, the conflicting decision to fix his messy black hair or leave the unkempt mop on his skull be as she inched closer and closer to him.

Connor felt absolutely ridiculous at his thoughts and his behavior and how wildly a week had change them. All because of a girl. A girl he had never seen before.

When the college semester started naught but a week ago, Connor was already dreading the long and mind numbing bus trip due to the fact he lived so far from the campus and his parents were unable to give him a ride any time soon (Turning your minivan into a robot tends to be an irreversible process.)

So there he was sitting near the front of the bus which seemed to be some sort of social no man's land for whatever reason (which suited him just fine. He preferred to keep himself anyway. He did it in high school and college was going to be no different) and casually reading the latest in his favorite series about a pair of best friends who were secretly in love with each other but denied it for pointless and quite honestly, baffling reasons when she first stepped onto the bus.

He had only notice her at first due to her interesting attire: Devil horn hairband, A red hoodie jacket thrown over a pink undershirt, a black knee length skirt with a white trim at the bottom, light blue and yellow leggings tucked into some black boots with two shark fins super glued to them. Not clothing Connor would associate with a college student but he himself was wearing his favorite white t-shirt with black crescent moon, light brown khakis, sneakers with a thick dark blue jacket thrown over his frame so he supposed he couldn't judge her too much.

Of course she had to pretty too. Borderline beautiful if Connor was going to be honest (Which he wasn't since being honest tended to end with him trying every shade of the rainbow while he rambled incoherently about how pretty said girl was. Usually aloud within earshot of the girl) She had light brown hair tied into two long twintails, her eyes an electric blue which was a shade Connor did not was possible with a spray of freckles painted nearly perfectly across either cheek and a strategically adorable mole by her left eye.

Connor focused on his book as she passed by, unsure if making any sort of eye contact with the girl would be good for his composure though it turns out it didn't matter anyway.

The girl decided to take the seat just behind him where he figured she could hear the beating of his heart due to her close proximity.

It took Connor everything he had to remind calm the first day, taking deep, relaxing breaths as he continued reading his book, just reading and reading, one page after another as the bus ride seemed to stretch into a maddening amount of time that nearly drove him insane.

It nearly made him bolt out of the giant tin can on wheels when they finally reached the university.

The rest of the day proceed with the theme of making Connor a nervous wreck: He couldn't find his classes at first which led to mad dashes across campus and barely making into a seat on time, faint with hungry since he did not pack any snacks or prepared to be at school for nearly 9 hours and of course, trying not to get swamped or swarmed by the masses of students that wandered the halls, quads and walkways of the school like zombie extras in a horror film.

When Connor ended his day at 5, he waited at the bus stop patiently for his chariot to bring him home, caught up in his own world to really notice anyone nearby.

The metal salvation arrived and Connor took his soon to be customary seat in the front of the bus, reaching into his bag and pulling out his book to read.

He caught sight of the girl from the morning, looking just as exhausted and dead as he did and once again, she had taken the seat just behind him though this time Connor was far too gone to panic about it.

For the following 4 days this was the routine: Connor would freak out and sneak glances at the girl in the devil horns and try not have a nervous breakdown when she sat behind him.

This, however, was Monday, present day. It was a new day, a new week! and Connor decided over the weekend that if the girl's presence was going to be a fixture in his college career this semester, he had to stop getting so fearful around her, stop letting her inadvertently get him so anxious without her knowledge.

He was going to befriend her!

Connor looked up from the book, focusing his gaze on devilhorns, trying to ignore the cute, cheery smile she held when she greeted their driver.

Connor could feel his heart palpitations when she turned to walk down the bus aisle, her movement slow and precise like she was suddenly trapped in a world of honey and was slogging through it.

She blinked once, her head twisting to face the direction her body was traveling and, despite the fact he knew it was coming, her electric blues formed into existence, staring directly into his forest green orbs and conveying a surprised look when she found him staring at her.

Connor flushed uncontrollably, his courage spent and his throat dry.

He quickly shifted his glance back at the book, moving his lips under his breath in a vain attempt to appear like he was reading despite the fact the words that escaped his mouth were made up and unreal.

Devilhorns didn't miss a beat, striding right on pass without another look.

Connor let out a defeated sigh while he mentally referred to himself as an idiot. Now there was no doubt he creep the girl out and she was going to sit faaaaar away from the freak that was looking at...

Connor froze when he heard the moaning springs of the seat behind him wail, the groan of weight shifting downward loud in his ear.

Connor shot a look out of the corner of his eye, using the windows muddy, unclear surface to see who sat behind him today.

Even through the dirtied, ancient and uncleaned bus window, Connor could see devilhorns took her usual seat behind him, leaning forward on the seat and apparently staring out the massive front window.

Connor gulped nervously, unsure how to proceed. He knew she must've saw him staring at her but he couldn't make heads or tails of her reaction to it. Was she so disinterested in it that it was beneath her notice or perhaps she wasn't as unnerved as Connor thought? Did she know how pretty she was, having long since been used to the attention boys gave her?

None of these answers seemed correct and all failed to bring Connor any sense of tranquility.

Connor decided to read his book. His day might be off to a rocky start but the book never failed to bring him some sense of ease.

Connor held the book against booth wall in front of him, preferring it as a stand than his lap (Looking downward was not good for his neck and really tensed up his muscles.)

Connor muttered under his breath, now correctly reading and saying the words that were written on the book instead of the untrue words he spouted earlier.

Connor beamed in pure bliss when he reached the end of the page: The scene was getting gooooood and Connor was eager to find out what was next.

Connor nodded in contentment, his voice now silent now that there was nothing to read.

Connor gripped the corner of the page, slowly lifting the paper.

"No, wait..."

Connor blinked, unsure if he actually heard the low, breathy panicked plea.

Connor stopped, letting the page fit between is two fingers but not actually moving on with the story yet.

There was a sigh of relief coming from behind followed by a low murmur of words being whispered outloud

Connor flushed at the idea of devilhorns hovering just over his shoulder, so close all to read the book that he held in his hand.

Trying to make it as subtle as possible, Connor's gaze went upwards, finally remembering the giant circular mirror most buses had for the people in the back could communicate and catch the attention of the driver.

Connor could feel his blush worsen as his eyes fell upon devilhorns indeed leaning forward, her head nearly laying on his shoulder while her blue eyes zipped back and forth across the lines and lines of text, a smile forming on her face in the most alluring way possible.

Connor lost it, unable to handle the close exposure to such cuteness.

Connor whirled around, completely frozen due to the close range devilhorns was currently occupying.

She was cuter up close than afar: her fair skin suited her perfectly and seeing her face scrunch up in endearing concentration was intoxicating to Connor. He wanted desperately to talk to this girl but he could feel his throat seizing up, shutting off any supply of words from escaping his mouth.

Devilhorns hadn't noticed yet, too caught up in the romantic hijinks of the fictional pairing on the page to realize Connor was focusing his attention solely on her.

"So cute" Nova giggled, leaning forward expectantly for the adorable boy in front of her to turn the page. She was so scared when he began turning the page she nearly tumbled over the seat to stop him but she was grateful for whatever slowed him down.

Nova frowned when the few seconds she waited turned into a dozen more, the cute boy in front failing to turn the page and denying her some sweet romantic fluff.

She looked upwards only to find a pair of stunning forest green eyes looking directly at her.

Nova felt her cheeks glow with a faint pink hue, a mixture of shame and embarrassment flowing through her entire body as the pair just stared at one another, unsure what to do next.

Connor let out a little gasp, slipping out of his dazed stupor and quickly turned forward, eyes downcast, ears red and clutching anxiously onto the book's spine.

Nova sat there, dumbfounded and shellshocked at the idea that the boy whose shoulder she had read over found her more interesting than a book. It was flattering really but it also made her nervous in a way she never felt before.

An awkward silence seemed to fill the air though if really existed or not was another story but it did sure feel real to the two.

Nova willed her heart to relax, clutching a fist determinately as she stood up, grabbing her backpack with one hand and placed the other on the seat in front to help steady her balance in the moving vehicle.

The bus driver yelled for her to sit down but Nova paid him no heed as she slowly strolled over to the boy's in front seat, plopping down next to him, eyes forward when she realized what she just did.

Connor stared fearfully at devilhorns, unsure what havoc she was going to unleash on him for staring at her. Was it going to be a slap? A scolding? Perhaps calling him pervert, a rumor that would quickly spread around the campus and force him to leave before being hauled into the office and questioned by the Dean herself.

Nova took a deep breath, closing her eyes while silently chanting to herself "I'm a Butterfly, I'm a Butterfly"

"Excuse, did you say a butterfly?"

Nova let out a shocked eep, jumping out of her skin when she heard the boy address her directly.

Connor leapt backwards, pinned between the wall and a cute girl, unsure how to handle this constantly spiraling out of control situation. Only he could escalate something this quickly to uncomfortable degrees.

Nova cleared her throat, giving all her undivided attention to the green eyed boy with the book she desperately wanted to read, his circular glasses giving Nova the feeling she was staring directly into his soul.

"I'm sorry" Nova apologized, trying to control her burning cheeks from blazing any further.

"You're sorry?" Connor couldn't keep the disbelief out of his voice but before the girl could voice her annoyance, Connor continued to shoot himself in the foot "Why are you sorry? I was the one staring at you."

"Because I was being a total creep and reading your book" Nova admitted "I'm sorry, it's just I am the biggest fan of that series and I totally didn't realize the newest book came out and between school and my art, I haven't really had a chance to get my own copy and I see you on the bus every day reading it and I figured hey, I'll just read it this way and now that I admit this outloud I realize that was a stupid idea so I'm sorry and I'll just go die in the back from embarrassment."

"Wait!"

Nova motioned to leave but Connor gripped her hand gently, pulling her back into the seat and her attention onto him.

Connor let go quickly, certain he had gone too far but devilhorns seemed more interested in what he had to say rather than punishing him for such a forward action.

"I love this series too" Connor told Nova with a wide smile "I mean it's not very well known but it is dedicated to a very supportive group of readers who the author thankful for and appreciates deeply. He does his hardest on the series for them after all...for us...I...I don't mind if you read it with me...until you get your own copy that is."

"R-really? That would be great!'

"O-kay, sure, I don't mind at all umm...miss?"

Nova gave Connor the most brain melting smile, something that sent a wave of chills and longing down his spine "Nova. Nova Butterfly."

Nova felt her cheeks switch to full flames of embarrassment when four eyes returned her smile with equal force, causing her to resist the urge to suddenly tackle him in her embrace "I'm Connor, Connor Sinclair."

The two shyly grinned at each other as Connor adjusted the book for the two of them to read comfortably.

"It's not a very big book Nova. C-could you scoot a little closer?"

"Not a problem at all Connor, not a problem at all."


	85. I won't say it (Nova vs noncanon)

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here with a small little update. Thank you for every single person that left me a review, follows me or Favorited me. it means so much to me and really makes my day!

a special thanks to anoymims- agreed. god bless one, everyone. and i just became tiny E. really that sounds awesome and I love both Percybeth and starco but i find it pretty ironic that i came up with something similar when you and your friend were discussing this. Nerds rule! Fandoms forever! Thank you for your review, thank you again and again :)

guest sorta: Connor has a weakness for a good story. romance tends to be icing on the cake especially since he would love to date someone but doesn't think anyone would have him.

finn; thanks! i hope you enjoy the next story.

jayanna; covy love! explosion woosh. I'm glad you liked it :) haha dean and sam? they ship covy too. haha i did so be your punstastic self :)

cartoonlover- yeah college will always be a mysterious event that no one truly understands but luckily Connor has Nova to help him with that.

Author smimph- thanks im glad you both liked it! I'm glad you liked the different angle i was trying to do with covy. yeah every au is just a different story of our favorite characters :) thank you and both you keep it up too!

thundermist: too cute maybe haha and yeah Nova would totally read over the shoulder of someone just to read a good book. I might do that but i think i'd look creepy if i did. aww such a pancake and im glad you liked it!

fereality: oooh awesome, i had lots of fun writing those stories. all these stories really. i hope you like the rest of my work!

princessxgilex- thank you for your review :)

guest: yes i totally have but i'm debating if i want to make Star deadpool or Marco because quite honestly they would two different types of deadpool but still be deadpool. it's hard to pick which one i want to give it to. but i am totally doing deadpool.

sir starcoshipper: don't worry, i suck at math too. oh no, not a real book. it's a little reference to me and you amazing readers. oh wow i didn't realize it, nearly at 100? looks like i get to post the special awesome chapter soon. good good.

thefandom-lover: that's new...umm i'm going to have update the starco and covy insurance.

Sonicelite booom! haha no worries anything nova related in this story is either going to be the futures au which is not canon, a little side story that isn't connected but might have some background canon information or just aus. no major spoilers at all so you never have to worry about that. aww thank you for your kind words and support and the pat on the back they mean a lot to me. well like my jazz teacher likes to say go big or go home. good luck good sir and have a great week!

grim: good good, star vs the fallout is coming out soon too.

guest:fluffy is my middle name Mr. Fluffy E. haha thank you i try my hardest though i still my share of grammar and typo mistakes! im glad you enjoy the stories though you dont have to admire me, im just a guy that likes to write. yes dear reader i will try to keep up my work *salutes* not yet but i got a couple of bittersweet or bitter ones. gotta be careful. been known to trigger depression on accident. sometimes.

minithia- s'up! (be my guest crash all you want!) no need to apologize. these stories are here for you to enjoy whenever you get a chance, review or not and there was a lot to catch up with *a month? wow i wrote a lot didnt i?* yay! covy and here's some more. bye for now!

askthedeadman- oh awesome, happy birthday to us! well in a few months.

thexpotxhead- chapter 1: tom skyped them all and it took him 2 hours. it was so much work. ugh. chapter 8; She might wake up soon. chapter 26: I know right? really helps us face the day. chapter 60: it's one of mine too. it was fun to write and I'm glad how it came out! british Marco for the win! chapter 41: actually I'll be doing another one or two stories in that universe in October chapter 46: it's the breakfast club of longing red hoodies. chapter 73: you know that answer. chapter 74: no i think so too, the next ladybug au story i do is going to have a joke how he just seems to wait in his room until someone has a really or slightly annoying bad day. chapter: 75 don't worry there is at least one more (2 if i decide to do mewberty) but bad boy marco will totally be used as a different version of Marco in the future. chapter 84: Thank you so much for your kind words. im really glad you enjoyed the stories. now here's to some more!

guest: Connor excels at accidental smoothness. yes its AUception. I'm not sure i just write things! i'm glad you enjoy it! Covy forever! yes i actually was referring to myself and you amazing readers as Connor and Nova's favorite book series. after all without all you, they would've never been a thing and i greatly appreciate you all so much *HUGS EVERYONE* ThhhAAAAnnnKKK YOOOouuUUUUU for the review. hmm you wouldn't happen to be an anonymous person who sends me messages on tumblr?

CLM88: haha yes it is nova and connor in college. though they don't remember each other...and they never met before and...haha jk jk the book series of Mr.E and the readers :)

so we have a lot of amazing art work. instagram has idrawcartoons1314 who has some super cute doodles up. on tumblr we have so many. sweatermermaid, marionette-j2x (who has some heavy nova stuff but warning, maybe kinda spoilers to future storylines) spatziline, atomicmangos, seriously just go online to seem them. i got a couple of stuff over at mrevaunit42 but seriously you cant go wrong on tumblr.

here on FF we have star vs the rebellion vs the foreign enemy by twilia star, my thoughts on marco by nr36, Entre dragonasm princesas y ciencia by princessxgilex (it's in spanish so you might need to use google translate but hey covy guest stars!) Star and Marco by kittkatluvs0412, daniel's starco one-shots ashraf daniel, stardust by ellefreak, what's best for him by korra-naga-mako lover 2112, the heir of the dead bluestarlord1519, the calm before the storm from .sandwich, wands and weirdos by sonicelite, the fall of the butterfly from the Canadian infernape, hands full elegenceinabox. oh and until you realize by fanfictionfordayz is getting a reboot kinda.

 **Story Prompt of the day:** Songfic. not even going to try to hide it. it's a song fic i wrote a while ago but never posted up because i thought it was silly but then i realized hey i am silly, screw that I might as well post it. So this is a nova vs side story but not canon *Except when Nova admits when she realized she liked connor, that moment is canon* so this takes place in the nova vs universe but is NOT canon. the song of choice is I won't say I'm in love from Hercules because it fits. So in case you don't read nova vs, here is some information you need to know

Connie- Nova's plush of Connor.

Jack- the son of Janna and *cough*, dresses in a vest, bowtie, slacks and collared shirts.

that's it _this is nova singing **this is jack and his backup singers**_ i also lightly altered the song to match better.

So that's it really, this random songfic as i finish up the works i have planned before the weekend (i won't be here) really quickly, for no particular reason, what do you readers think of a story that is actually going to focus on Janna and tom here. just wondering. well thank you for your time, your support and love of this story! have a great week, hopefully see you soon and enjoy!

* * *

Nova stared blankly at Connor's retreating figure, simultaneously blessing and cursing the phone call that tore him away from her just moments before they...they...

Nova's cheek burned warmly, her hearts faintly glowing pink in the darkness of the garden as she recalled how quickly she closed the distance between them once she saw him in such nice clothing that really drove home how handsome her best friend was becoming...was...is.

Nova shook her head wildly at the idea that she...and he...almost...

"No!" Nova told to herself, clutching her fist tightly "It was a trick of the light, we did _not_ almost...almost ki...ki..."

Nova's cheeks flared wildly at the mere idea, the image of Connor with his messy black hair, deep forest green eyes staring directly at her in his slick black jacket, unbutton white collared shirt scrambling her brain far too much for her liking while she stood there like a statue, feeling inadequate in her classic outfit even though there were just in at the mall to buy new dress clothes for Connor.

"It seems to me you two were totally about to kiss."

Nova yelped, drawing her wand and basking the quiet garden in a light blue illumination, her eyes searching for the voice hidden within the starry shade of night.

Nova growled angrily at the sight of Jack casually waving her defensive posture away.

"Jack! Don't sneak up on me." Nova sighed, putting her wand away and tossing him a dagger filled glare "Why are you even still here?"

Jack adjusted his bowtie calmly as he pulled something from behind his back "I think you want this back despite how eager you were to give it to me."

Jack threw something towards Nova, the shifting shadows of night preventing Nova from getting a good look at whatever Jack tossed until she caught it and held it in the safety of her palms.

Nova shifted uncomfortably at the sight of Connie the plush in her hands, still wondering how he managed to sneak into her school bag. She didn't remember hiding him away there but given that so much happened this week, it was entirely possible she had completely forgotten.

"Thanks Jack..." Nova muttered softly, nervously playing with little plush once the implications of how much she paid to ensure Connor never found out about Connie started to hit her.

Jack leaned cockily against a nearby wall, smirking smugly towards Nova with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"You know..."

"Shut it Jack" Nova spat out venomously

"That looks an awful like Connor. Does Novy have a little plush of her best friend?"

Nova pouted, frowning and turning away from the young teen, trying to hide how much her blush worsen. At the time, when she accidentally pulled out Connie instead of her notebook, the only thought that occurred to her was how quickly she could hide it from her best friend and though she was certain she had tossed him back into her bag, evidently it was Jack's that ended up being Connie's hiding place.

There was a thick silence that filled the air. Expectation and denial emitting from the two teens as they thought of how to best approach this situation.

"You should tell him" Jack told the magical princess simply.

"No." Nova shot back quickly, still refusing to face Jack.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Everything..." Nova whispered.

Jack shook his head in disbelief, pushing off the wall, his stance serious and determined.

"Nova, you can't keep pretending your feelings for him don't exist."

"They don't. There's nothing there."

"Either you're the worst liar or you're really trying buy the crap you're trying to sell to everyone else."

Nova whirled around furiously, gently placing Connie down on a nearby bench before Nova accidentally crushed him in her grip.

"You don't understand Jackie." Nova felt a tinge of guilt at the sight of Jack's tightened face "Jack, everyone just expects us to be together because we're best friends, they don't see us! They just see two kids they pair together because they can." Nova glanced downwards, murmuring bitterly "Another in a long line of cliches. A relationship devolved into a statistic. Besides he likes Missy. I...I don't want to ruin that for him."

Jack scoffed "You're in much too deep for that Novy."

Nova said nothing as she let out a deep sigh, approaching the massive pond that littered the middle of the garden, a lost, confused magical princess staring back at her from the water's clear reflection when she hovered over its edge.

" _If there's a prize for rotten judgment"_ Nova sang softly, staring disappointingly at herself for falling for her best friend despite her best efforts and promise to never do so. _"I guess I've already won that"_

Nova glanced upwards to Jack, throwing him a stubborn expression of pure denial " _No man is worth the aggravation, that's ancient history been there, seen that"_

Jack whistled softly, uncrossing his arms as a chorus of female voices hummed quietly, their gentle, soothing vocals surrounding the garden in perfect music bliss

Nova raised an eyebrow at Jack who responded with "I'm friends with the muses and girls, what do we say?"

Jack cleared his throat with the unseen ladies took in deep breaths, an invisible orchestra setting the mood of the impromptu musical number

" _ **Who'd ya think you're kidding? He's the earth and heaven to you"**_

Jack and the muses sang, their accusation clear in their lyrics.

" _ **try to keep it hidden, honey we can see right through you"**_

Nova shot a look towards Connie, Connor's perfect, brain numbing smile frozen upon the plush's lips.

" _oh nooooo"_

" _ **Girl, you can't conceal it."**_ Jack shook his finger firmly as he approached Nova slowly ** _"We know how ya feel and who you're thinking of."_**

" _No chance, no way! I won't say it no no"_ Nova swung around, poking Jack's chest as she forced the commenter backwards

" _ **You swoon, you sigh"**_ Jack mocked, raising one hand to his forehead as if he was about faint while the other fanned his face quickly before shooting Nova a questioning stare ** _"why deny it uh oh"_**

" _It's too cliché, I won't say I'm in love."_

Nova crossed her arms, turning away from the noisy magician, trying to dissuade him from pushing the subject further.

"Wow that's a pretty strong word Nova, I didn't say love" Jack teased with a wink.

Nova's cheeks resumed their fierce blush, her face flushing far faster than she expected.

" _ **Shoo doo, shoo doo oooooo"**_ Jack and the muses sung quietly, allowing Nova to come to terms with her interesting choice of words.

" _I thought my heart had learned its lesson"_ Nova muttered softly, the truth slipping out of her lips despite her best attempts to prevent it _"it feels so good when you start out"_

Nova remembered when she first realized she had developed feelings for Connor. They were 12 and they were simply laying on the grass in her backyard, two kids with two wild dreams of being the best queen of Mewni and a world famous inventor. Tall goals but their absolute faith in one another made such ideas possible. It was when she turned to thank him for a comment he must've said a million times but this time something was different. Her tiny heart beat quickly at the sight of his smile, his green eyes that twinkled with happiness and the fact he seemed perfectly content doing nothing as long as they were together.

" _My head is screaming get a grip girl"_ Nova shoved the memory away, trying to bottle up the torrent of loose emotions she hadn't meant to let out _"unless you're dying to cry your heart out"_

He wants Missy, Nova thought glumly, he doesn't want you. He doesn't like you like that. He doesn't look at you the same way he looks at her. Like you're the most important person in the world...the universe...all the dimensions even and you keep pretending like you don't have feelings for him. How is this supposed to have a happy ending?

Jack rolled his eyes as the muses let out an annoyed cry of frustration "I know ladies, she really is that dense"

" _ **You keep denying"**_ Jack closed the gap between him and the princess again, reaching for his phone to pull out his proof ** _"who you are and how you're feeling"_**

" _ **baby we're not buying, hon we saw ya hit the ceiling"**_

Nova found a photo of her and Connor shoved in her face, the pair all smiles as they waited in line for a roller coaster, one arm snaked around Connor's neck and pulling him closer as the two besties posed for the camera, cheek to cheek and peace signs proudly on display.

" _ **Face it like a grown-up, when ya gonna own up"**_ Jack changed pictures to further his point. Nova stared at herself giving the widest smile she's ever seen as she pointed forward, Connor giving the young princess a piggyback ride as the two streaked across the frame, Moon close behind with a queenly scowl set on her face.

" _ **that ya got, got, got it bad"**_

" _wooooohhhh"_ Nova pulled back quickly, putting a lid on her newly freed emotions, her eyes fixed in defiance _"no chance, no way I won't say it no, no!"_

Jack and the muses sighed _**"Give up, give in, check the grin you're in love."**_

Nova touched her cheeks, surprised upon feeling them bent upwards in an instinctive smile. Nova thought back to a few minutes ago, Connor and the vanishing distance between one another, staring into each others eyes as she inched closer and closer, the thunderously beating of her heart muted as she focused on his lips, the lure of the idea alone too much for her to resist

" _This scene won't play"_ Nova snapped out of her daze, shoving Jack away " _I won't say I'm in love!_

" _ **You're doing flips"**_ Jack crossed his arms patiently, pointing to his face to emphasis his view ** _"read our lips you're in love"_**

" _You're way off base, I won't say it"_ Nova stamped her foot, waving her arms to stop Jack from trying any further " _Get off my case, I won't say it."_

" _ **Girl don't be proud, it's ok you're in love"**_

Nova frowned as Jack pointed past her, motioning of her to look before arguing some more.

Nova did as he asked, slowly turning around only to find herself staring Connie, the little plush exactly where she left it, arms opened, smile wide as if it was waiting for her to pick it up.

" _oooooooh...at least...out loud."_ Nova muttered softly, holding Connie in her hands tightly, cuddling the soft plush against her cheek " _I won't say...I'm in love."_

Jack let out a defeated sigh "I guess that's good enough for now."

Nova nuzzled Connie lovingly, basking in the affection that coursed through her veins.

Carefully, Nova opened her bag, sliding Connie gently inside and closing it without a second thought.

"Nova, oh hey Jack."

Nova whirled around to find Connor approaching the two, suit tucked away in a bag and hanger with his regular choice of attire back on his person.

"Oh hey Connie.." Nova flinched at the words that escaped "All ready to go?"

"Almost" Connor replied with a small grin "I got you something. As a little thank you for coming clothes shopping with me."

Nova lightly flushed "Psst, please four eyes. You may need my fashion advice but it's not a chore hanging out with my best friend."

"I know but still I appreciate it. Here."

Nova stared blankly, unsure how to respond to the beautiful single blue rose Connor slipped into her waiting hand.

"Blue is your favorite after all" Connor answered Nova's unasked question "and I figured hey this flower looks nice."

"You sure blue is my favorite color four eyes?" Nova shot him a suspicious glance, unsure why she was deciding to test him about something so simple.

"Without a doubt Novy" Connor replied, his smile etched with a confidence rarely seen and greatly intoxicating.

Nova blushed, nodding with satisfaction at his answer "Here, help me with this."

"Nova?"

"What?" She said with a calm, crisp tone that did not match her warring emotion "I need help putting this flower in my hair."

"Oh..."

"Is it a problem?"

"N-no" Connor muttered, taking the rose from the princess, his hands shaking anxiously as Nova presented herself to Connor.

There was a charged silence in the air and the smirking, knowing gaze of Jack did not help any.

Nova and Connor pulled away from each other but not too far as Nova posed jokingly.

"So, what do you think four eyes?"

Connor was in a stunned state: Nova's grin was equal parts scared and assured, her electric blue eyes twinkling with expectation and hope as her hands gestured to the blue rose that comfortably rested in her hair, next to her devil headband so perfect and natural.

"Beautiful..."


	86. Yo ho, yo ho starco life for me (pirate)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, hoping everyone is doing great. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and really make it a pleasure to write for you all

a special thanks to finn- I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Naisuaisu- sure it is your right to blame me. i mean i work for starco and covy insurance so if you die, i'll have your new body ready for you! fluffy everything! been a while since i heard that haha. yeha i heard the song when i watched the movie a few weeks ago and i was like hey that sounds like covy! well you never know! :) good luck.

author smimph- haha i was going to do that joke but i figured maybe just pure covy would work best in this situation. but i am saving the random background character walking in then leaving once realizing its a private song for the future. i think everyone is frustrated about covy not just jack and the muses. haha reminds me of that meme "now kiss." waiting for someone to make covy with that meme haha. well i try to capture the feeling of the show and the show is silly! I shall try

Jaynna: aww thanks im glad you do. :) yep, they met covy at a young age and was dude we ship this, then help Star beat the devil. you want more? MORE? okay. :) hmm sure yeah that be fun side story to do in the nova lore.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review! i'll answer them soon! promise

fereality- hmm it is possible i just missed them. I can double check if you want. thank you. covy was a surprise hit but hey you readers want them so covy you shall have : and thank you im really glad you enjoy the stories. here's to some more huh? i always have fun writing! WOO

cartoonlover- oh hi lucy. make sure she's okay and i would love to see the jack plush when it is done have a great day you two and please let me know if AJ needs anything

Minthia- more covy? MORE? okay noted but it might be a while for more covy love in this series. dont wanna over fill a star story with covy. seems unfair you know? ill update that soon and yeah she's kinda gone made with power. she's really excited im writing the arc she came up with. its a really good arc. haha sorry. these reviews are the last thing i write so at this point ive been writing a while and usually tired so there's a lot of mistakes. i am totally doing a janna tom story here. still deciding how i want to write it.

anoymims- think a lot of us are disnerds and hopeless romantic saps. i am. that's why i write these stories haha. aww thank you for your high praise. In order yes phinerb lives here and phineas is next door to the Diaz's. Jack is totally his grandson, i said so. haha covy with connie the plush aww thank you I'm just glad you enjoyed it :) haha of course starco would be in the background of Jantom. always starco! even light amounts. I have a couple ideas right now but nothing solid yet. but soon. if you have anyideas i'd love to hear them. have a great week too! well hopefully i can help distract us from lack of star for several weeks. yes i saw and its great! I'm following you too! HI! feel free to message me anytime you wish or need help, i don't mind. :)

sir starcoshipper- you're welcome and yay! getting better at *shudders* math. Honestly i might die of sheer joy if Nova becomes canon in some small way. oh yeah ill do a jantom story here with starco in the back of course. bye for now!

thefandomlover- hmm maaaaaybe? i dunno i heard the song somewhere and felt it was pure covy XD

camilapia- thank you and thank you for your review. i love that song too! and thanks!

Sparklesona- i love that show. such powerful lungs, and covy! i hope to see it again soon!

shadowgem- aww thanks. i love Hercules the movie and when i heard the song i was like my god that's covy! and of course Jack knows the muses, they owe him a favor. yeah i couldn't resist parodying this scene. thanks im glad you liked it!

thundermist- well there still is a talent show in the vs story. hmm just saying :) and thank you for a review that makes my day :)

Marionettej2x- umm deth, please don't die. i think people would kill me for killing you. Deth? DETH! oh haha you actually sang it? awesome!

unicornNaLu- aww thank you im glad you like it despite all the mistakes. it means al ot to me! i hope you enjoy the other stories!

grim- even in the background, Jack has to be a part of the show haha

sonicElite- yeah it's been a while for a songfic and i couldn't resist once i heard the song again. i think some people are powered by pure covy teasing by now. Yes your son jack had to be involved. thanks have a great day and see you next chapter!

guest sorta- aww thank you. *HUGS*

DonDonatek- yeah its weird but i do own Nova. weird to say every time. i...i don't know still waiting for disney to come and kidnap me, making the work for them. which be sweet. thank you so much im happy you enjoyed it and i too never hope to get writing blocked.

seriously starco is like everywhere atomicmangoes, spatziline (detective star is too cute) anomalyah comics, findoworld all on tumblr. check them out or my tumblr mrevaunit42 for a kinda collection of them because its great. sara over on Idrawcartoons1314 on instgram also has cute doodles. Hains-mae on tumblr also did a cute star outfit and even a small nova comic that i love so much and Bernadette on marionette-j2x has officially released the Mr.E approved Nova vs wallpaper that made me cry tears of joy. so many tears of joy. go on and check them out.

here on FFs we have great stories star vs the forces of evil: my star by jolleIQ, a really cute short on the princess and the safe kid by PFTones3482 that i highly recommend, a really cool royal guard AU from SonicElite's wands and weirdos, between dragons, princesses and science from Princessxgilex (With guest star covy, it's also in spanish but google has translation available in case you cant read it. its good.) comet vs the forces of evil by Isavieve which is off to a solid though familiar start. smooch buddies by cutepichu64, who cares about dancing by banagicowl, Skleero's starshots was very cute. several a lot of awesome stories and the fandom's getting bigger each day.

 **Story prompt of the day:** here we go it took much longer than i'd thought i would to get to it but it's time for a pirate AU. In this world Star Butterfly is an infamous pirate captain with Janna being her first mate. Marco is a marine naval officer who has been chasing Star for a while now. Honestly a lot of this was inspired by spatziline on tumblr's pirate AU she drew. I love the art style, i love the behavior of the characters and its very cute and pretty awesome so i couldn't resist. The clothing details are little off because i am not well versed in pirate clothing but check her work for a better idea on the outfits. it is great and on the off chance she ever reads this, i hope you enjoy it spatziline!

thank you so much. the next few stories on here will be requests i owe because i am so falling behind. sorry. have an amazing week, thank you all for all the support and love you give. you make writing so much fun and being a writer is a great pleasure thanks to all of you. I own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

There was a serene calm amongst the sounds of the oceanic waves crashing against the sandy shore of the beach and the aging, rotting wood of the pier. The salty air and the fresh sea breeze that blew into town brought a chill throughout the night, freezing all but the sturdiest drunks to their bone.

The streets were empty though lively cheers of joy and angry wails of loss could be hear echoing through the Spanish inspired buildings and architecture of Port Eco de Arroyo, a small trading colony in a land far away from Spain. Completely unassuming and unremarkable save for one infamous person who currently wandered its streets.

The tranquil atmosphere was broken at once by the furious shouts of the marines, screaming into the night and rousing the rest garrison from their lazy slumber.

"GET UP YOU LOT! GET UP! STAR BUTTERFLY IS IN TOWN! GET UP, GET UP, GET UP!"

"Well, so much for making a quiet escape" First mate Janna muttered quietly, rolling her eyes in disbelief. She fixed her olive green bandana wrapped tightly over her mid length dark blue hair as her light brown eyes searched the darkened alleyways for any sign of trouble. She wore a long white sleeved blue blouse, a large yet modest skirt covering her bare legs which were tucked into thick boots perfect for navigating the riggings of a ship or the cobbled streets of a town.

"Psst" Her captain scoffed at Janna, throwing her a playful wink as they hugged the cold, stone wall of a building tightly, blending into the shifting glow of the torches and the thick, covering shades of the shadows. the sounds of thunderous footsteps running past filled their ears and prevented any further conversation for the moment.

Captain Star De la Posa Butterfly was one of the most well known pirates in this corner of the world and everyone was well aware who she was either due to reputation or her beauty. It was hard to mistake those crystal, sky blue eyes filled with rascally, mischievous intent or her long, sunshine yellow hair elegant tied into a braid that must be held by two, maybe three hairbands at least.

Not that she tried to hide who she was. If her nature and mannerisms did not clue you in, her extravagant outfit would give her away each time. She never changed nor did she wear anything else: A black, large captain's hat with a red ribbon tied around it's brim, her shoulders were nearly bare except for the two straps that held up her entire outfit, her long arm length sleeves and upper blouse white while the skirt was simple brown and reached for her ankles with a dull, faded red bow hanging off her midsection, boots the usual footwear for those with less than savoy business practices.

Captain Butterfly aimed to stand out and refused to have it any other way.

Janna's serious face broke into a grin as the two female pirates tried to stifle their laughter while the Queen's finest howled blindly into the night, shrieking and hollering like children who lost their toys in a vain attempt to find them all the while unaware that their prey were only hidden a few feet from where they marched.

"Seriously?" Janna whispered mockingly "These are supposed to be the best sailors and soldiers the queen has in her empire? They couldn't find water if they were trapped on an island."

"No wonder the queen loses her pocket change so easily" Star piped in "Her navy controls an entire city and they can't stop two pirates from running loose on its streets. Seems like another win for us, eh Janna?"

"Aye cap!"

The thundering of boots slamming against the ground slowly faded into the inky darkness of the night and the drunken ramblings of a nearby bar filled the void of silence once more.

Star bowed to her first mate even remembering to take off her hat and flourish with it as she offered her arm for Janna to take hold of. Janna teasingly expressed surprise at the gesture and curtsied in response before linking arm with her captain's, the two marching in an exaggerated fashion, their giggling blending perfectly with the ambient noise of the town.

"So my captain" Janna asked curiously, the pair ducking behind some nearby barrels as the shadowy figures of military soldiers superimposed themselves upon a nearby wall "Where are we going next?"

Star leaned against a barrel, relaxed and calm despite the proximity of the marines "I was thinking a nice vacation. Maybe head back across the pond for some french treasures. They always have the nicest things."

"Aye Cap, sounds like a plan." Janna replied earnestly "Maybe we might actually face a challenge while we're over there. I don't know about you but this girl is looking for some trouble that actually bites back."

Star shot a cocky grin towards her first mate "You're always looking for trouble Janna.

Janna shrugged casually "Guilty as charge. Along with a dozen other crimes."

Star covered her mouth and clutched her stomach, the giggling that escaped from her lips barely heard over the crunch, crunch, crunch of boots.

"If you're guilty of a dozen crimes, I might have triple that on my sheet."

"Well you are the captain. If my rap sheet is longer than yours, then I should be in charge."

Star shoved Janna jokingly "Keep up that talk and I'll make you walk the plank for insurrection."

Janna stuck her tongue out in response "Prove it captain. Besides what would you do without me?"

Star and Janna crept low and carefully between the buildings, stuffing themselves into any shape they possibly could among the crates, walls and décor they found on their slow approach towards the outskirts of town.

"Well I have a whole crew to obey me" Star stated matter of fact as the girls dropped into some thick bushes growing against a cracked, decaying building in time to avoid the illumination of a torch basking the nearby darkness with its glow, the light stopped for a moment before the guard resumed his search for the infamous pirate captain.

Star and Janna crawled out of the bushes, tucking into a roll before rising to their feet and cramping themselves flat against a stack of crates.

There was a near mute chattering of marines from the nearby well lit building, a hoarse voiced man shouting orders and insults to his men for failing to locate Star despite their iron grip on the colony.

"You might have a whole crew but you only have one Janna." Janna smiled towards Star.

Star thought about this for a moment, stroking her chin thoughtfully before nodding in agreement "True and I shall miss my Janna. Alright, I won't make you walk the plank for mutiny but you will be on kitchen duty for the week."

"Ugh, really? It was attempted mutiny!" Janna whined with a childish edge.

"Don't care" Star waved off "My ship, my rules. Ugh, they're taking forever! Does it really take so long to scold someone?"

"I know right?" Janna peered around the corner only to find a rather unassuming man screaming at a line of well dressed marines whose glance fell anywhere that was not their commanding officer.

Janna pursed her lips, her short attention span already causing her to tap her foot impatiently against the cobbled floor which was not the smartest idea when a group of pirate hunters was literally several feet away from them.

Janna scanned her surroundings once again, the tall, looming buildings of solid stone alternated between menacing and poorly maintained as each new wave of light splashed over the area and faded as more and more guards poured into the heart of the city.

Janna stared into a silhouetted tunnel that formed between two large houses, the flashes of orange reddish fire stopping just before and just after the entrance to the pitch darkness, the annoying glow failing to even reach the shadows within.

"There" Janna nudge Star, pointing to the path just across from them "It's the best way or else we'll be waiting for these clowns all night."

"Agreed" Star nodded "It's risky but hey it's an occupational hazard, right?"

The two shared cheeky grin before crouching as low as they could without losing their balance.

"And another thing! How incompetent do you have to be not to find one bloody pirate in a CITY PROTECTED BY THE MARINES?! SHE'S GOT BLUE EYES AND BRIGHT AS HELL BLONDE HAIR! DO YOU KNOW HOW EASY SHE SHOULD BE TO FIND?!"

"Whose fault is it cap?" Janna asked "The losers who can't find two well known pirates or the bigger the loser who trained them?"

Star snickered "The queen who thinks she can impose her rule on others of course."

The two burst into laughter, diving deeper into the darkness though true to form, the queen's finest marines failed to take heed of anything other than the insults being screamed into their faces.

The moon hung overhead, full and beautiful, its soft, pale light covered the city square ahead, the shifting night untouched by any man made flames.

"If we cut across the square, we should be at the beach where we stashed out row boat. We could be out of here before anyone's the wiser."

"These guys wise?" Star rolled her eyes "Let's not give them too much credit."

Janna snorted as captain and first mate entered the square "makes me wish that dork was here. The one who has a thing for you. What's his name? Sailor Safe kid? No, Commander bore? Oh! I remember, it's..."

"Captain Diaz and be careful what you wish for" A smooth voice cut through the salty air, the crashing of waves against the beach just beyond the edge seemed to quiet themselves upon hearing his words.

Star stood in front Janna, arm raised in a protective stance as the pair stared towards the wooden pier that extended over the edge of the cobbled floor and notice the man that stood there stoically, his back turned to them as he faced out to sea, his hand gripped tightly around the hilt of his blade.

Captain Marco Ubaldo Diaz was as Star remembered him: Tall with elegant clothing worthy of his rank. A high collared blue military coat with gold shoulders, trimmings and trappings, a beautiful sapphire jewel attached with a crisp, perfect white cloth hung around his neck. His light brown hair was combed in his preferred style of spikes with a small bit of it tied in a small ponytail at the base of his skull and while his gaze wasn't focused on her (Which irritated Star for some reason), she knew his eyes were a lovely even peaceful shade of brown. A stark contrast to his cold, distance behavior.

"Great, Captain Buzzkill" Janna complained, crossing her arms in annoyance "you just had to ruin our fun, didn't you?"

"You wish for my presence" Marco murmured softly, his stare never leaving the ocean that glimmered brightly with the reflection of the moon trapped in its surface, the waves disturbing the picturesque image like countless glittering diamonds sailing across the stillness "yet curse it when it is given. Pirates are as foolish as they are dishonorable."

Janna let a low growl out but before Star could stop her, Janna had already struck: She slid a knife hidden in her sleeve into her waiting palm and flicked it as hard as she could towards the unsuspecting captain.

There was an unsettling clang that came far too quickly, the screech of metal against metal followed a deep thud of something impaled deeply into a surface.

Marco glanced backwards out of the corner of his eye, his lips set in a frown while his hand steadily held his now drawn blade at his side, a thin scar of white where Janna's knife struck the sword gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

Marco turned fully to the two pirates, Janna's knife inches away and trapped deeply into one of the wooden planks of the pier.

Marco's eyes flickered between Janna's still outstretched arm and her now discarded weapon, unamused yet filled with expectation.

"Attacking an unknowing foe?" Marco clicked his tongue in disappointment "Dishonorable indeed."

"Give me back my knife and I'll show you just how dishonorable I can be!" Janna snarled, trying to push Star out of the way to give that cocky marine a piece of her mind.

"Janna, stop! He'll skewer you through."

"Psst, I'll beat him to a bloody pulp and he'll have to live with the knowledge he got his behind whooped by a girl."

Marco shrugged passively "Man, woman... _.child_." Marco smirked happily at Janna's scoff of anger "It matters not. I will bring you to justice, skilled fighter or not."

Janna made way to push pass Star again but this time Star had drawn her own rapier, holding it close while stopping Janna in her tracks.

"Janna, be a dear and get the boat ready." Star asked sweetly, shooting her first mate an encouraging smile "I'll be right with you"

Janna wanted to argue but there was a dangerous edge to Star's gaze. This was an order that could not be denied less Janna wanted some serious consequences when they returned to the ship.

Janna chewed her cheek anxiously: While she had the utmost faith in her captain, this was Captain Buzzkill. as much as she prodded and poked fun at the uptight safe kid, he could easily be considered the greatest threat in the imperial navy and not one to be taken lightly. It was her duty as first mate to protect her captain at any cost.

Yet her captain was sending her away, Star's order overruling any decision Janna could've made though not her desire to keep her best friend safe.

"Go on Janna, we best be on our way soon." Star told her happily as she closed the distance between herself and Captain Diaz.

Janna frown but gave the barest amount of a nod, acknowledging though not agreeing with Star's command.

"As you wish my captain" Janna bowed unhappily, even grabbing the edges of her skirt as she did so, purposely mocking the ladies of the court often found in the Queen's presence.

"You are bold Butterfly" Marco muttered softly as Janna hugged the furthest building from Marco, giving him deathly serious glares and slicing her throat with her finger.

The thud, thud, thud of Janna's footsteps echoed into the night and for a brief moment there was a quiet that hung over the two captains: Marco looking down at Star from the pier and Star staring upwards at Marco from the street.

"What's wrong love, fraid to get close?" Star teased, pursing her lips and blowing Marco a kiss "I promise I don't bite...hard."

Marco's face remained stony and cold "Is everything a joke to you Butterfly?"

Star tapped her finger against her rosy pink lips, the two heart birthmarks on her cheeks crinkling as she broke out with a grin "Yeah. Pretty much especially you marines. Biggest joke around here."

A light breeze blew through the town square and chilled both Star and Marco but while Star was more than happy to rub her exposed shoulders in an attempt to warm herself, Marco remained still, unmoving.

"Do you feel anything?" Star asked, one hand on her hip with an eyebrow raised.

"Of course, I am human." Marco replied simply.

"You sure? Because the only thing you seemed to be is indifferent. Life is meant to be enjoyed, lived and here you are blabbering on about broken rules and soon stolen gold. So I took so money from the big, bad rich queen. Does that really justify you chasing me down?"

"Rules are meant to be followed" Marco answered "They prevent the world from falling into chaos and they must be upheld at all times. No one is above the law."

"But everyone is beneath it" Star shot back, nearly losing her cool at the sight of the emotionless captain "Your queen is not mine! I didn't ask for her and I sure as hell don't want her! Freedom and fun are more important than stuffy rules! You think you can come here and impose her rule on people who don't even know who she is? You call me the pirate but you're the one stealing our freedom."

"Stop stalling. I doubt we would change each others ideologies. Surrender peacefully and I'll ensure you get a fair trail."

Star scoffed, rolling her eyes as she pointed her blade towards Marco's throat.

"Well then Butterfly, let's dance"

Star climbed the steps onto the pier as quickly as she could though she was surprised Marco hadn't decided to run her through while she closed the distance. Instead he faced her, sword at his side and patiently waiting.

"What? No stabby stabby?" Star mocked

"I do not want to kill you Butterfly and I'm not dishonorable like your first mate."

"Aww what a perfect gentleman!" Star shouted, lunging forward with her blade.

Marco battled away the thrust, pivoting on his feet as Star stumbled pass him.

Star whirled around, swinging her blade wildly at Marco's side but he was already prepared, catching her strike while barely moving an inch.

Marco pushed Star's blade away before trying to slap Star's wrist with the flat of his sword but Star pulled back, swinging wide strikes to prevent Marco from gaining any ground as she retreated

Marco took a cautious step forward, narrowly avoiding Star's poking jab before countering with his own lazy swing.

The ancient pier groaned unhappily under their feet as the two danced with their blades, the clanging of metal on metal barely heard over the roaring of the mighty ocean, the creaking of their boots on the moist wooden planks lost to the winds as each tried to outmaneuver their opponent.

Star slashed at Marco's feet forcing the marine to hop over the attack and leaving himself vulnerable. Star pushed forward, ducking under Marco's mid-air swipe and driving her shoulder into his chest causing him to stumble backwards to the edge of the pier.

Star pursued the unsteady Marco but Marco allowed himself to fall backwards onto the floor, tucking into a roll and rising onto his feet faster than Star could react.

Marco's and Star's blades caught each other as Star pressed her advantage. The two weapons were crossed in an X formation as the two combatants tried to overpower their foe, the pair sea sawing close to the edge while the jet black, sliver tinted waves calmly waited below.

"You're pretty cute up close." Star said with a flirtatious grin, her voice straining with exertion

Marco remained silent, trying to ignore how beautiful Star looked basked in moonlight and effort.

"What? Never seen such a rare beauty as myself?" Star teased, hoping she could distract Marco enough to force him to let up.

Marco glared and while Star thought she saw the hint of red on his cheeks, the pale moonlight was too poor to properly tell.

"Give it up Butterfly, you can't hold out forever." Marco murmured quietly, silently wishing Star would just stop and surrender already. His arms were getting sore and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold her off.

A crazy idea struck Star which wasn't that unheard of but even she was questioning if she could pull off this particular stunt.

Star leaned closer to Marco, eyes soft and face nervous as she closed the distance between the two, even bypassing through the crossed weapons to achieve her goal.

Marco's blush worsened as Star inched closer, her lips distracting him as he figured out what she intended to do.

Before Star could complete her plan, however, there was a mighty crack, the aged wood giving way and the duo found themselves freefalling through the air, the ocean rapidly coming into view while the wind howled around them.

There was a loud crash, the sound of the surface of the water being broken as the two sunk into the depths of the inky black liquid.

Star popped back up at once, having learned a long time ago to always go feet first. She let out a surprised gasp that doubled for the shock of suddenly finding herself wet and how frigid the water was.

With chattering teeth, Star glanced around for Marco only to spot his hand sink under the waves of the ocean and failing to reappear moments later though a thick looking wooden plank bobbed out of the darkness instead.

Star let out a silent moan upon realizing what must've happened: Marco struck the back of his head on a falling plank, knocking himself out as he sunk into sea and while she wasn't fond of any naval officer, she couldn't simply let him drown. Aside from being on the wrong side and chasing her down (Who could blame him really?), he wasn't actually a bad guy.

Star took a deep breath, filling her lungs with as much air as they could hold before tossing herself beneath the icy waves, diving deeper through the increasingly darkening environment.

* * *

Marco could feel the chilling wind freeze his wet clothing, his lips salty as he coughed out water from his lungs, the air frosty yet refreshing as his blurry vision slowly began to focused.

There was a silhouette hovering over him, their hands felt warm as they pressed against his chest and forehead, checking for any sign of life.

"Come on marine boy, don't die on me" a familiar voice pleaded "I might not like you but that doesn't mean I want you to die."

The silhouette slowly came into focus. Enchanting sky blue eyes laced with worry, long sunshine blonde yellow hair hanging freely over her shoulder as she leaned in, giving him a shaky smile upon realizing he was indeed alright.

"S-Star?" Marco coughed, unsure why the pirate captain decided to save his life.

"Oh god, thought you were going to Davy Jones's locker sailor." Star let out a sigh of relief, the tranquility that washed over her also brought a sense of confusion with it.

"Why did you save me?" Marco asked weakly, propping his hand against the chilled, soft sand as he sat up on the beach.

"Look Diaz" Star explained, rubbing her arm timidly "I might be a pirate but I'm not a bad person. I just do illegal things."

Marco stared up at Star who licked her lips shyly, her cheeks pink though Marco suspected it wasn't due to the cold. It was almost as if she remembered something embarrassing, something...

Marco could feel his ears burning upon realizing that Star had made good on the threat she presented just before their spill.

Before either could die from the amount of blood pooling in their face, there was a loud shout and the booming of boots rapidly approaching.

Star's face broke into a panic as she stumbled into a nearby opening in the stone walls that held the city up, ducking within just as the scraping of dirt echoed above her, trails of sand and earth floating down gently just in front of her.

"Captain Diaz!" a solider called to the now standing Marco "Are you alright? Was it a pirate that tried to drown you? Where is she?!"

Marco stayed silent, peering into Star's hiding place. She was trapped with no way to escape. Justice would be his with a single word.

But Marco couldn't help but take in Star's features. Her playful, sky blue eyes now held a real sense of fear he had never seen before, she shivered from the cold, resisting the urge to embrace herself to keep warm in hopes of escaping notice. She stared at him, silently pleading with him to let her go, to return the favor but there was also a hint of defeat, that she fully expected him to out her hiding place.

Marco could hear his heart hammering in his ears, his tiredness ebbing away his stone cold demeanor.

"sir? Is there someone there? We're coming down."

Star nearly let out a gasp of fright as the steps above her began moving away, slowly closing in on her. It was just a matter of time before they came down, found her and take her freedom away.

"DID I SAY MOVE?"

Star and the soldiers jumped at Marco's harsh yell, his light brown eyes narrowed in barely kept in check anger.

"I DID NOT SAY MOVE" Marco snarled, glaring intensely at the marines "Does it look there is a pirate here? Do I look like a pirate?"

"Well...no..." The solider replied lamely "I just thought..."

"Did you find the pirates yet? No?" Marco did not wait for an answer "Then what are you doing here? They clearly aren't here, so go find them. NOW"

There was a panicked shuffling of feet, low murmurings of frenzied orders being passed around and feet rushing away from this location.

Star let out a sigh of relief and leaned out of her cover, not enough to reveal herself but just perfect to catch Marco's retreating figure.

"Thank you...Marco..." Star whispered gently.

Marco didn't turn to face Star, opting to keep his back towards the pirate captain "You saved my life. It seemed unfair I did not return the favor. Do not think this changes anything Star. I will hunt you down. I will catch you."

Star's giggle warmed Marco's face some more "I look forward to it."

Marco strolled away quickly, looking for the nearest steps to return to the town. He should lead the patrols away from this area so Star could leave without hassle. He was just fulfilling his duty, his honor. Returning a favor. Nothing more, nothing less. Certainly it had nothing to do with the pirate beauty who was oddly enchanting. Nope, not at all.

Star grinned to herself, her hand over her beating heart, her cheeks pinked with a strange sense of affection towards the stoic marine captain.

"It was the kiss" Star whispered to herself "He totally knew we kissed. And even knocked out and dying, I'd say he wasn't half bad."

Star walked out of her hiding spot, catching the fleeting silhouette of Marco above her as the two shared one last look before he disappeared into the town.

Star smugly smirked to herself "I can't wait to see how he kisses when he's awake."


	87. Here comes a thought (Nova vs Prequel)

hello everyone! Mr.E here wishing you a very happy awesome day! Thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean a lot to me and I really appreciate every single one.

a special thanks to weather-art- thank you so much! i'm glad you liked it! Yes there will be a part 2 because spatziline herself asked me...and part 3.

finn- I am glad you liked it and believe it or not Pirate talk to the degree you're talking about didn't exist. there were pirate sayings *shiver me timbers literally means the ship is under attack because cannon fire would shake the ship and the ship is made out of wood so the timber (wood) is shivering *being rocked back and forth* dont worry though i will add more terminology to another pirates of the Caribbean Au i have *not the same as this pirate au*

Naisuaisu- haha can you imagine? Marco singing do you hear the people sing with Star? *i know javert doesn't sing that but still i want that.*

cartoonlover- that's good! sorry i couldn't help but make sure. yay! returned hey from lucy woo! oooh take your time but i can't wait to see it! seriously though take your time. haha that's what i was going for. Sleeping marco. well sleeping from nearly drowning. yep! pirates aren't bad people they just do illegal things. hahah go for it. jake needs to toughen up as a pirate.

guest sorta- thug life is only life star's willing to work with.

Camilpa- haha don't worry there's more. and thank you for reviewing!

thundermist- starco woo! aww dont worry, we'll have your new body primed and ready. thank you for using starco insurance.

romantic sloth- thank you! im glad it came out so well. hmm yeah could see it except captain Marco isn't heartless.

author smimph- really? now that i think of it yeah there hasn't really been a pirate Star au. not that i could remember anyway. actually the devil asked her the dance, the great blonde thief said take a hike. haha thank you and yeah these marines were so caught off guard with the idea that one of the most wanted pirates was in their hood, they kinda freaked out. for the next overwatch parts there's 2 planned with a kinda side 3rd part but i wanted to get some other stories and requests out first before i went back there but it''ll be back soon. talk your time no rush you two! have a great week my fellow authors.

fereality- ooooh okay. my bad. awesome! i'm happy to hear that and you know I never said she wasn't and you know me, i try to keep canon inside the story as much as possible. Yeah janna has more character developed than most secondaries and since i based this off of spatziline's comics, the dynamic was too good to change. and too much fun to write. i love romantic tension between rivals or enemies. Too much fun to write. thanks and i always do!

boss364- it'll take a while given how many requests i need to catch up on but yeah sure, i like the idea of Marco pointing to the crowd and then star yelling "are you not entertained!?" and Star's like "Very"

sir starcoshipper- aww thanks but you don't have too. haha i have a few ideas planned for that story but for now on with the show. haha yeah i couldn't make it too more romantic given the charater's but i was going to make the little there hella starco. part 2 im going to drown you in it. haha have a great day!

princessxgilex- thank you for your review, ill answer asap.

demonic dragon blade: yes but if you want anything specific you need to pm me

anonymims- oooh awesome. the setting fits very well with star, especially with the whole Star rebelling against conventional line of thinking and threats to freedom. you'd think they'd be more pirate star. haha im happy you enjoyed it. Oh my bad well if you ever do again, please feel free to let me know! I hope you're doing great and have a awesome week!

lavendermoonrose: to cut to the chase, yes, yes there will be more pirate au :)

jjmmmlol: Yaw har fiddley dee! If you like to sail the sea, you are a pirate! haha god i forgot about that song. sorry no killing hear, i'd just have to revive you via starco insurance.

minthia- haha hey hey like pirate star says CPR is just one letter away from being a kiss!haha you're welcome. man this break is brutal huh? aww thanks! *HUGS!* if you need hugs, let me know!

Marcodiaz- haha good there's more on the way. And it meant that Star kissed him when he was drowning *CPR* and even though he was dying and passed out, she liked it and really wants to see how he kisses when he's awake. thank you so much for your high praise. It means a lot though i was a bit nervous about this Im glad it came out so well. and yes there's a part 2...and 3

shadowgem: no worries, these stories are meant to be enjoyed whenever you get a chance! they're aren't going anywhere. JANTOM WILL BE SOON HAVE A GREAT DAY!

thewookie1: hmm maybe but right now i figured its time to add some heavy starco to something with Marco messing with Star this time :)

fandomlover: I'll get the body ready. its coming, its coming after overwatch probably

grim- haha yes, the artist herself asked for part 2. i cannot say no.

random human- it's the next story after this. i just wanted to give you something for sure this week.

H mae- see them kiss awake huh? you okay? that cough haha update? who said that? oh well time to update. thanks! at ease first mate mae.

Axis25: chapter 84: Good to hear from you sir! and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! no rush. whenever you get a chance though you might wanna wait a while. People are rioting for the next chapter and life keeps tossing stuff my way. I used to as well then people would join the zone and i was like people! take your time! Chapter 85: honestly, i loveeeeee the best friends falling in love but i wanted to to play with the idea a bit so i came up with the idea of a best friend conflicted like she wanted to be with her best friend but she was scared of being a cliche and somehow it would diminish its worth. thus nova was born. I love this song. and the movie too haha. chapter 85: haha im glad you enjoyed it and part 2 should be this week. might not be as piratey as part 3 will be but heaaaaavy starco. have a great week!

CLM88: haha yeah i really need to figure a way to say if its unofficial. noncanon sounds weird haha but works i guess. haha who knows it might that high up if people want it.

colorquill- haha that's been in the vault for a while especially given red and juliet like come on the movie alone i was like Oh starco. Might do it for halloween.

Electricloud- chapter 1: haha i hope so! enjoy! chapter 2: it was for the better, there's only so much you could do with its first setting. chapter 3; yep super sweet. chapter 4; melted heart is a new one. gotta add it to the list of side of effects. chapter 5: Gotham academy is a very harry potter style batman series without batman. id look for it online to see if you like it before you spend cash. or maybe its free online. its not really main stream batman. chapter 6: haha watch 4 through 6 first. those are the classics. 1 to 3 are eh okay. It is its own story. chapter 7: I couldn't resist. chapter 8: i am a huge nerd for greek myths and haha you know its true. it will be a thing. chapter 9: Hurrah! chapter 10: yeah i wanted a little more but i felt it really made the chapter too long *at the time. i've gotten gone crazy with writing since then.* chapter 11: not bad for a total guess huh?

Imi: awesome! i love the song and i couldn't resist using it. then someone asked me to use it again haha. play your instrument to your hearts content!

seriously? there's too many, many great art works everywhere. Sara over at instagram;s idrawcartoon1314, Spatziline (Thank you so much for pirate star! I have heard and i shall answer) findoworld, atomicmangos, marionette-j2x, hains-mae, just sooooo many great artworks. i got couple on mrevaunit42 all on tumblr. oh! and nova has her own blog at nova-friends at tumblr so you can post art, ask questions, learn some backkground stuff. things of the sort.

here on FF we have a really cute chapter from PFTones3482 princess and the safe kid (thanks for doing my request!) star vs the forces of evil: my star jolleIQ, memorable moment by xxinfamousxx321, the fall of butterfly by the Canadian infernape

 **Story prompt of the day:** So because i can't see new things and not get a new idea, There is a little prequel story for nova. I heard the song here comes a thought from the new steven universe episode (great song and an actual method for coping with anxiety) and i was like cool mommy garnet is giving advice. to aww it be a cute star and Nova bonding moment to I need more star and Nova bonding to this. So this takes place a few months before Nova vs. Nova is 13 and does not have the wand. **This is star singing,** _this is nova singing and **this is them singing together**_

i was debating putting this up so soon because of the heavy nova lately but at the same time i didn't want to leave you hanging with nothing as i work on the new nova chapter, the next chapter for this story and guardians and marco vs. I also updated starco academy which is new in the crossover section of Star vs and gravity falls. Umm so the next few i promise will be requests, then overwatch and in case anyone is wondering, Yes I am doing the pirates au part 2. Spatziline herself read my story and asked for it even animating pirate star with a part 2 sign. Seriously, how i can i deny that. The answer I cannot Soooo with any luck, itll be out this week. Until then, i hope you like this songfic, sorry for the heavy nova updates and I will get back to you with piracy asap. have a fantastic week! and I own a few things in this story! ENJOY!

* * *

Star hummed happily to herself while she washed the dishes by hand! BY HAND. She was so proud of herself and no doubt Marco would be too when he came home! Ooooh maybe he would make his special nachos to celebrate! Even if it was pasta night, Star was sure she could convince him to make an exception.

Star blinked in confusion when she heard the front door creak open followed by a violent slam that rocked the entire frame of the household.

"Sol?" Star called out curiously, peeking her head out of the kitchen as she wondered if he'd gotten into another disagreement with Brittney's son Toby.

Despite the families deep ties, the two boys just couldn't get along.

But it wasn't Sol racing up the steps at full speed but rather Nova with her long light brown twintails trailing behind, her face contorted in a mixture of sadness, regret and self inflicted anger, her spiky backpack slung lazily over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs.

Star pursed her lips, tapping the wand against her chin as she wondered what was going on with Nova.

Star glanced to the front door, patiently waiting for Marco to walk in but after a few moments her husband refused to appear.

Star glanced towards the clock only to realize it was currently 2:30 in the afternoon. The school didn't let out for another 15 minutes which could only mean one thing...

"School's out early!" Star cheered, flourishing with a flicker of her wand and forming a shower of confetti that covered the entire kitchen in multicolored paper.

Rocky clawed her way out of the paper sea, coughing up bits and pieces out of her mouth before openly glaring at the magical queen.

"What?" Star asked curiously, brushing the excess paper out of her long, golden mane "It was an early school day! That's always cause for confetti."

Rocky shook her head.

Star was confused by Rocky's response "What do you mean it's not? Of course it is! Why else is Nova home early?"

Rocky rose an eyebrow

"Ditched?!" Star shrieked "My daughter would not..." Star pause once she let the train of thought catch up "Well...maybe."

Rocky let the cutest yawn out, stretching her limbs and paws, all the while staring intently at Star.

"Upset? Why would she be upset?"

Rocky hissed disapprovingly

"The boy?" Star raised an eyebrow at Rocky's answer "What boy?"

Rocky turned her little paws into circles and placed them over her eyes.

"Connor? Why would Connor upset her? I'll talk to my little girl, Rocky clean up the kitchen."

Rocky stood up on her hind legs, gesturing to herself in disbelief.

"Yes you." Star replied with a hint of finality as she made her way to Nova's room.

Rocky grumbled under her mouth, walking over to the broom and gripping the large object in her forearms before lazily sweeping the confetti into one massive pile.

* * *

"ooooh Novy!" Star cheerfully called, knocking excitedly on her daughter's room door "It's mom! Open up! I've got caaaaaaaaandy!"

there was no response.

Star frowned "Come Nova! Let's go tame some wild unicorns! Oh oh! Or maybe we can take a trip to Quest Buy! I heard they just released a new line of battle axes I'm dying to try out!"

Silence.

"Nova Analise Butterfly" Star growled impatiently "Open this door or I will blast it open! And you know I will. 3...2..."

Star aimed her wand directly towards the center of the door. A pinkish magical hue surrounded the tip of the wand while a musical chime grew \ in volume as Star narrowed her eyes in focus.

"Super mega Narwhal..." Star chanted.

The door swing freely open without warning, lazily moving back and forth on its hinges.

"Oh...it wasn't closed" Star chuckled in embarrassment. Star aimed her wand up, letting loose a massive narwhal that sailed through the ceiling while she made her way into Nova's bedroom, mentally reminding herself to fix the hole in the house after she took care of Nova.

Star could feel worry tug at her heartstrings upon seeing her beloved daughter in such a state: Nova was sitting on her bed, legs cradled in her arms, Marco's red hood covering her face, her head tuck deep into the bowls of the hoodie without a single word being spoken.

"Hoodie town bad. Nova dear?" Star asked gently, closing the door behind her as she made her way to her little girl's side "Is everything alright?"

"...I made a mistake..." Nova whispered faintly.

"Oh?" Star took a seat next to the princess in hiding, staring intently at her hidden form "What happened?"

"I..."

"Was it about Connor?"

Star didn't need the guilty shift of Nova's body to know she was right.

"What happened?"

Nova fidgeted silently, her body curling further inward but refusing to answer the question.

"Nova, I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think."

"..."

"Let me help."

"Nothing will make it better." Nova muttered softly "I messed up."

"Then we're mess up twins!" Star beamed happily towards Nova.

"You never messed up this bad."

Star snickered "You have no idea sweetie."

Star wrapped her arm comfortingly around Nova, drawing her in closer.

Nova's head didn't reemerge from out of the hood but Star could see her eyes peering curiously at her from within hoodie cocoon.

"I don't think I can talk about it." Nova admitted. She leaned against her mother and allowed Star to remove the hood from her head, letting her long light brown hair spill out onto the bed.

"I have an idea" Star winked towards Nova.

Nova looked at her mother, unsure what she had planned.

Star let go of her hold on Nova and sat cross legged across from the young princess, closing her eyes in concentration. Nova let out a quiet gasp as Star's pink hearts lit up, basking the dim room in a faint light.

Nova wasn't sure what was going on but she mimicked Star's actions, crossing her legs and shutting her eyes.

"Now breath" Star's voice came from the darkness of Nova's mind "Slow deep breaths. Relax and feel the universe call to you. Let it pull you where it wants to take you. What it wants to show you"

Nova could feel it, the subtle tugging of some powerful force calling to her, a rush of magical energy flowing out of her mother and into herself.

Nova took a deep breath in and slowly released it as she opened her eyes.

Nova was surprised to find that the pair of magical beings were no longer in the Diaz household but rather a purplish pink realm with countless of massive red hearts looming overhead.

"Whoa..." Nova murmured, glancing around and taking in the sight of this strange new place.

Star stared at Nova intently, giving her a reassuring smile before glancing downward at the smooth pink tile the pair sat upon.

" **Take a moment to think of"** Star sang, running her hand across the floor beneath her **"just flexibility love and trust"**

" **Take a moment to think of"** Nova glanced downwards, wondering what her mother had planned with regular floor tile **"just flexibility love and trust"**

" **Here comes a thought"**

Nova gasped softly as the floor glowed with a gentle light, the smooth surface rippling like a pool of disturbed water, moving and shifting before forming an image of a 14 year old Star against a familiar background

" **that might alarm you."**

Young Star waved cheerfully to the numerous students of Echo Creek Academy as she made her way pass. Nova even recognized a few of them despite the age difference: There was Missy's mother Jackie, Jack's mom Janna teasing his dad Tom, uncle Ferguson and Alfonzo fooling around with her father waving cheerfully from his locker.

" **What someone said"**

Young Star flinched as if something had struck her, frozen in place as the room turned pitch black, a chorus voices inching from the darkness, saying things like "You need to grow up Star." "Mewni will burn when Star becomes ruler" or "You'll never be a proper queen with that attitude."

" **and how it harmed you"**

Young Star rubbed her arm sadly, gazing to the side with a downcast look upon her face, her hearts fading to a dull sheen under the constant barrage of negative comments. Why couldn't she just be her?

" **Something you did"**

Young Star stared dolefully ahead as a silhouette walked out of the darkness, blurrying for a moment before forming into 14 year old Marco once more, eyes filled and arms crossed with disappointment

" **that failed to be charming"**

Marco held a rather small, messy piece of a sandwich in his hand, motioning to the food while his body asked the silent question "Really Star? This was it?"

" **things that you say"**

Anger flashed across Young Star's face, hands clenched furiously as she leaned forward with unrestrained rage, shouting at the top of her lugs "I hate when you act like this! It makes me wonder why we're even friends!"

Marco glanced hurtfully at Star as if Star just stole the entire world from his feet. He swayed uneasily on his feet before the darkness thickened around him, swallowing and erasing any trace of his existence.

Star's face paled, one hand covering her mouth shamefully while the other reached for her best friend.

" **are suddenly swarming."**

Star glanced fearfully upwards as a swarm of pale white butterflies formed above her, swirling faster and faster before descending upon the helpless princess with frightening speed.

" **And oh, you're losing sight, you're losing touch"**

Star fell to her knees, hands clutching at her head, eyes shut as the swarm circled around her violently, closing in each passing moment and preventing any chance of escape.

" **all these little things seem to matter so much, that they confuse you"**

Star curled into a ball, head tucked in between her body as the swarm of butterflies circling around at incredibly dizzying speeds before completely covering her without warning

Star struggled under the weight of the butterflies but each time she tried to rise to her feet, the butterflies would scattered, disorienting her and causing her to stumble back to the floor before reburying her under their weight.

" **that I might lose you"**

Nova jumped in surprise when she felt a warm hand cup her cheek lovingly. She glanced upwards to find her mother smiling calmly her way, eyes soft and carefree.

Real Star pulled back, breathing deeply and settling into relaxed position once more

" **take a moment remind yourself, to take a moment and find yourself, take a moment to ask yourself if this is how we fall apart?"**

Star pointed to the floor once more but Nova was unsure if she was ready to see her mother's younger self fall apart at the seams.

" **But it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not"**

A sudden movement from the floor caught Nova's attention once again but instead finding the young version of her mother helpless under the onslaught of butterflies, Star was staring up in amazement as the swarm of butterflies hung overhead almost like they were pushed away by some unseen force

" **it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay"**

The butterflies remained where they flew, the distance between them and Star ever increasing as a voice from the darkness grew louder and louder.

" **You've got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear"**

Marco reappeared, shooing at the butterflies, glaring at them deeply before making karate motions, a threat of what would happen if they dare inch closer.

Marco glanced at Star for only a moment before racing to her side, helping her to her feet and allowing the former princess of Mewni to wrap her arms around him tightly and nuzzle his cheek for some sort of reassurance.

" **I'm here, I'm here, I'm here"**

Nova blinked in surprise as she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her, drawing

her closer to the person who sat behind her. She had been too caught up in what she saw to have notice her mother's approach.

Star grinned patiently towards Nova as she pulled her daughter closer to herself, trapping Nova in a warm, motherly embrace as she waited for her daughter to explain what happened.

There was a deep, intense silence that fell over the magical realm as Nova glanced towards the floor which now was blank yet still rippling. It was waiting for her story, for her to admit what she did wrong.

Nova took a deep breath, focusing only on the shifting surface of the tile in front of her before quietly muttering under her breath

" _Here comes a thought...that might alarm me."_

Echo Creek Academy reappeared and while similar to its former appearance in Star's vision, it was clear with the new paint job and updated features this was occurring present day.

Nova was skipping along, all cheery smiles when she caught sight of something she wish she hadn't, something that made the grin vanish into thin air, made her frozen with anticipation

Missy was talking to Connor, giggling and turning a bright red as Connor nervously fidgeted under his crush's stare.

The idea of having Missy's undivided attention making him both tense yet content but it also uncoiled the snake of jealousy in the pit of Nova's stomach before she had a chance to think better of it.

She hurried closer, allowing her envy fuel her actions against her better judgment.

" _What someone say ….and how it harmed me"_

"AWESOME! thanks Missy, you're the best!'

Nova felt her heart drop at the sound of Connor's voice, his words poked and prodded at her viciously as if it had somehow been some sort of attack against her despite the fact this was Connor, her best friend.

Deep inside, Nova knew it hadn't been personal. That was just something said to show appreciation to someone and not at all meant to be taken seriously but as Missy quickly wrapped her arms around Connor's neck in a tight hug, Nova couldn't help and take it that way. Missy wasn't Connor's best friend, she didn't text him every moment of the day, she didn't walk with him or lay lazily in her room, watching television and making corny jokes with him. She didn't love him like...

How could she be the best if she didn't even do half of what Nova did with him?

Nova clenched her fist in a blind fury, too caught up in her own head to see the situation as it really was.

" _something I did ….that failed to be charming"_

Nova was as loud as she could be as she approached the pair, irritated that neither of them seemed annoyed or surprised at her presence.

"Hi Missy, Hi _Connie_!" Nova said purposely

Connor frowned in vexation but responded with a cheerful wave towards his best friend.

"Hey Novy, you're just in time! Look what Missy found for me."

Nova felt the blinding white hot rage brewing inside her spike at the sight of an impossibly small gear held gingerly in his hand, treated as it was blessed with the divinity of a much revered deity.

Probably because Missy gave it to him, Nova bitterly thought.

"Oh that's great!" Nova replied with mock sincerity before suddenly bending her toe downward and causing herself to trip forward "Whoa!"

Nova took a smug satisfaction when Connor dropped the tiny gear onto the floor and rushed to catch Nova in his arms, enjoying the embrace of her best friend and her victory over her rival.

Now whose the best? Nova thought smugly

"Oh no...Connor, the gear..."

The trio stared downward at the tiny object, now shattered into even smaller, harder to find pieces.

Connor never loosened his grip from Nova but his face took on a disappointed feature as Missy tried to gather all the pieces of the metallic item.

Nova's stomach churned guiltily as the anger flushed out of her system, her thoughts no longer clouded with a fierce jealousy but immense regret.

" _things that I say are suddenly swarming"_

"Sorry Connor" Missy murmured softly "I think it broke and I'm not sure I have all the pieces."

"That's okay" Connor replied, his voice neutral but Nova could feel the waves of disappointment rolling off of him "Thanks for finding it though. I do appreciate it. I guess Harry's new wings are going to have to wait a bit more."

Nova felt the world slip under her feet and sent her into an emotional freefall.

"Wait, what?"

"Remember how I told you I designed a new set of wings for Harry?" Connor explained "When I designed it at the time, I thought we had more of these gears at home. Turns out we don't, they are custom made only. I thought I was going to have to wait months for the new one but it turns out Missy knew a guy who uses the same specs. She got it for me and..."

Connor shook his head and opted to hug Nova tighter "It doesn't matter, you okay Nova?"

Missy looked at Nova with no hint of temper or annoyance, only concern for the magical princess.

" _And oh, I'm losing sight"_

Nova pulled herself away from Connor, her bottled shame overflowing and covering her entire being as the two inched closer, worry and fear in their eyes.

"Nova?" Connor asked softly, reaching out to comfort her only for Nova respond with a further step back.

" _I'm losing touch"_

"Nova?" Missy questioned, wondering if she had done something to upset the princess. She really hoped she didn't. Nova was a really good friend.

" _all these little things seem to matter so much"_

Stupid, stupid, stupid Nova scolded herself, tears building as her guilt grew, why did I think that was a good idea? Why did I do that? I should've known better! This is not how a princess should act!

" _that they confuse me"_

"Nova? Please answer."

" _that I might lose me..."_

Nova felt sick as the phantom echoes of her unbound craze filled her body once more. Her courage was spent and before she knew it, she was sprinting out of the building.

Tears flowed freely down Nova's cheeks as she remembered what a horrible person she was, how she purposely hurt her best friend and Missy, how she let jealousy over nothing dictate her actions. All for nothing.

Star hugged Nova tightly, placing her chin ontop of Nova's head and allowing her to cry to her heart's content.

Nova whirled around, never breaking free of Star's arms but rather burying herself into her mother's embrace.

After a while, Nova stared upwards to Star, wondering how disappointed her mother would be at the horrible daughter she now held in her arms.

Star brushed a loose strain of hair from Nova's face, holding her cheek in her hand and giving her little girl a gentle smile.

Nova was confused by her mother's actions. Why wasn't she furious? Why wasn't she yelling? Why was Star okay with what horrible thing her daughter had done willingly?

Star took a deep breath and nodded to Nova.

Nova realized what she wanted and followed suite, copying her mother's actions.

" _ **take a moment remind yourself, to take a moment and find yourself"**_ Star and Nova sang, a reminder of Star's earlier lesson filling Nova's mind.

" _ **take a moment to ask yourself"**_ Star and Nova looked at one another " ** _if this is how we fall apart?"_**

" _ **But it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not"**_

Nova realized there was far worse she could've done and while what she had done was childish and stupid, she knew it was. She didn't pretend she was a saint or what she did was justified. She made a terrible mistake but she was owning up to it.

" _ **it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay"**_

She would make it up to them. Both of them. Neither deserved that treatment and she be damned if she allowed it not to be rectified.

" _ **I've got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear"**_

They were her friends. They cared for her. They would understand. Maybe get annoyed and a little mad but they would forgive her. And she would work to be worthy of that forgiveness.

" _ **I'm here, I'm here, I'm here"**_

Nova glanced at her mother, giving her a grateful squeeze. Her mom was so wise, so smart, so forgiving and understanding. That's why she was the best queen ever.

Nova hoped to be at least half the amazing person she was.

" _ **And it was just a thought, just a thought, just a thought, just a thought"**_

It was just a thought. A stupid, random, frightening thought. But Nova shouldn't have let that bothered her, let that control her or drive her. And just because it came from her, didn't mean it would come true or was even remotely correct. It was a thought she allowed to run away with her.

" _ **it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay"**_

Even if Missy somehow got with Connor, they wouldn't simply let her go, kick her to the curve. They would still be friends and while it be hard, she'd be happy for them. After all, it's her own damn fault for not...

" _ **we can watch, we can watch, we can watch, we can watch them go."**_

The magical Butterfly's opened their eyes, finding themselves back in Nova's room without explanation but that was okay. Magic did what wanted to do and she had a feeling the whole thing was her mother's doing.

" _ **From here, from here, from here"**_

Mother and daughter jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching at break neck speeds, the pitter patter of rubber hitting cement echoed dully from the outside world.

Nova walked over to her window, opening the blinds and allowed the bright rays of the sun to bask herself and the room in its glow as she tried to figure out the source of the noise.

Nova could feel her heart skip at the sight of Connor running towards the house with all possible haste.

Nova glanced at the clock.

2:40 P.M.

" _Take a moment to think of just"_ Nova quietly reminded herself as Connor ran up the driveway of the house _"flexibility, love, and trust"_

" _Take a moment to think of just"_ Nova sang once more as Connor screeched to a halt and glanced upwards towards her, his worry and concern melting away into a comforted smile that barely fit on his face.

Nova smiled back, gesturing for him to come in before leaving her room to meet her best friend, muttering softly under her breath as she made her way downstairs " _flexibility, love, and trust"_

Star beamed happily at Nova before telling herself "Marco is soooo going to ground her but supermom is making ice cream! Supermom for the win!"


	88. Lady Estrella Mariposa (pirates Part 2)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here wishing you all an amazing week! Thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and really just make me so happy.

a special thanks to Finn- yeah i mean they did speak with those words and things of the sort don't get me wrong but it wasn't as much as hollywood would like to have you think. Remember most pirates were privateers or people who worked for their kingdoms at first. and most were educated in some way and fashion. not all though. i am so glad you enjoyed it. i really wanted a star nova bonding moment and the song seemed perfect.

cartoonlover- yep, i started binge watching steven universe and now i'm hooked. I mean nova's getting a steven universe au but that's later because i think this series needs a little break from nova. I thought it was time for a canon nova prequel. honestly when I heard steveonnie sing, i felt it could sound like how Nova would too. sorry over here its nova background or prequels only. haha yeah missy still considers nova a friend even if their romantic rivals and she really does care about the magical princess. haha i dont think anyone will take jack from you. oooh i learned something new. yay!

princessxgilex' i swear i will answer your reviews. sorry i was making ammo for my friend. this weekends our live action rpg again. thank you for your reviews and patience.

xxinfamousx321- thanks and you're very welcome! excellent writing good sir.

axis25- i know right? it really is a nice, relaxing yet comforting song. I think its because in a lot of shows, we dont really get this level of child parent interaction. its always nice and comforting to see and so far it doesn't look like Star will be getting one from her mother any time soon which means we need to make it ourselves.

monster: hmm maybe i could add it. which sol are you talking about because I have poor planning. Sol in nova vs full name is actually solius in terms of sol in chapter 38, he's the original concept of Marco in the first version of star vs. a more frienemy to star. if she was the girl who loved sailor moon too much, he was the boy who lived off of dragon ball z. also that sol will be returning soon. also tell much which sol you want to have a crow haha

CLM88: im glad you enjoyed it a second time!haha covy covy covy. thanks, have a great day!

guest sorta; haha i decided to be straight forward with what i had planned. and thats cute! i like listening to it on stressful days.

anoymims: it really was and it has a very nice, positive message and a legit way to handle stress and anxiety. just really a great show. thank you so much for your kind words. im really glad you liked it so much. a great bedtime story i suppose and thank you for your review.

Marionette-j2x:...umm...deth? you okay? Should i get starco insurance on the line? i should probably get the mop *pats your head while i go get the mop*

fandomlover; haha...how...stay out of my vault! its secret and has robots!

Sir starcoshipper: haha marco would ground her for ditching early and making connor ditch. haha honestly no, it be a very interesting twist for star vs. who knows maybe its an upcoming episode. umm...(hands you floats) like all things i do, i went overboard...ill get your next body ready because yeah drowning you in starco.

minthia: no worries i have more mother daughter and yes father daughter scenes ready both here and in nova vs *once the current arc is over.* I'm sure she will. accidents happen. just remain calm and remember flexibility love and trust. just give it time *Hugs!* rant all you need to okay? *HUGS!* have a great week.

grim- i heard it and it was too perfect to let up but no worries, your starco is here and i probably over did it haha

Marconachoes- thank you! im glad you liked it

Oimate- fluffy is kinda a theme around here haha

sparklesona- agreed! they really do help :)

thundermist- the feels are such real and melted? thats new *writes it down* Nova's biggest fear aside never living up to her mother is disappointing those she loves and cares for. she is very hard on herself though she does know sometimes she takes it too far. but all of us have our moments and have fear of such thing. thank you for your review and have a great week! No worries, soon

i had nachoes yee (hands you a paper bag) it happens a bit round here

fluff is real- haha im glad. i got fluffier ones

shadowgem- thank you for your kind words. this was a really great lesson from SU and im glad i found a way to use it decently.

dontcareboutname: aww yay i think. ill get the starco insurance form ready

name 3: given how serious the 'episode' was, i wanted to end it on a funny note.

so thank you everyone for all the support you give me. it means more than i can properly explain

so here on FF i've been pretty busy but it looks like Starfall by golfalphamike has a new chapter! YES! go read it nooooow! NOOoooooOW!

in the art world we have just too much great stuff. spatziline, marionette-j2x, atomicmangos, anomalyah on tumblr. seriously just go to tumblr and type in star vs you will not be disappointed. Sara over on idrawcartoons1314 on instagram has some more cute stuff. its all great really.

 **Story prompt of the day:** Well you and spatziline all asked for it so here it is. Part 2 of the pirate au. honestly its a bit piratey. more like pirate tactics than actual action and adventure but i decided to drown you all in starco and mystery because hey why not. First before i go on i want to wish spatziline a happy birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! *Throws confetti* whoo eek *coughs up paper* This is my birthday gift to her and i hope she and all of you enjoy it. Now for the record there is a part 3 to this though if there's more than that I'm not sure yet. you know me too many ideas. anyway this takes place a few months after part 1 where Star saved Marco from drowning. In case you don't know spanish or are a little rusty Estrella Mariposa means haha Star Butterfly. sorry not sorry

Well that's it for me, i hope you all have a fantastic week, keep being awesome all of you and thank you all for the support. i cannot tell you how much it means to me. Well here's the pirate au. i own nothing and enjoy! happy birthday spatziline!

* * *

The normally silent and peaceful little seaport town was filled with joyful laughter, excited chattering from countless voices as throngs of people climbed the steep cobbled streets, twisting and winding around the tilted city and slowly making their way skyward to the manor that sat far above everything else, nestled cozily on a cliff that overlooked the port while the sun slowly sank beyond the horizon.

Janna eyed the building with great distaste, soaking in and etching every aspect of the lavish homestead within her memory so she could use it for further justification and fuel for her anger towards the greedy rich.

The 2 story manor was well kept, its walls a nearly pristine white with nary a crack found upon its surface and its stone still polished smooth and perfect as if its construction had just been completed the other day rather the 20 years it stood on that self righteous perch on the cliff.

Janna glared at the countless windows the building possessed, the harsh glow of the lights within making her squint her eyes painfully. So many views of the poor and downtrodden of the port town yet nothing changed, nothing had been done to help the people below aside taking their pay to further the luxury of the wealthy.

Janna bit her lip, an idea sparking the flames of revenge as she fantasized the manor ablaze, a fire that would quickly consume the monument to greed. Janna let out a low, dark chuckle as she wondered how easy it would be to set her plan in motion.

"Janna" Star's calm, flute-like voice called from the darkness of the alley "No"

"What?" Janna shrugged casually "I didn't do anything yet."

"Janna, no fires"

Janna crossed her arms and pouted, glancing towards her captain with the most puppy of looks "I'm just saying. A little trip, drop an expensive looking candle onto a curtain and woosh, rich snobs house is burning. Simple as that."

"But that'll blow our cover" Star shot back as she struggled with her attire. Changing in pure darkness was probably not her best idea "If we want to get rich and further our coolness, we need to be subtle. Suuuubtle."

Janna lifted her eyebrow at her captain but didn't say a word as Star cursed loudly while a cat screeched into the night.

"Sooooo" Janna began smugly "how are the shackles coming?"

"Ugh, terrible! How do people wear this without dying? I feel like I'm about to rip these clothes to shreds just wearing them!

Janna snickered, not even bothering to hide her amusement from Star "Sounds like the cleverest pirate captain can't handle being a lady of the court."

Star scoffed as she struggled with the ridiculously outfit "I'll have you know I can be quite the lady when...ugh...need be. Why does this need so many strings? Am I wearing a dress or tying a mast?!"

Janna's barely contained chuckles exploded into full on laughter as she took a step to assist Star in her war against modern fashion trends "Come on Cap, I'll help you"

"Nope, too late!" Star cried cheerfully from the darkness, her voice equal parts frustrated and relived

"Well then, let's see how the scourge of the seas cleans up."

"Very nicely first mate doubty Mcdoubt."

Janna opened her mouth to retort when Star stepped out of the shadows and into the torch that lightly lit the alleyway in its soft glow.

"Whoa..." Janna breathlessly muttered, her brain unable to properly comprehend the image her eyes were sending as she gazed upon her captain.

Star's smirk was playful, her ocean blue eyes twinkling mischievously at the sight of Janna's gobsmacked expression.

Star's normally long unruly blonde hair was tied in an elegant braid hung over her shoulder with a black and red ribbon tied around her neck. Star's signature pink hearts were hidden underneath an equally pink blush. Despite the fact Star must've hauled the outfit from the ship without aid, it looked flawless, pristine and spotless. It was a beautiful dress and one Janna was certain she had never seen before: The upper half was jet black blouse, thick straps over Star's bare shoulders with matching long sleeves. A red slash wrapped snugly around Star's waist as the same colored blood red skirt extended outward in a slight bell shape with Star's cleaned black boots completing the look.

Star shot Janna a teasing wink as she mockingly gave her first mate a perfect and refined bow.

"Wow" Janna replied neutrally, desperately trying to hide how floored she was by her captain's shift in appearance "You keep looking at me like that and I'll really think you're an uptight noble."

"I'll never be one of them, savvy?" Star stuck out her tongue but before either pirate could respond, there was a chime of a far away bell, its deep thrum thunderously echoing throughout the town.

"That is our cue" Star muttered.

Janna rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed scoff as she pushed off the wall she leaned on for support "Shall we cap? I mean m'lady"

Star gently shoved Janna before taking the lead towards the ball held in the honor of a distance, absent queen.

As Star and Janna made their way through the dead, quiet city, the two twitched uncomfortably at the sound of merriment and carefree joy that rained from above.

"So quick recap" Janna asked in a bored voice "Why am I here? Why are we here? And can we go home?"

Star elbowed Janna's side "One because every lady needs a handmaiden, two there is some valuable treasure tucked away inside the manor and after the ball ends at midnight."

"Is that when you turn back into a pirate, princess?"

"Of course" Star replied matter of fact "Though hopefully, we'll be long gone before that happens."

"So, what does a handmaiden do exactly?" Janna wondered, glancing uneasily at her freshly pressed, clean outfit "I mean do I even look the part? I'm wearing the same clothes I always do. Not exactly a high end disguise. A long white sleeved blue blouse, a large yet modest skirt covering my bare legs tucked lovingly into my boots. Aside from my missing bandana, I'm still Janna, first mate of the notorious pirate captain Star De la Posa Butterfly."

Star clicked her tongue in disappointment "No no no, you are Janna, handmaiden and lady in waiting of the magnificent and breathtakingly beautiful Estrella Mariposa. Besides, all ladies enjoy taking in poor youths. Sharing their wealth and lessons to a poor, ignorant girl? I am just doing my civic duty as a lady by teaching you respect and manners."

The two held their hands to their mouths, their chuckles contained as the iron gates that surrounded the manor came into view.

Janna was curious at the guards patrolling the grounds in a rigid, timely manner. And they were not just any guards but the talented and oh _soooo_ well trained marines of the queen's navy.

As far as Star and Janna knew, this was a simple gathering and dance for the local governors and nobility though the presence of marines did not frighten either in the least. No doubt there was some high ranked military commander or member of the queen's court present tonight, attempting to win favor with the colonies or sweep some unsuspecting guest off their feet with sweet, empty promises and the lure of wealth.

Star and Janna calmly approached the burly looking guard that blocked their entrance into the manor grounds, eyes suspiciously staring at them due to their tardiness to the event.

"You're late" The guard muttered darkly towards the approaching pair.

Star opened her mouth to respond though it was Janna ultimately answered "Excuse me but that is no way to address Lady Estrella Mariposa of the southern isle!"

The guard was confused, unsure if he had recognized the name of the lady in question but Janna hadn't let up in her assault

"And another thing, we were promised a military escort to the manor and we were left waiting for nearly 20 minutes!"

"Umm...well...you see..."

"and you were about to dare claim we were late this fantastical event when in fact it was your fault." Star nearly lost her composure to a fit giggles when Janna marched to the solider who towered over her by a good foot and half and began aggressively poking his chest.

"N-no, of course not!" the solider sweated nervously "I mean the party has began and I did possess instructions not to let any stragglers within."

Janna's face twisted into pure rage "So you are about to rob my lady of a pleasant evening with friends? Do you know how long it took us to get here? We had to leave 3 hours before hand to ensure we arrived here in a timely fashion and you have the nerve to not only have our escort through your deplorable city fail to arrive but also deny us entry?"

Star couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pity for the guard whose cool was systematically broken by Janna's sliver tongue, his eyes hopelessly filtering between Star and Janna, unsure what was the correct answer.

"Don't worry" A new voice answered as a captain revealed himself at the last moment "We understand your displeasure with our poor performance. Please ladies, be our guest and enjoy yourselves."

"thank you good sir" Janna said, the edge to her voice still aggressive. She turned to Star, her face set in apology though her brown eyes sparkled with mirth "I am so sorry my lady for the delay. Please, let us hurry inside."

Star's face remained indifferent even though all Star wanted to do was just laugh in the faces of the poor, probably traumatized guard.

Star curtsy politely to the marines before allowing Janna to lead the way into the manor, the two sharing a knowing look but managed to contain their disrespectful laughs.

Two servants automatically opened the doors for Star and Janna without question and the two were amazed to find themselves within the bowls of the manor.

The grand entrance was every bit as amazing as the name implied: Two spiraling staircases curled upwards towards the second floor, smooth tile under their feet, thick crowds of people filled the room in small, dense pockets as the light tune of a piano playing underline the hushed, low talking that filled the air.

"Fancy" Janna murmured infuriated "I don't know about you but all this pretentious behavior is making me more sick than the fiercest storm. At the least the storm isn't trying to lie to me about what it's trying to do."

"Don't worry Janna" Star whispered quietly to her trigger happy first mate "We're only here for a while. Just go make friends and keep your ears open. The rich like to talk about their goods and lots of top secret information. And if you see an opening to sneak off to grab some loot, take it."

"Gotcha cap" Janna nearly saluted in response but mid-way through the action, she managed to naturally run her hand through her hair.

Star began to make her way towards the ball room with Janna hovering closely behind.

Faded memories of a childhood long passed flashed into Star's mind as the doors to the ballroom were eagerly opened and revealed the wing of the manor in all its glory and splendor.

The room was impossibly huge with towering, massive windows the size of the side of her ship covered each wall. There was a brilliantly gold chandelier that hung dead center, illuminating every inch of the hall. Tables were set up tightly and hugged the walls in a loose rectangle that outline the center where countless couples danced carefree and forgetful to the world around them.

"Wow everything is so shiny" Star told Janna "Makes me wish we could take the whole room."

There was no response from Janna.

Star glanced back only to find empty space where her first mate formerly occupied. Star looked about the room but the chaos of the party was too much for her well trained eyes to find any trace of Janna though Star wasn't too surprised. Between her lack of discipline, poor impulse control and wanderlust, it was impressive Janna followed her as long as she did.

* * *

Since there was nothing to do but kill time for the guards weariness to set in, Star began to wander around aimlessly though not without purpose. She kept careful ear out for any sort of new trade routes being discussed, rumors of valuable goods coming out of the colonies and potential march orders of the marines in the future.

Star tried to keep a low profile as she waited for the perfect chance to sneak upstairs but life was fickle and played by its own rules.

Star sat by herself at a solitary table, hissing and sharply chasing any and all persons who attempted to take a seat or initiate conversation with the seemingly lonely beauty. However, a shadow fell over her and blocked the light without warning and when Star turned to dismiss the owner, she found herself staring a well dressed gentleman and a pair of marines.

"Umm..."

"Hello Miss" the gentleman with slicked back dark purple hair greeted with a friendly tone, his yellow eyes only focused on her "I see you are attending this event alone. Very unusual for a lady of your stature."

Star tried to stay calm but any attempts to talk her way out of the unfavorable situation failed as her throat seized up from fright.

"Despite our best efforts, the local populous is not the most agreeable. I was also told that you had asked for and failed to receive a personal guard detail, a request I am more happy to grant now that I have personally met you Lady Mariposa."

Star shot the gentleman a grateful smile though she was feeling far from thankful. Such a guard detail would only prevent her from completing her mission and the entire night would be a waste of time.

"You aren't hassling my date for the evening, are you lord Toffee?"

Both Star and the previously named Toffee snapped their heads towards the newcomer who joined in the conversation.

Star could feel her cheeks warm when Captain Killjoy himself walked out of the crowd of people that filled the room, his face just as stoic and devoid of emotion as ever.

Marco stood there wearing a familiar yet slightly downplayed outfit Star had grown accustomed to: His high collared blue military coat lacked most of the gold trimmings he so often wore and was rather modest in its design, lacking the grandeur of a marine captain of her majesty's navy. No jewels adorned his body though the crisp, perfect white cloth that hung around his neck remained. His light brown hair was combed in his trademark Marco spikes and the cute little ponytail remained tied at the base of his skull.

"Captain Diaz" the gentleman known as Toffee said with a hint of annoyance, his words icy and almost reptilian "I was unaware you brought a date to tonight's function. Last I check, you weren't fond of courting."

Marco passively shrugged, not allowing Toffee to get a rise out of him "Yes well many ladies of the court are not exactly my cup of tea. I decided to try my end my bachelor streak with Lady Mariposa here. She is my invited guest of course."

Toffee narrowed his eyes towards Marco "Why, of course. Still, I am afraid I will have insist upon the guard detail as her handmaiden was most asserted about it."

"Nonsense" Marco waved off Toffee, stepping in between Star and the marines "She is perfectly safe with me or shall we have a contest to help demonstrate my skills?"

Marco shot a Toffee a well meaning yet competitive stare, confidence and self worth brimming in his light brown eyes.

Toffee stayed silent for a moment before bowing to the captain and Star "Why of course not. You are her majesty's most fearsome naval captain. A gentleman such as myself would stand little chance against such a... _troublesome_ show of skill"

"Very good" Marco beamed with a slight grin before turning to Star with the most sincere apologetic gaze "I am so very sorry milady. I was to greet you at the docks myself but I am afraid I was caught up in my duties. May I win your forgiveness with a dance?"

Star couldn't stop thundering of her heart even if she tried and while dancing was not a part of her plan, the idea of doing so with Marco was too alluring for Star to properly resist, no matter how much it setback her plan. So with an uncharacteristic timid nod, Star allowed Marco to slip his hand into her own and pull her onto her feet.

Star coughed in hopes to get her closed throat working once more before she was labeled a mute by Toffee "You have a lot of nerve believing a simple dance will win my forgiveness Captain Diaz."

Marco smiled warmly at Star as she drew closer and Star could feel her heart sputter to stop as the mental image of Marco burned itself permanently into Star's memories for the rest of her life.

"I suppose I will have to make it several dances then" Marco joked cheerfully as Star took his arm in her own and bowing to Toffee and the guards "Gentlemen."

and without so much as a glance behind, Marco guided Star deeper and deeper into the swirling mass that was the ballroom floor.

Marco pivoted on his heels gracefully, freeing his arm from Star but still catching her hand with his.

Star could feel her heart pounding away madly as she closed the distance between, allowing the pirate hunter to place his other hand on her waist while she gripped his shoulder with hers.

The song was peaceful, gentle and soft and as the string quartet began their tune, Star was having a hard time focusing on anything that wasn't Marco while pirate and pirate hunter began slowly twirling with one another, bodies swaying rhythmically to the music in sync.

"So..." Marco began as if he was speaking an old friend "Do you always stumble into trouble or do you go looking for it Star?"

Star felt her heart skip at the sound of her name escaping his lips but she couldn't let him know it. Instead, she opted to give him a cocky, knowing smile "Well in this case, I got bored."

Marco stared deeply into her ocean blue eyes and felt the temptation pull at him. He squashed down the urge to smile at the pirate he held in her arms and decided to shake his head in disbelief at her actions.

"I cannot believe you were so reckless. There's no way you used your real name to get into the party. You would've been stopped at the gate."

Star rolled her eyes, sending a smug smirk towards Marco "For your information, I was stopped at the gate. But my attendant was adamant that Lady Estrella Mariposa of the southern isle was not to be deny."

Star was amazed at Marco's self control as only subtlest movement of his cheek hinted that she nearly gotten the distant captain's lips to curve into a full blown smile like earlier.

" _Seriously?_ How did no one see that? And no doubt your attendant is Janna."

"Guilty as charge. She is my first mate after all."

"I do believe that is the first time you willingly admitted a crime to me"

Star could feel her blush worsen as a playful edge danced in Marco's normally frosty light brown eyes.

"Don't get used to it sailor boy" Star shot back, allowing Marco to twirl her and embrace her from behind "It's a one time thing."

"As is this dance Star" Star shivered a little, her body warm as Marco whispered lightly into her ear, his breath tickling her neck before he guided her once more, turning her to face him and taking her waist once again.

"So what now Captain Diaz? Going to rat me out? One shout and you have the most wanted pirate in custody."

To Star's surprise, Marco gave a noncommittal shrug to her inquiry "Depends on how much trouble you cause. This is my day off after all."

Star restrained herself, giving Marco only a fraction of the smile she originally planned for him "Shirking your duty?"

"Hardly, I do have a life outside chasing you Star." Marco replied calmly, a rascally edge hidden deep within his response.

Star was confused by Marco's responses. He was a cold, unreasonable and unmovable pillar of the Queen's justice. It had been only a few months since their last face to face meeting when she saved his life from drowning and he granted her her freedom and while they had brief interactions in between then and now, he hadn't treat her any differently. Now he was apparently willing to ignore his duty to capture her and even may have been flirting with her. Maybe. It was very subtle and this more human Marco was throwing her off too much to get a proper read on him.

Star cleared her throat, blue fixated on brown "So is that how you saw through my flawless disguise, been staring too much at my poster Diaz?"

"You don't exactly go the extra mile to hide yourself Star."

Star scoffed and rolled her eyes at the renowned naval captain, earning the pirate several scandalous gasps from nearby couples "I covered my hearts. My hearts! Clearly I was willing to go the extra length to ensure my success."

"Please Star, you wear your heart on your sleeve and we both know it."

There was a thick awkward silence that hovered between the two as Star stared upwards towards Marco.

"I'd recognize you anywhere" Marco admitted, the music slowing to a stop though the couple failed to take notice of it "It is my job to find you after all."

Marco could feel his heart racing against his will as Star's bright blue eyes stared at him curiously. Marco couldn't tell if Star's pupils matched the sky or the ocean but he felt a strange sense of tranquility staring into those pools of blue.

Star looked into Marco's light brown eyes, mentally capturing their shade and warmth. There was a real chance he would never look at her like this again given their natural state as enemies. After months of Star committing piracy and Marco tracking her down, she's never seen Marco's gaze so soft and so relaxed. Even last time she was so closed to the marine captain, he was kind of dying.

She remembered plunging into the darken ocean after his sinking form, diving deeper and deeper after him as the ocean threatened to claim his life.

She had no idea how she pulled him out of the churning, icy cold water but once her hand gripped his collar, she swam for the surface. Just swam and swam for air, refusing to let Marco go for any reason.

It felt like a lifetime or perhaps the lack of air made her brain fuzzy and lose all sense of time but when her head popped out of the ocean, the air frigid and chilling her entire body as she gulped lungfuls of air, she felt grateful for whatever granted her that surge of strength.

Her work wasn't done yet though. Who knows how much water were now swooshing around in Marco's lungs and there was only way to find out.

Star dragged Marco to the shore, tiredly pulling Marco across the sandy dunes before plopping him on the floor once she thought they were safe enough from any riptide waves.

She knelt at his side, brushing back her soaked hair as Marco stared at her through half opened eye lids, his gaze lifeless and blank.

Even the emotionally stinted Marco was not so lifeless in those light brown eyes and before she thought of the implications of her actions, she bent over and crashed her lips against his.

Even dying with a salty taste, kissing Marco brought a comfort that Star had never known though she did not let that distract her from her goal. She held his nose closed as she kissed his lips over and over again, blowing as much airas she could in hopes to push out the water from his lungs, ignoring how cold and unfeeling his lips were.

Then without warning, Marco's mouth moved against hers, surprising Star and causing her jump away from his touch. Marco let out a mighty cough, water spilling over his chest as he cleared the fluid from areas where it did not belong. His eyes fluttered rapidly, fear and life forming within his pupils as he stared upwards, trying to clear his blurry vision and get much needed air into his body.

That kissed haunted Star and peaked her quizzical nature. For the next few months, Marco's kiss tormented her dreams and tempted her to commit even bigger crimes in hopes of luring the marine captain to her. And of course, when she finally gave up all hope she could be so close to Marco to snatch another kiss from his lips without him murdering her, she chose the one place he would be. The one place where she could get so close without worrying about him attempting to stop her. He even admitted as long as she did nothing, he also would not.

The mood shifted and the music matched it. The soft strings of the quartet filled the room once more but now their song was more gentle, romantic in nature and while the couples that littered the floor easily followed suite, Marco and Star simply gazed into each others eyes.

Before Marco could react or excuse himself, Star had around slunk her arms around his neck, drawing him close and cutting off his escape route.

Against his more wary nature, Marco slipped his hands onto Star's waist and allowed the pirate captain to lead the dance, matching each sway and movement perfectly.

"What are you planning?" Marco questioned, unable to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

"I'm entertaining myself" Star replied "Besides, if you are here with me, I can't get into trouble, now can I?"

Marco gulped, his indifferent mask slowly being cracked by Star and her oddly charming behavior.

"I suppose not Star..."

Marco allowed Star to continue their dance, the music and Star's angelic face drawing Marco into a relax state he never felt before.

The music drew to a close and before Star could help it, she threw herself forward, catching Marco's lips with her own.

Marco's eyes widen at Star's sudden action and while his mind cranked out one suspicious thought after another, Marco was too far enticed by Star to act on anything he came up with.

For a brief moment, Star wondered if she lost her mind. After another moment, she concluded she had lost her mind but that was irrelevant right now. Marco stood there like a rock, unmoving and distant and despite Star was desperately moving her lips against his to get any sort of reaction, the naval captain and rival failed to respond.

Star was curious as to why he did not seem to register her lips firmly planted against his. Perhaps he thought this was some sort of ploy to get him way from her. Maybe he guessed that she was only doing this for shock value. Of course there was the chance he supposed she decided to take the initiative and kissed him first.

There was a gossip level of murmurs and whispers and Star couldn't help but think that maybe what Toffee had said was true. That no one ever expected captain Diaz to actually kiss someone.

Star was ready to release her hold on Marco when suddenly she could feel Marco's lip response, kissing her back without restrain.

And it was far better than that half drowned, dying kiss from before had let on.

She could feel her namesake fill her stomach, a childish glee seeping into every fiber of her being as Marco deepen the kiss of his own free will. She had craved this for months and it was more magical than anything else she could've expected.

But before Marco and Star were too lost in each other, there was a firm yet quiet cough nearby.

Marco and Star were shocked into reality and quickly pulled apart, untangling themselves from each other and turning their full attention unto the person who sought their attention.

Star could feel her heart crawl to a stop at the sight of the long periwinkle blue hair of the person, their icy blue eyes focusing on the couple as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Her lips tugged downwards in a familiar frown Star had known all too well as her twin pink diamonds on either cheek crinkled and revealed her identity to Star long before Marco snapped up in a poise perfect salute and cried out "Your highness!"

Queen Moon Butterfly let out an unfamiliar sound out of her throat. To Star, it almost sounded a laugh of some sort but the women she knew never laughed. Not willingly anyway.

"Oh please Captain Diaz. There's no need for that." Moon waved off Marco's rigid military stance "I was simply curious who managed to snare an elusive evening with my most decorated captain."

Star resisted the urge to shift guiltily under Moon's gaze as she gave a polite but stiff bow "I'm afraid that was me."

"Oh, and you are?"

"Lady Estrella Mariposa" Star answered, purposely forgetting the false title in case Moon's impeccable memory was still intact "I am so honored to meet you Queen Butterfly."

A spark of recognition flickered on Marco's face for a moment as he glanced between Star and Moon, a farfetched yet completely plausible thought forming in his head.

"Indeed. You must be quite the lady if you were able to catch the full attention of Captain Diaz here" Moon said as if she was discussing the weather "I worry about him sometimes. Always caught up in his job. Loyal and an excellent solider but far too focused at the task at hand for his own good."

Ah huh, sure. I bet you love the fact he's devoted his entire life to your rules. Star thought bitterly while externally saying "I'm afraid Captain Diaz has caught _my_ attention. He can be quite charming."

"Indeed"

the conversation was left there but Moon made no motion to move, no farewell that would indication she was leaving now. Instead, she stared at Star intently, tracing each aspect of her face as if trying to piece together a puzzle. Star was unsettled by the action and worried the queen would figure out the truth.

But before Star broke, Queen smiled a distant smile at Star "I'm sorry my dear. I must be unnerving you with my staring. How unbecoming of me."

Star gave a lighthearted yet tense giggle "It's quite alright my queen."

"Still I must state my apologizes. You see you remind me of my daughter. Lost daughter" Moon quickly added.

The pin dropped and Star struggled to keep her face as casual as possible.

Moon went on, oblivious to the shift of atmosphere in the room "Yes my beloved daughter. Nary older than 12 when she decided to run away from home. Those loving, warm childlike blue eyes and that hair as bright as the sun. Quite the pretty lass for her age. I could only imagined what she looks like now. If she managed to survive this long of course. She was always a rebellious, overactive princess."

"Of course" Star resisted gritting her teeth and falling apart. She wanted to say more. About what drove her 'beloved' daughter away and what kept her away but Moon had stopped that plan.

"Well I shan't keep you any longer. You must be tired. The hour grows late and I am told you traveled a long distance to come here. I pray you have a safe journey."

"Thank you, your highness" Star told Moon with another bow "But I cannot leave until my handmaiden and lady in waiting returns."

"Right here!" A voice called from the thick crowd, the gasps and muttering of displeased nobles pushed and shoved away until Janna leapt out of the crowd and took her place eagerly at Star's side though she spared a glare to Marco.

"Present ca...milady!" Janna gave a halfhearted and lazy bow to all present.

Moon pursued her lips, eying Janna's antics distastefully "I see your lady in waiting is quite uncultured."

Janna narrowed her eyes angrily at Moon but before she could cause further trouble, Star quickly jumped in "yes, she is a work in progress but I assure you when I am done with her, she shall be most impressive indeed."

Janna smugly smirked towards Moon who replied with a strained yet disbelieving laugh.

"I rather doubt that but I suppose we shall see. Do be careful who you keep company with lady Estrella. Some people are just terrible influences."

The tension was thick with neither side willing to back down. Luckily Marco was already prepared with a plan.

"Of course your highness. Now if you excuse me, I need to escort Lady Mariposa and her handmaiden to their ship."

"Of course Captain Diaz. Good evening to you both."

and without another word she was gone.

* * *

Marco led the way down the darkened, shadowy town as the two pirates chattered happily behind him, seemingly uncaring he was within earshot.

While he certain Janna had no doubt stolen something from the manor, he was upholding his promise to Star: Star hadn't caused any trouble and therefore Marco would not raise a ruckus about anything having been taken.

The excuse was flimsy even to him. He was committing high treason for no apparent reason. Well there was a good reason but nothing he was willing to admit quite yet. He was still sorting things out.

Marco guided the pair of ladies to the harbor where their ship lay hidden in plain view. Though to be fair he only recognized their ship due months he spent studying its every detail. Without the jolly roger and the pirate clothing the crew often wore, the ship looked like any other and only Marco would notice such things as a cracked plank and uneven mast head.

The loading ramp was lowered and a gaggle of voices called from the bowls of the ship, disturbing the peace of the night with loud, rambunctious voices.

"STAAAR! STAR! HEEEEY CAP DID YOU BRING US ANY FOOD?"

"Ah, Ferguson, I don't think the captain had anytime for food. I told you we should've eaten at the bar."

"When did you say that?"

"At the pub. You were too busy flirting with the bar wench"

"nay matey, that be a lie."

"Not your night Ferguson?" Janna teased

"Psst, she didn't know what she was missing."

Marco stood silent in the darkness, knowing full well if he spoke up, he would simply spook Star's pirate crew.

Star made her way pass Marco before turning to face him, their evening together playing in her head.

"You know" Star whispered "Janna probably stole something..."

"I told you Star." Marco replied quietly "As long as you didn't cause trouble, neither would I. I was with you the whole night...you didn't cause trouble."

Star chuckled softly, a melodic sound that tugged at Marco's heartstrings.

"You know, that's the second crime you admitted to being a part of." Marco muttered

Star shrugged "I guess it's your lucky night sailor boy."

"After tonight, I'll be chasing you again. You know that right Star?"

Star said nothing. Instead she cupped Marco's cheek in her hand and softly planted kiss upon it.

"Good luck sailor boy."

Star was still as Marco cupped her cheek in return, wiping the makeup away from her cheeks and revealing her pink hearts that seemed to glow in the dim moonlight.

Star gave Marco a strained smile before making her way up the ramp, trying her hardest not gaze backwards towards the marine captain.

Marco stared after Star, wondering what in the world was he doing.

"...Janna?" Marco asked, turning to find the first mate staring at him with her arms crossed disappointingly.

"As much as I would love to fight with you right now" Janna threatened with a mocking bow "I'm actually going to talk about my captain."

"Star?" Marco was unsure where Janna was going with this.

"You see the thing about pirates..." Janna said with a smile before shifting into a threatening glower "We hate when someone tries to steal our treasure."

Marco could feel the cold, metal of the a dagger held to his cheek as Janna playfully leaned against his shoulder as she muttered softly "Stay away from mine and we're good marine."

Janna pushed pass Marco, muttering softly "You dropped your knife by the way."

Marco said nothing as the muted thud of his dagger hitting the cobbled street echoed in his ears but Janna had already climbed onto the ramp.

Moments later Marco was staring out to sea, watching Star's ship escape into the horizon though he was in no hurry to chase after the pirate captain. He felt very mixed up and was unsure what he was going to do with these complicated emotions he seemed to be developing for Star.

* * *

Moon stared into the darkness of the night, Lady Mariposa's ship sailing away without a care in the world.

"So my darling Star. It seems you're grown."

* * *

Hello everyone, I really hope you enjoyed part two of the pirate AU. wanted to wish Spatziline another happy birthday! (throws confetti but i'm out) whoops, i really got to stop using this so much. As a fun little easter egg, Janna's threat to Marco at the end was dialogue said in one of Spatziline's comics. It had to tweak a few things to make it fit in the context but i thought it be a funny little wink to the inspiration of this au. everyone have a great week! and write to you soon!


	89. Angelic and demonic harmony(Starco week)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E wishing you and great and awesome week! Thank you for every follow, favorite and review. it means the world to me and reminds me how lucky i really am. Seriously you readers make every chapter i write worth all the hard work.

a special thanks to i believe it is axis because you mentioned your phone logged you out: Neither do i! I just think of something i'd like to read and i write it. and i know you can! you are one talented writer and storyteller. Janna knows Marco could cut her down easily but she knows pretending to be confident goes a long way too though she saw them kiss and knows he's not quite there. best time to give a threat really. It'll be a while for part 3. starco week and starcoween is here! Umm part 3 won't deal with but i am intending do another trilogy with the pirate au which will focus more on Star, her past and her mother.

finn: absolutely going to be a part 3. i mentioned it but i think everyone got into the story haha.

camilapa: haha i glad you liked it, it was so much fun to write and i felt it was a nice twist that fit into canon, a princess turn pirate for freedom. sounds like star. thanks! i love your reviews! :)

Sir starcoshipper; haha we're all crazy but that's not important. yeah those stories tend to but sorry there is a bloody star story on the way. someone asked for it. haha no one is ever starco fluff proof. umm guardians and marco vs are slated for later after starco week and overwatch is probably next month since i have a bunch of halloween stories planned for this.

thepotheader- thank you! haha yep there is one more pirate au for sure. might come back and do more.

princessxgilex- thank you for the review!

guest sorta- more like try to reunite mother and daughter.

sparklesona- thank you! i am glad you enjoyed it so much :)

grey- honestly it's one of my favorites too and if i didn't have a lot on my plate, i would totally think about making it its own story. well who knows, its very tempting.

anoymims-thank you so much for your kind words, they mean alot to me and a pirate au is pretty much a given im so glad you enjoyed it.

thundermist- sorry buddy, part 3 is on hold for starco week! AND THE TOTALLY NOT MADE UP BY ME STARCOWEEN! thank you for your praise though and i hope you enjoy the stories between now and part 3

marinoette- (hands you a tissues)

grim- thank you so much and no there is a part 3. i mentioned it before the story but i think everyone just got sucked in.

skystorm14113- thank you so much. I am so glad you enjoy the stories through my growth and I am really happy to agree. I have grown quite a lot but im not done yet. eternal learner but i am more than willing. Wow thank you so much for that praise. I am so glad that chapter felt like an actual episode. Umm for comet, I learned early when i used to write random aus for my friend that key character traits that are emotionally neutral are most important. like for example Star is straight forward, reckless and blunt. she's not dumb but she lives in a new dimension so naturally she doesn't know everything works or is and she's always happy and supportive so since Comet is just male star, the same applies to him. actually i did make up that nickname. when i write, i try to see from the character's view. So if i had a best friend i hung out with all the time and thought highly of, i would come up with a nickname and if my best friend was named Marcia, i would probably call her mar mar. haha that's cool you call your best friend that. I think the only thing they can learn from me is have fun writing. I'm just a guy that likes to write.

Narrator Nymph- hi! Well you know what they say, no risk no reward. Well toffee and the queen will be featured in the next set of trilogy. thank you so much i was just in the mood haha. will do! I hope you two are doing great!

H mae; hi mae! well not everything is perfect and i think its an extreme of the canonverse. only recently did their relationship improve. there's for sure one part and more some more but that's later. haha indeed. let's see if marco gets the girl or star gets the guy.

sweatermermaid- haha i know right? i couldn't resist her using that name because it's so obvious and no one should've fallen for it but its so crazy that it worked. thank you so much!

jjmmmlol: haha starco piracy for the win and i've seen a couple of marco and sabrina but each episodes i keep thinking he's growing a harem. will do!

Creatorofonikuro: that was fun to write. umm for the chapter i don't think so but i will use sam in the future so maybe something like it will come up.

colorquill: yep! oh thank you and im glad you enjoyed it all despite my mistakes. i try my best and you readers make it so much fun!

Clm88: thanks! haha yeah i wanted to throw a wrench into my own story and moon seemed like the best choice. well today is starco week woo!

godlegend; haha thank you so much

guest: I wanted a bonding moment between mother and daughter but given what's going on in nova vs right now, wasn't possible so i used here. its a great song and a great way to deal with anxiety

guest: aww im sorry. i do have fluff warnings sorry though. dont worry we all know you are a misunderstood bad girl haha i love this song too but i didnt realize how well it fit with my creation until i was working on the next chapter and my niece was playing Hercules. so random. it's so fluffy! and thank you so much. thanks for the review too

guest; i think pirate au killed a lot of people. got a lot of body orders.

big big big big big week people its starco week! and we have a official tumblr over starcoweek2. check it out because this and the following the week's stories are all those aus. honestly spatziline has so much awesome work, marionette-j2x, minthia-ren gave me a awesome nova picture, my friend hains-mae also has some. findoworld, anomalyah. sara over at instagram idrawcartoons1314

here on ff we got some awesome stuff that i seriously need to catch up on. across the multiverse by dalek prime (need to leave reviews) traveling together to striiker, everything wrong with: Star vs the forces of evil by lknmjh, everybody breaks a glass and an amazing welcome to mewni au by anonymims, truth? by jolleIQ, meet me in elysium by jennylovesjordon, STARFALL BY GOLFALPHAMIKE! Sweets by godlegend, the princess and the safe kid by PFTones3482, Comet vs the forces of evil from isavieve, i do have a new series but its more like exposure for writers who want to get feedback for their stories it's called Star vs oneshots and none of it is written by me aside the intros.

 **Story prompt of the day** : today we have the first prompt of starco week which is Angel and Demons au today. Honestly I'm a bit under the weather and this is probably my most chaotic and poor work but still it's mine and i am proud of it. I wanted to just play around with the idea of angels and demons. so i kinda went anime with this. Star is a reckless angel who doesn't quite fit into the norm of the composed, graceful angelic being and Marco is pretty nice for a demonic hell spawn. So what happens when these two meet on morally guiding shoulder duty? Well here it my best but I hope you enjoy it. Also keep an eye out for two special guest stars because why not.

so that's it for now, tomorrow hopefully will be another au. so sorry but due to starco week and starcoween, every other story is on break i mean like requests and i am so sorry i haven't been doing them. i will get to them i promise. but for now enjoy the ride. have a great week, i am going to keep freaking out over last week's episode and try to find today's episode. i own nothing and enjoy!

* * *

There was an exciting chattering that filled the sleek, polished white room as the rays of the sun glowed from beneath the fluffy, soft cloud floor, bringing a renew sense of purpose to the angelic beings that waited patiently for the day's orders.

"I'm just saying Jackie" One angel in particular aloud, her melodic voice fluttered playfully over the thundering noise "It's time to change that streak. Baby blue was nice but maybe it's time to go for a brighter color..."

The angel pursed her lips, the pink hearts on her cheeks crinkling from the gesture.

"yellow! Or maaaaaaybe a nice gold. Oh oh! Purple? Ah ah?"

Jackie shot the sun blonde haired, sky blue eyed angel a dirty look that was more joke than annoyed.

"Purple, me Star? Psst I don't think so."

Star pouted cutely, her yellow halo dipping low as she held her hands together and leaned forward "Buuuuuut why not?"

Jackie shook her head at Star's antics but neither of them could finish their conversation

The door opened with a gentle click that hushed the room at once.

The angels looked forward expectantly as the clack, clack, clack of footsteps approaching the podium set up directly in the middle of the room echoed dully off the reflective, perfect, bare walls.

"Good morning angels" The prim, proper, elegant voice of Archangel Moon Butterfly dressed in heavenly, otherworldly white and sliver robes replaced the sudden silence left behind "I trust we are ready to make the world a better place?"

The angels soundlessly nodded in response.

"WOOOOO! You know it!"

Star beamed happily even as every pair of eyes in the room fell directly upon her but rather feeling embarrassed or ashamed of her outburst, she cheerfully waved towards everyone, the smile never leaving her face.

Moon stared deadpanned at Star "Yes, alright. Today's assignments are as follows: Gabriel, Micheal and Raphael will be on Archangel duty. Please do remember to sheath your flaming swords as the eternal flames bill has increased this month. And Micheal, please refraining from too much smiting. Only the wicked and damned please."

A trio of manly, overly excited voices cried out loudly without warning as three of the burliest, most handsome men stood up, pointing and gesturing to each other dramatically

"DUDES!"

"Duuuuuuudes!"

"BROS! LET'S GET JUSTICING!"

Moon rubbed her eyes tiredly as the trio of angels fell through the cloudy floor, their elated cheers still ringing from far below.

"Right then" Moon said with a hint of irritation in her voice "Where were we? Ah yes . Elijah, Wood, Nicholas, Alfonso, Angelica, Raymundo, Kim, Shinji, Al, Kyle, Jackie. Guardian angels. No starting fights with demons. Buddha is not happy over the last time."

More excited chatter as the named beings descended towards Earth with full haste.

Moon's gaze fell on Star who jitter uncontrollably in her seat.

"..." Moon glanced at Star thoughtfully.

Star's smile widen, her eyes bright as she leaned forward in her seat.

"...umm..." Moon began, unsure what to do with her most...energetic angel.

"Ah?" Star leaned further out of her seat.

"Umm..."

"AHHHH?"

"...Star..."

Star let out a joyful gasp, her pure white wings extended against her will.

"...shoulder angel duty."

"What?!" Star cried out as she jumped to her feet "Nooooo not shoulder duty! That's sooooo boooooooring"

"Star" Moon quietly scolded "As boring as it may be, it is still an essential job of an angel's duty. If you are not there to help the humans and guide them away from the demonic influence, well bad things happen."

"But moooooooooom" Star whined childishly "Shoulder duty is for the younger angels. I am 10,000 years old! All you ever give me nowadays shoulder duty, shoulder duty, shoulder duty. Don't you remember when you gave me a guardian job? I did a great job!"

"Julius Caesar would like to disagree." Moon replied coolly

Star shifted guiltily "I stopped...the first one..."

Moon let out an exhausted sigh "Star, we are not discussing this. Now" Star frowned as Moon pulled the paper away from the printer and handed Star a list of names "Here's a list of people you need to watch over. Nothing too difficult."

"Fiiiiiiiine" Star whined while slipping through the floor effortlessly, her movements dejected and slow "Shoulder angel duty is the worst."

* * *

Kristoff stared blankly at the money he held in his hand, his cup of coffee untouched as the noises of the cafe blanketed his swirling, conflicted thoughts.

The morning hadn't started great: His car refused to start this morning forcing him to race for the nearest bus station half a mile away and as he sprinted madly through the streets, it began raining without warning despite the weather man's declaration it was going to be sunny all day.

Of course, as he wildly dashed across campus, he found himself staring at locked doors and a sign that read that the science building was undergoing maintenance and that class had been canceled. Only then did his phone beep and alerted him to the fact that the professor had sent an email the night before telling the students about the situation and not to come.

Kristoff decided to get a cup of coffee to help ease this horrible start to the day. Of course he stood the entire time as every table was taken and ended up waiting 20 minutes for his simple drink due to a misspelling the cashier made. It wasn't really his fault he wasn't paying attention for "Kristopher" to be called.

His luck changed for the better when a rather cute red headed girl left her little cozy seat tucked in the corner, freeing a spot for him to sit.

However, taking this particular seat came with a particular problem.

As he motioned to clear the little bits pieces of paper left behind by the girl, he unfurled piece of paper he mistook for his own receipt.

What he found instead was the girl's receipt with 15 dollars folded within.

Kristoff grumbled aggravated, the duality of the problem pulling at him from two different directions.

Part of him wanted to keep it. Cash was cash and as a struggling college student, he needed it. His loans and scholarships barely covered his schooling and housing and any little bit of extra cash was always a good thing.

But at the same time, he couldn't really just take the money could he? It wasn't his and while there was no guarantee if he left behind that the girl would return for it, there was always the odd chance it could happen.

Kristoff sighed dramatically, rubbing his eyes anxiously as he tried to figure what to do.

"Psst, hey" A soft, flute-like voice called to him.

Star's tiny figure appeared on Kristoff's shoulder under a rain of glorious light. Her gown pure white as her halo shone with a heavenly glow, her wings outstretched as she made herself comfortable.

Kristoff turned to the angelic being, utterly and completely confused to what he was seeing.

"Umm..." Kristoff glanced around the room, wondering anyone else was seeing what he was seeing but no one seemed to be pay him any mind.

"Hiiii" Star greeted with excitement, her tiny hand waving back and forth "I'm Star!"

"..."

"And I'm here to help you make the right choice!" Star nodded enthusiastically, completely ignoring the lack of response she'd gotten.

"umm...okay..." Kristoff muttered dumbly, still confused what was going on.

"Don't worry" Star comforted "You are not going crazy. I'm just here to help you make the correct ethical choice! Once you made up your mind, you'll forget allllll about me"

"...so...those shoulder angel things from cartoons are real?"

Star shot him a thumbs up "Yep! Though this is real life Kristoff, not some silly cartoon."

"Okay..." Kristoff replied slowly before turning to his empty shoulder "Umm...isn't there supposed to be another one?"

Star stared across to the other shoulder where there was no sign of the demon appearing.

"Huh..." Star pursed her lips "yeah actually. Umm...I guess they're running late?"

Kristoff stared quizzically at Star "That's possible?"

"Well yeah, we got a lot of these things to do mister. You aren't the only one struggling with ethical and moral decisions."

Kristoff wondered if he should get himself checked into a mental hospital when he heard the crackling of flames, his cheek warm as another small figure appeared on his free shoulder.

The figure stood proudly before bending over, coughing loudly as he spat out lungfuls of smoke and brimstone from his mouth.

"Oh man, they weren't kidding when they said hold your breath." The newcomer wheezed as he kept coughing out an alarming amount of thick, black mist.

Star made her way across Kristoff's shoulders, reaching her antithesis and began helpfully patting his back in hopes to help him loosen all that soot and grime.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" The demon cried, trying to maintain a composed image.

Her opponent wore a jet black suit with a red vest and tie, his demonic bat wings folded and tucked underneath his classy attire.

Star braced herself as the demon began to turn towards her. Unlike angels, demons tended to be more Tim Burton in appearance rather than the Disneysque representation angels possessed.

Star expected snarling, protruding fangs, faint pale skin, blood red or empty eyes with numerous piercings, tattoos and metal all over their face with two sharp and rather unbecoming horns rising from their skulls. And they were also very rude.

What she found instead was a rather handsome face with light brown pupils that seemed to pierce right through Star. His horns were small, growing from his forehead but hardly larger than a thumb.

"Oh" Star said, unable to contain her surprise "Oh hi! I'm Star!"

Star offered her hand, more out of habit than anything. Demons were never polite and always snickered at any attempts angels made to be civil with them. Still, Star was a good angel and an angel always tries.

The demon blinked in surprise before taking her hand gently and shaking it politely "Hi, I'm Marco."

"Umm..." Star muttered, unsure how to response next. A demon being polite?

"Right. Well since you seem much better from your dramatic entrance, I suppose we should get started?"

Marco nodded in agreement "sounds good to me."

Star backed away towards her side of Kristoff, slightly unnerved by the demon's nondemonic responses.

"Right!" Marco said confidently "What are we doing?"

Star leaned forward, staring at Marco in disbelief "Umm, helping pull Kristoff here to our side of morality: Selfish or selfless."

"Right" Marco nodded, his face nervous and lost "Right, of course! Of course. I knew that."

"Did you?"

Marco didn't reply to Star but rather whispered into Kristoff's ear "So...don't do what the angel told you."

"Umm" Kristoff began "So...I should keep the money?"

"Yes!" Marco cried a little too much with excitement "Let's keep that cash."

Star rolled her eyes and smiled towards Marco. This was his first time. No wonder he didn't know what he was doing or why he was so polite with her.

"I would to remind you" Star said with an unfamiliar and alien stern edge "That keeping the money is a very selfish thing to do. It isn't yours. It belongs to someone else."

"Why not?" Marco cut in "We're not hurting anyone if we do."

Star chuckled, shaking her head in disappointment: What a typical demon answer.

"I mean you _are_ going to spend it sooner or later. It'll help the economy"

Star gazed forward blankly, once again caught off by the demon's response.

"So there's no harm" Marco continued to rationalize "You're going to lose that money anyway. Sooner or later, you are going to use it and then you won't have it but someone else will. Money is traded all the time. Is this really any different?"

"I-it is!" Star stammered in "You did not earn this money and as a hard working student, you know how much every little penny can be worth."

"As a college student" Marco countered "You know how much of a blessing this is. Extra cash? Always a plus."

Star scoffed at Marco's choice of words "Hey! Don't drag my terminology into this!"

Marco shrugged casually "It's a language, you don't own it."

"Ugh, seriously?"

"yeah" Marco glanced at Star, taking in how cute she looked when she was angry.

Star glared Marco, clenching her fists tightly before taking a calm deep breath. An angel does not act unbecoming. An angel is refined, graceful and elegant.

"Look" Star started over "You can't take the money. It is not yours therefore spending it would be a bad thing."

"Not spend money?" Marco questioned "That's not how it works angel."

"Look Marco" Star replied harshly "Stop using your demonic tricks."

"Logic is a trick?"

"It's not logical!" Star shouted, stamping her foot angrily on Kristoff's shoulder.

Kristoff coughed awkwardly "It...it kinda is."

Star let out a frustrated growl. This wasn't working! She couldn't beat Marco using the same old angel tactics. Which meant only one thing.

Time to Star it up.

"You are right" Star stated simply "Money is meant to be used buuuuuut there is a different between using it on yourself and using it for others."

Kristoff shifted guiltily at Star's words.

"Taking that money and using it for your personal gain is selfish" Star explained, patting Kristoff's cheek gently "but maybe you can give it to someone else? Buy someone a drink, give it as a tip. Oh, oh! Maybe donate it! Leaving it behind means you never know what will happen to that money but if you use it for the benefit of others...well..."

Star smiled softly at Kristoff

"You know it went to a good cause because you were the good in the world and you pass it on! You make rainbows and sunshine seem more beautiful."

Marco opened his mouth to speak but Star turned around to face him, pulling off her halo and replacing it with a devil horn headband. She did not want to give him a chance to turn this around.

"Heeeey" Star playfully mocked "I'm Marco! I'm a super cute smart demon. I got this mole on face. I'm really clever but Star totally got me just now. I think she's super cool."

Star giggled towards her demon foe.

"Yeah...actually."

Star stared at Marco who returned her gaze with a smile.

"No, you got me Star. I mean you took my argument and totally used it against me. I lost." Marco answered Star's unasked question humbly "If he takes the money, he can do good with it and if he doesn't, then well he didn't take what wasn't his. I lost."

"umm...you didn't want to win?" Star asked, unable to keep the confusion out of her question.

"Win?" Marco looked unsure of what Star meant "Win what? They told me just to mess with you. That's what we demons do."

"mess with me?" Star repeated "Wait, you were just messing with me?! You didn't want to morally corrupt his soul?"

"Umm...no" Marco answered slowly "That's what you thought I was doing? No, the DMV oh the Demonic Manual Victorious always said just to make them do selfish things. Nothing about morally corrupting them or anything. I mean everyone does selfish things once in a while but that doesn't make them bad people."

"Mom told me you guys wanted to ruin humanity..." Star whispered

Marco shrugged "Not us. We haven't done that in like ages."

Star couldn't help but look at Marco, wondering if somehow she and the others had been wrong about demons.

Kristoff was unsure how to response to the sudden silence he now found himself surrounded but before he could ask the otherworldly beings on what he should do, the chime of the cafe door opening filled his ears and he couldn't help but gulp nervously.

The cute red haired girl had returned, eyes slightly in a panic.

Star and Marco stood quiet as the girl rushed over to Kristoff, panting and desperately trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry" the girl anxiously said "I don't mean to bother you but..umm...have you seen a receipt? With some money in it?"

Kristoff looked down at the receipt he held in his hand but he didn't see the money. He didn't see the conflict that plagued him for the last few minutes or the possible corruption of his soul.

He saw a name.

Kristoff looked up, staring the girl in her bright blue eyes and noticing the splash of freckles across her face.

"Umm...Anna?"

Anna breathed a sigh of relief as she let out an ear splitting cheer "YES! THAT'S! Oh" Anna shrunk under the sudden glares from the other patrons "Sorry...yes that's me!"

Kristoff handed her the money and receipt without another thought, grateful that temptation was finally away from him.

"Oh thank you so much!" Anna wrapped her arms around him gratefully before quickly letting go "Oh, sorry, sorry! I...I tend not to respect personal boundaries."

Kristoff laughed, something that slipped out without him realizing it.

"That's okay. That's fine...umm...did you want to sit down?"

Anna seemed surprised at Kristoff's question "Who me? Well of course me...right?"

Anna glanced behind to see if the blonde hair man was talking to someone else.

"I mean you red."

"Okay! Sure. If you don't mind of course."

"I did ask.

"Oh right...hee sorry."

Marco and Star stood next to each other, taking in the sight of Kristoff and Anna attempting to make small talk.

"So..." Star began after a moment of silence "Is this my win or yours?"

"Hmm" Marco answered "I'm not really sure. I mean he gave back the money so he's being selfless buuuuut keeping the money this long and deciding what to do about it is what allowed Anna to come back, it stalled him. Umm...tie, I guess?"

Star looked at Marco.

"So...are you on shoulder duty?" She asked innocently.

Marco pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Star.

It was nothing like Star's printed out, perfectly inked schedule. Marco's was handwritten, scrawled beautifully on regular old writing paper.

Eric and Ariel, Belle and Adam, Al and Jas.

There was no doubt: they were both on the same shoulder duty.

Star looked to Marco and offered her hand.

"I'm Star Butterfly." Star said with a grin.

Marco took her hand gently once again "Marco Diaz."

"So..." Star said with a mischievous smirk, her devil horns just under her halo "Wanna ditch our jobs and hang out?"


	90. My little princess (Starco week, Nova vs

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here,l still alive! Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews. they make my day and seriously they cheered me up when i was sick.

a special thanks to axis25- thank you so much for your comment on tumblr. It was so much fun to write and there's something really special for the prompt. thank you for your kind words and your work is equally amazing! seriously great work!

sonicelite- haha i was really tempted to throw harambe in heaven but it felt...not right? i guess. STARCO WEEK YEAH! AND no worries, i am glad you enjoyed it regardless if you weren't a fan of frozen. I was debating on who to use but it came down to a coin toss because i was just too tired. Don't worry logical sassy marco will return because it was too much damn fun to write. and i hope you enjoyed the pirate story! and don't worry, we all need time to ourselves. these stories aren't going anywhere.

camilpa- haha of course! i wish i did it on time but between babysitting and being sick, it was too much for me. here's another with more to come.

sir starcoshipper- haha great song, the stories are alive with caaaaaameos. an animated version of this would be awesome. I haven't heard of her, got any recommendations

finn- thanks!

author smimph- haha yeah it was a lot of fun to marco a polite trickster i just toned down bad boy marco and made him more playful. yep starco week yay! thanks! i shall and you too, your stories are great i shall review soon enough (Especially the voodoo covy!)

princessxgilex- thank you for your review!

grim- haha well star and marco are a part of the disney family. she is a disney princess!

lavendermoonrose- im so happy you enjoyed it! it was one of my favorite aus and there is for sure a part 3 on the way. I couldn't resist, the idea of angel star and demon Marco was too much for me to pass up

CLM88: haha yeah it was because i was sick so i felt disconnected from the story. yeah the prompts are shorter because it just fits better for starco week and its easier on me. haha dude bros! and cameos everywhere! will do!

h mae- haha yay! Shoulder angel and demon for the win!

guest sorta: angel star and Marco the demon say yes too

tora- jaja quiero hacer un sueño por episodio (que era demasiado lindo) no se preocupe es muy pronto después de la semana Starco y la piratería starcoween vendrá de nuevo.

jjmmllol: I am deeply honored and confused but honored!

anoymims: haha awesome! *high five* i wanted to do something different for Starco week and no one was talking shoulder angel and demon and i was like it was funny with kronk, let me give it a shot. dont worry! you can turn it in late! its all good and you're doing great work right now. aww thanks for your kind words and your awesome writing talent too! it was great. haha of course!

thundermist- haha are they really out of character for star and marco though? hmm? haha nice dance *claps* maybe ill come back to the angel and demon au it was fun and it's clear they're going to be friends. will do! *Salutes *

majinbuu7985: I'm really glad you liked nova and connor, they are my pride because wow that was a surprise and i'm also really proud of the steampunk au too. hmm in order. you can pm for the kingdom hearts au but honestly that's on the maybe pile since well its kingdom hearts. it be several parts to do it justice. as for your idea that sounds pretty cool! i really like it. ill add it to the request pile...oh god the request pile. i really need to shorten it. thanks for your review!

minthia- SURPRISE! haha sorry i wanted to do something different and this seem liked a good idea. i wanted to switch it up because i like playing with cliches and troupes. haha you could always design them without my story because for now it is a maybe though if i do, you will be among the first people i tell! thank you so much for the nova drawing. it was great and really made me happy :)

honestly there's so much great stuff on tumblr. from starcoweek2 to spatziline, minthia-ren, marionette-j2x, hains-mae, artgirllullaby, atomicmangos, seddam's funny responses. seriously just go to tumblr and check out sara over at idrawcartoons1314.

for story, go see axis2500 on tumblr for some great starco week stories and a very awesome and totally canon for Don't play with your food au i did here. thanks axis! artgirllullaby who also did great work for starco week also on tumblr. here on ff is more great work from anonymims little talks i highly recommend, you read dimension of infinite tales by author smimph who has numerous updates including a really cute covy story (GREAT WORK YOU TWO!), traveling together from striiker, the fall of butterfly from the Canadian infernape, the princess' guard from camilapia (I will leave a review sooN!) across the mutliverse from dalek prime, sweets from godlegend. last goodbye from H mae.

 **Story prompt of the day:** starco week pregnancy. Basically, this is canon nova vs. What happens when Marco and Star find out the magical princess is pregnant! its short, its sweet and i hope you like because starco week prompts are shorter.

Well that's it for now, working on the next prompt. have an amazing week, stay awesome all of you and thank you so much for all the support. it means a lot to me. seriously have a hug *hug* please enjoy!

* * *

"Maaaaaaarco" Star's sweet voice called from nowhere, soft and gentle as Marco turned in his sleep. He could see Star smiling brightly at him, her hearts faintly glowing with embarrassment even after all this time. Her sky blue eyes gleaming with affection whenever she stared his way and only focused on him.

"Maaaaaarco" her voice cooed again

Hee Star, Marco dumbly replied, his lips tugged into a smile at the thought of his beautiful girlfriend.

"MARCO DIAZ!"

Marco's eyes snapped open as someone shook him violently, snapping him from his slumber and into the waking world.

Marco groggily rose to a sitting position, rubbing at his eyes tiredly as the shaking ceased at once, replaced with a deep yet eager breathing.

Marco's blurry vision cleared to reveal Star as the person who decided to disturb his sleep, grinning contently his way.

Marco could feel his cheeks blush at the sight of his girlfriend of 2 years, trying not to get overwhelmed by her natural cuteness: From the way she sat, knees bent and hovering over her heels with her hands impatiently placed on her thighs to the messy state of her gold blond hair. Even her sleepwear (A gray undershirt stolen from Marco and her pink shorts) was too adorable for the 19 year old young adult.

"Star?" Marco yawned, still trying to rid the sleep from his eyes "What is it? You never wake me up this early"

Marco glanced at the alarm clock, wondering what could be so important that she was willing to wake up at 7 in the morning to wake him. On a Saturday.

Marco was 90% sure Mewmians, or at least Star, could not wake up before 10 on a weekend.

Marco let out a silent yawn, stretching the tension from his body as he waited for Star's answer.

"I'mmmmm pregnant!"

Marco's throat seized up, shutting off precious air from flowing into his lungs and causing him to choke in surprise.

"I know right?" Star beamed, blissfully ignorant of what she had done to the safe kid.

Marco coughed violently, his light brown eyes widened in shock as he tried to clear his airway.

"I?! WE?! WHA?! PREG!? STAR!"

"I'm so excited!" Star clapped enthusiastically "We're going to be parents Marco!"

"HOW!?" Marco finally managed get out, words spurting from lack of control

Star shook her head disbelievingly "I cannot believe you forgot about last week! Our romantic getaway."

"Umm..." Marco could feel his his cheeks redden as the memory of their 2 year anniversary filled his head.

"Remember? Dancing, dinner? Romantic walk on the beach? Romantically kicking Ludo's butt? After battle victory drinks?"

Marco was slowly burning up as more and more of the evening crept into his head, vivid details not even his drunken stupor could erase.

"Kissing in the elevator, kissing in the hallway, kissing me against our hotel door, you biting my..." Star went on, unaware how her words were affecting Marco.

"That's enough sweetie!" Marco stopped the princess at once, nervously chuckling before "I...I remember."

"Good" Star huffed, arms crossed angrily "Because I would be very sad if you didn't remember our special night."

Marco chuckled nervously "of course not Star...but...I...I thought I used a..."

"Nope!" Star cheerfully, nuzzling her boyfriend lovingly "Aren't you excited? We're going to be parents!"

Turns out safe kid wasn't so safe.

Star's smile was nearly infectious and while Marco replied her grin with one of his own, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of fear and unreadiness.

They were just 19 years old! They were still young and they had only started dating 2 years ago! And Marco was barely starting college! True Star pretty much spent her days either relaxing at home or on days she was really affectionate, following Marco to school simply to be with him.

But this wasn't a school assignment hectically rushed to completion in the 11th hour. This wasn't some random foray into another dimension for a treat or adventure.

This was parenthood, a journey and task that only the most stalwart and brave dared attempt. He would be caring, raising and teaching a person. A little tiny person who would look to him for guidance and strength, for care and comfort, for wisdom and knowledge. Who, one day, would grow into their own adult with their own values, morals and ideas.

AND THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TRUST MARCO WITH A CHILD?!

True he took care of Buff Frog's children from time to time but that was only for a short while and Buff Frog himself had outlined the needs of his children which Marco and Star, more or less (Mostly less), followed.

But he had no idea how to take care of a human...er...Mewnman? Humewman baby?

Oh god, their baby was half Mewman, half human. What did that mean? What exactly did that entail to? Were there unknowable complications? Were Star and himself even compatible in the whole...well yeah. Would the baby be safe? Would Star be safe?! Was there anyone who could help make sense of this because his parents were human and Star's parents were Mewnian so asking them wasn't exactly going to help.

Oh god, his parents! How were they going to react? Were they going to kill him? Were they going to really kill him? WERE THEY GOING TO KILL HIM FOR BEING A YOUNG PARENT?!

OH NO...what about Star's parents?! River was just warming up to him and while Moon was...well Moon, he assumed Moon always considered him warmly. He did survive the Mewnian guardian who tested his love for Star once the two began dating (Though he was still a little sore about the lack of warning from the royal family about that event.) Was River going to hunt him for sport? Was Moon going to order the royal guard to force him to wear wet socks for the rest of his life?

Marco began to hyperventilating. Too many unknowns, so much he was not ready for. He couldn't do this. He wasn't ready to be a father even if Star was going to be a fun, amazing mother. He didn't want to ruin his child's life simply because he wasn't up to the task of raising them. It wasn't fair to them...

Marco jumped as Star gently cupped Marco's cheek, holding him lovingly as she quieted his thunderous, jumbled thoughts and fears with a simple kiss.

Marco stared blankly towards Star, allowing her to hold him close and comfort him amidst his worries.

"Marco" Star whispered gently, running her hand through his hair "Don't overthink this and don't sell yourself short. Our child was made with love, a love that has been tested throughout the years even when we didn't realize it. You are the smartest, kindest, coolest guy in the world and I love you. Everyone needs a Marco..." Marco could feel his heart beat wildly as Star embraced him tightly, whispering into his ear softly "and I am so happy I found mine."

Marco took a deep relaxing breath, allowing Star to keep her hold on him.

She was right. Maybe it'd be tough, there was no way to know if he was doing this right but he had to try. That's all he can do. Try and trust in himself. Isn't that all anyone could do? Just try.

What's the worst that could happen?

 _1_ _st_ _month_

Marco could feel the beads of sweat run down his forehead, his breath ragged as he struggled to fill his lungs with air, his cheeks crimson while he avoided eye contact with everyone he could.

"Marco! That is wonderful news!" Mr. Diaz said with a cheer, squeezing his son further with excitement "You are going to be a father!"

Marco fell to the floor as Rafael released his grip on Marco, gasping with realization while turning to his wife happily "We're going to be grandparents!"

"Oooooh" Angie beamed "Grandparents! We can finally start knitting!"

"Mom" Marco rolled his eyes, wishing they held off telling the parents the good news a bit longer "You already knit."

"But now we can knit for babies again!" Angie clapped eagerly.

"Umm...right" Marco weakly muttered, his bravery finally setting in as he turned to his his maybe future in laws.

While the Diaz's joy was unbound and proudly on display, the Butterfly's were far more passive. Their faces were set indifference, unmoving ever since Star blurted out that she was pregnant.

There was an awkward cough among the squealing and joyful celebrating of Marco's parents, a cough Marco knew was directed at him.

"So..." River began slowly, eyes narrowing as he focused on Marco "My daughter is...with child, is she?"

Marco gulped nervously "Y-yeah...umm..."

"..."

Marco couldn't help but tennis back and forth between River and Moon, the tension in the room growing despite his efforts to remain calm and Star's giggles as she hopped happily with Angie and Rafael, hands clasped together tightly.

"I SAY!" River broke the silence, trapping Marco in a sudden and bone crunching hug "YOU ARE GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL FATHER, right dear?"

Moon pursued her lips, her mind whirling with countless thoughts. While she was happy she was going to be a grandmother, this union came with a few complex problems. Namely the legitimacy of Star's child's claim to the throne. Earth was not involved in the interdimensional alliance Mewni was a part of and there was no guarantee that the other royals would accept both Earth or Marco as Star's suitor and future husband. They were already clamoring for Star to return to Mewni as her training with the royal wand was complete.

But as Moon stared at the others within the room, the unrestrained joy and happiness that filled everyone, she couldn't bring herself to voice her concerns to the others. She did not want to ruin this moment. This is a beautiful point in her life and she wanted to enjoy despite the rigid upbringing sowed deeply in her behavior.

"So...you and my daughter have proceeded to _that_ part of your relationship, hmm?"

Marco stared at Moon like he was a deer cornered in the hypnotic beam of a jellybean trap, looking lost, sheepish and embarrassed, fidgeting anxiously under Moon's calm gaze.

Moon snickered mentally. It was so easy and too much fun to mess with her future son-in-law.

 _4 months_

"Star?" Marco peeked his head into the living room, eyes scanning for the long blonde mane that belonged to his girlfriend but unable to find her within "STAAAAAR! Lunch is almost ready!"

No response.

Marco frowned, rolling his eyes as he placed his oven mitts onto the counter before entering the room himself.

"Star? Where are you?" Marco called into the empty house "You wanted lunch, you begged and pawed me for it and now you've gone missing? I guess I'm eating it allllll."

"NO!" Star's childish response came from the side where the princess was laying in wait, no doubt ready to ambush an unsuspecting Marco with a loving hug and kiss.

Marco smiled as Star bounced her way towards him, her stomach slowly growing as the months to the birth of their child approached. It was hard to believe in a short while, a new life would be living in the Diaz household.

"Maaaaarco!" Star cried, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling her cheek against his neck "So we're eating chocolate ice cream right?"

"No Star, you need to lay off the sugar."

"What's that? More sugar?"

"No Star."

"Buuuuut Marco! I WANT SUGAH!"

Marco could feel his cheeks burn as Star planted a light kiss onto the crook of Marco's neck, biting him gently before pulling away.

Marco turned around only to fall victim for a waiting Star's puppy dog pout, her oceanic blue eyes ensnaring him into a hypnotic daze.

There was a moment of wills, a clash of intentions between the karate safe kid and the bubbly magical princess with neither willing to back down.

Well...

"Fine!" Marco shouted in defeat "We can have chocolate ice cream."

"YAY!" Star cheered, wrapping herself around Marco's neck once more.

Marco chuckled despite losing. Star was just too cute and so far the journey to parenthood has been rather easy.

They totally got this.

 **9 months**

"I don't got this, I don't got this, I don't got this" Marco muttered quickly under his breath as Star's pained yells filled the hospital air, the staff and Marco rushing through the building halls with Star moments away from giving birth.

"MAAAAAARCO" Star cried, trying to keep the pain from her voice but failing horribly

"It's okay Star" Marco answered, squeezing Star's hand in comfort "It's okay, I'm here, I'm here!"

No sooner then when he said those words, Marco was stopped by a pair of burly looking orderlies, their eyes sympathetic though they still barred Marco's path.

"Excuse me, I need to get in there" Marco viciously told the pair of men

"Sorry sir" One of the pair replied quietly "Doctor's and nurses only beyond this point."

The rational part of Marco's brain knew this is how it was on Earth. It was nothing personal. He had seen this before when his older cousin Lisa was giving birth to his little niece Paula and he waited with a restless Juan in the waiting room.

Though at the time he understood what was going on, it was only now that he _understood_ what was going on.

Before, he couldn't understand Juan's fear, anxious pacing back and forth but today, he could relate. He realized why Juan was so torn at the separation between himself and Lisa.

Even for a few seconds, Marco felt helpless being so far from Star.

 **12 hours later.**

The rest of the Butterfly-Diaz clan arrived within an hour from Marco's text and Star's arrival but they had long since fallen asleep between then and now.

Marco couldn't. He couldn't relax enough to rest and even if he did, he knew he feel too guilty for doing so.

Right now, and given the amount of magical animals and rainbows illuminating the door frame and scurrying from within, Star was giving birth to their child.

Marco should've really taken Star's wand away from her.

"Mr. Diaz?"

Marco glanced towards disheveled looking yet composed nurse who appeared out of nowhere

"Umm..."

"Marco?"

"oh!" Marco quickly rose to his feet only to stumble in his haste "That's me! I...umm is Star..."

"Of course" the nurse gave a reassuring smile "You may see her now."

* * *

Marco could feel his eyes tear up as he walked into the room, Star giving him a wide yet tired smile, gently rocking a heavily wrapped bundle in her arms while motioning for Marco to come closer.

Marco approached slowly, hesitatingly as if his presence alone would upset their child. Marco thought about leaving just in case but Star recognized Marco's train of thought.

"Oh please Marco, get over here and hold your child! I'm getting really sleepy."

Marco took the little child from his loving girlfriend. Star let her arms drop, laying back against her pillow and falling into a deep sleep, the stress of the day finally taking its toll on the future queen of Mewni.

Marco smile softly at the pinkish face of their beautiful child, a small tuff of light brown strains on its head, two tiny pink hearts gracing either cheek.

"Sir?" the nurse tugged at Marco's sleeve "Do you have a name for your new little girl?"

"Girl.." Marco could feel his heart swell up "She's a girl...she's a beautiful girl..."

"Sir? A name?"

"Chocolate..." Star muttered in daze, chewing on her pillow hungrily.

"Ignore her" Marco chuckled at Star's antics though his eyes never left his little girl's face.

Then, without warning, brown met electric blue as the baby opened her eyes, seeing her father the first time and letting out a low, murmur gurgling giggle before shutting her eyes once more, not yet having the strength to keep her eyes open for long periods of time.

Marco thought long and hard, wondering what would be the perfect name be for such a wonderful gift. An amazing child. One look and Marco was in love all over again.

Marco looked to Star's sleeping form, her smile cluing him in on that type of dream she was having.

"Sir?" the nurse asked once more.

"Nova" Marco said with a nod, rocking the little princess of Mewni to sleep "Her name is Nova."


	91. Marco, I (Starco week, confession)

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here hoping you had a great week and keeping have awesome days. Thank you for every single follow, review and favorite. they make my day and make so proud to be a writer :)

a special thanks to NaisuAisu: umm...*looks at the giant sign that says Starco served here with side helpings of covy* well...it's kinda my thing. and as a word of warning, this one is fluffy. but i hope you enjoy anyway! please sign here to get your starco insured new body.

thudermist- haha I think Star would've named Nova chocolate given how tired she was. luckily Marco was still awake. I'm glad you liked it! and yes even Marco can take risks. this is actually canon btw.

Author smimph- aww i'm glad! everyone loves an origin story haha jk. I like to think Moon is just a more reserved Star, far more reserved but still starish in her behavior. and come on, what parent wouldn't mess with their child's romantic interet. it was 2 weeks ago but they're taking stories regardless so dont worry about being late. awesome and great work you two! keep it up!

Finn: thanks! im glad you enjoyed I figured it was a good time to add in the nova prequel

guest sorta; haha i know right?

shadowgem: don't worry, these stories aren't going anywhere and meant to be enjoyed at any time! haha Im really glad you enjoyed this story. it was so much fun to write. haha aww little nova, so cute. articstics did this super adorable picture of nova and her parents you can find on tumblr. articstics on tumblr. and i think moon is more like star than she lets on

infamousx321: yep, it's the standard starco warning on the label

princessxgilex; thank you for your review! I appreciate it :)

anoymims: aww *hands you tissue* i'm glad you liked it :) yeah i figured marco and Star might be young parents given how natural their chemstiry is. Plus it let me keep them in the story and still be able to do things in Nova's timeline. and realistically, i think anyone would panic even no matter how confident they are. and an eternal thank you for your supportive reviews :)

Starco shipper: haha yep! nova begins, literally. haha me too i ate alot then i got into marching band haha so? you can still be siblings with Star butterfly for she does not care! she might try to get you out of your shell though. okay awesome I'll keep an eye out for it. oh man 10 already? time flies. starcoversy, nice! bye for now!

Majiinbuu: haha i was actually planning a story where nova and Connor face Ludo for the first time ever and why Ludo doesn't come around the Diaz household (Spoiler alert, marco pretty much beat them into the ground brutally as you predicted) so no worries that chapter is a thing i'm just spacing nova chapters out because i don't think it's fair to give her so many chapters in a row given she's an oc. that idea of Marco's family joining flags sounds pretty sweet and I didn't think of it. I'll add it to the list of maybe in the future. thanks!

grim; haha it was mentioned in passing in a nova chapter though they lied to nova and said they were married first then had nova. Don't want her to get any ideas.

godlegend: haha its okay and there's more coming

minthia: aww thank you and yeah it's a normal side effect from starco stories. you're covered by starco insurance. haha riiiight sure you're kidding about chocolate. maybe Nova's child will be chocolate Butterfly. after their sibling galaxy *if a boy* or Annabelle (if a girl) no thank you! it was a great drawing i loved it so. Bernadette did a great design making her hair into twintails *something i hadn't thought of at the time* that is still a very excellent picture. I mean i can't even draw that well. trust me i can't ooooh i cant wait to see it but i will because no rush. Oooh that's pretty epic and i hope to see them. hmm i think Marco's keyblade would probably be a knight style blade or perhaps a japanse katana or kendo stick. karate doesn't really do weapons. I shall and i'll let you know whenever i get around to it.

cartoonlover; it's alright, the stories aren't going anywhere haha scream all you want, have some water for your throat when it dries out. haha those were pretty awesome to write. haha yay!

the sassy syleon: thank you so much and i greatly appreciate the review! i actually have but there's a writer working on a pokemon story and i don't want to steal their thunder. later for sure I shall pokemon it up! probably first gen. oooh make a laser puppy pokemon but ill keep it in mind. Honestly it's hard to choose. all these stories were personal challenges and request and each one helped me grow in different ways. each was so much fun to write. I love them so much though pirates, undertale, Ladybug and steampunk were so much fun to write. the idol and the nutcracker too!

seriously for starco stuff go to tumblr. just gooooo starcoweek2, atomicmangos, areablog (Which is adult) seddm, axis2500, weather-art, spatziline, marionette-j2x, artgirllullaby , hains-mae, anomalyah, articstics, minthia-ren. sara over on instagram at idrawcartoon1314

on FF we have some amazing stories little talks from anoymims, youth spell from Marionettej2x, long live (song inspired) by camilapa. classics i recommend are axis25's nothing comes easy, you're my wish come true from fanficitiondayz, starfall from golfalphamike. and oh! and a story on wattpad called Dynamics: Elite' by 'Adrian243 sorry it took me so long

 **Story prompt of the day:** Starco week lives within me and honestly you can still turn stuff in at the tumblr. So today's prompt confessions! Set in the canon universe after our favorite episode ever sleepover. Honestly I'm going to try to do all the prompts (i was thrown off being sick) but at the same time i want to do my starcoween which is why no stories except this one are being updated (also i'm kinda looking for another job sooo) so we shall see. but i hope you enjoy this one.

Well that's it for me, i got a few more things to do but i hope you all have an amazing week, stay awesome, keep up all your hard work! I believe in you! I own nothing and enjoy

* * *

Star Butterfly: Princess of Mewni, best friend to Marco Diaz, thief of the fable Ogre treasure, co-leader of the rebellion of Saint Olga's and generally adorable hurricane of badassery was not scared.

Star was never scared. Like ever. Like ever ever ever times infinite and a half with rainbow sprinkles ontop.

There _w_ _ere_ times she was unsure if what she was doing was correct, right or you know sane and there were moments were she would doubt herself but those moments passed quickly and Star Butterfly always charged full speed ahead, confident that everything would work out or, in the worst case scenario, Marco would always come to help her out.

Marco...

Star could feel her hearts warm at the mere mention of her best friend, her heart skipping a beat whenever she heard his name without warning (Which was often. Very, very often and usually escaping her own lips. Saying his name came very naturally to her.)

She had feelings for Marco.

Star was honest enough with herself to admit it (despite the fact she refused to share in front of everyone during the whole magical game gone wrong fiasco) but she didn't want to ruin everything with a little secret.

Marco managed to make some amazing and inspiring progress with Jackie. Star was certain if Jackie hadn't notice Marco before, she did now.

Which led to the little issues of Star's feelings.

She didn't want to tell Marco and over-complicate life but at the same time she really couldn't contain herself.

Star Butterfly was not the type of person who simply buried her emotions, never to reveal, show or even acknowledge their existence.

That was her mother.

No, Star was hugs first and ask permission never. The one who hovered into people's personal space far too often but no one cared because it's Star. That's how she do. Who was supportive and caring for everyone with only the best of intentions for them (Even if her execution was a little...lacking but that was alright! Marco would fix it)

Marco...

Star's blush worsened as she face palmed herself about her runaway thoughts.

It was happening more often these days, her rogue, unrestrained thoughts regarding her bestie. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she put into suppressing them, they always crept out of her control. She couldn't stop thinking about Marco.

Well living in the same house doesn't help buuuuut it doesn't not help either.

What was she going to do?

"Star?" Marco's soft voice called from the hall, his knock thudding dully against her bedroom door.

Star turned around as her lips tugged into a smile automatically, a joyful and bouncy emotion infecting Star's entire being while Marco made his way into her room, dressed for the day just as Star expected of him.

"Morning Marco!" Star greeted cheerfully, not caring if her hair was a mess and she was still groggy from just waking up a few minutes prior to Marco's arrival.

"Hey Star" Marco repeated with equal enthusiasm "You're up? It's like 6 in the morning on Saturday"

"Well" Star replied in a calm tone, shrugging off Marco's inquiry despite the fact she could feel her heart racing from Marco's presence alone "I just was really excited is all. It's Saturday! No school! YAY!"

Marco chuckled "I suppose you'll want me to cook breakfast, huh?"

Marco already knew the answer long before Star's puppy pout blast was shot his way: Star's sky blue eyes wide with mock tears, clutching her hands hopefully towards her bestie. The trembling of the lips was new and Marco pretended to resist the princess's efforts to charm him just a little longer.

Star looked pretty adorable.

"Okay" Marco rose his hands in surrender, prompting a cheer from the magical princess "I'll go cook breakfast"

"Ooooh, I'll watch!" Star chimed in quickly but before Marco could assure the princess that wasn't necessary, Star had already raced past him, hooking her arm around his before dragging him down the stairs at full speed.

"Star, you don't have to!" Marco yelled though he made no effort to pull away from the princess's grasp.

"of course I don't have to!" Star answered as they made their way to the kitchen "but I'm already up, so why not?"

"ugh" a voice moaned irritatedly from the dining room "I figured Star would be a morning person but you Marco? That's almost as surprising as your crush on Jackie"

Marco frowned in annoyance as Janna waved good morning to the teens, obviously dressed in his stolen pajamas.

Well, probably Marco's stolen pajamas. He was 95% sure Janna snuck in one day and stole them. One day they were there and the next he was forced to sleep in his gray undershirt and black sweats for the following few weeks.

Marco couldn't keep the suspicion out of his gaze when Star and him returned the good morning. While Marco more or less accepted Janna's presence in his life as a (don't tell her this) friend and Star's general approval of having Janna hang out with them, he was still unsure how she felt about Marco. Despite the fact Janna claimed otherwise, he was certain she had a crush on him and was the reason everyone was almost killed by the loose cannon truth or dare game.

Don't get him wrong, he was pretty flattered. If he was going to be honest, Janna was pretty cute and cool but Marco didn't feel that way towards her. Maybe in another life , if Jackie wasn't in the picture, he might have a crush on Janna but even then, Star would probably trump her without any effort.

Marco blushed at the idea of crush and Star in the same train of thought but before he could pursue it further, Janna spoke up in her soft, airy flirtatious tone.

"Well" Janna smirked smugly "aren't you going to cook breakfast Marco?"

Marco sighed "Janna, did you come just for free food?"

"No" Janna shook her head despite the mischievous edge her eyes held "As deputy mayor, it is my job to make sure the mayor, which is Star" Star waved when Janna motioned to her "Is doing good this fine, fair Saturday morning. If I get free food out of it, it's just a perk of the job"

Marco rolled his eyes, making his way to the kitchen to create breakfast for the trio.

Star plopped down at the table with Janna, excited to see the deputy mayor so early in the morning "Hi Janna! What are you doing here?"

"You know" Janna shrugged nonchalantly "Tormenting Marco, getting food, visiting you."

"Yay! Are you going to hang out with me and Marco today?"

"You sure?" Janna raised an eyebrow "I wouldn't want to impose on your alone time with Marco."

Star stared blankly at her deputy mayor, unsure what she was trying to imply.

"What?" Janna asked with a hint of confusion "aren't you crushing hard on Marco?"

Star felt the world slip from under her as she processed the words coming out of Janna's mouth.

"What was that?" Marco questioned, popping his head back into the dining room.

"Hmm? Oh I said that Star was crushing on..."

"Oskar Greason" Star filled in with giggle and loving sigh.

Marco was unsure what was going on and decided it wasn't worth burning the food to find out.

Star was all smiles and her usual self until Marco disappeared into the kitchen once more and then, without warning, she whirled to Janna, a mixture of fear and panic on her face.

"Why did you say that?!" Star asked in a hushed whisper.

"hmm?" Janna purred cockily "What's this? The mayor hasn't told her roommate she's crushing on him? Wait, you mean he doesn't _know_?"

"No!" Star said harshly "Why would he know?"

"Umm, have you seen you two? It's like looking at a Disney animated couple. I half expect you two to burst into a duet about expressing your feelings for each other."

"Janna, this is serious"

"What? I am being serious. You two are giving off major crushing hard vibes. Half the school sees it."

"The school?!" Star muttered anxiously "We're just friends Janna. Besides I like Oskar"

"Mhm" Janna was clearly not convinced "You know you're allowed to like more than one person right? It's not a crime."

"Janna..."

"Look princess, I'm not going to tell anyone but you might as well tell him. Sooner or later, it's going to eat at you and you're not the secret type."

"I know" Star sighed, looking towards the floor for some kind of answer "I mean...it's just...I...wait! How did you know I have a crush on him?"

Janna rolled her eyes "You know that whole heart and brain don't agree and all confused mature speech you gave? You are aware you looked right at _him_ when saying it. I'm surprised no one else noticed."

"Uggggggh" Star moaned, dropping her head onto the table with a mighty thud "I don't know what to do. I can't tell him I like him. He likes Jackie and now, Jackie knows it. Sooner or later, she's going to realize how awesome of a guy Marco is."

"You really think so Star?"

Star jumped up in surprised, completely horrified to find herself staring face to face with Marco, pink apron around his waist with a steaming plate of food as the delicious smell of eggs, chorizo and cooked beans filled the air.

"M-Marco!" Star squeaked, the overwhelming dread that her secret was out prevented her from acting normally.

"You okay Star?"

"Y-yeah" Star nodded shakily "Sorry you just surprised me is all."

"Oh, my bad" Marco apologized with the cutest sheepish smile, one that lit Star's cheeks ablaze "But do you really think so?"

"Umm..." Star looked towards Janna for help only to find a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

"You really think Jackie might like me back? I mean I am pretty smart and I totally kick monster butt but...I don't know..."

Star stared at Marco whose face was a brighter red than hers.

"Of course Marco!" Star patted his shoulder reassuringly "You are the coolest guy I know. Jackie probably is totally crushing on you. She seemed really impressed after you confessed your feelings."

Marco glanced away shyly, drop Star and Janna's plate with an expertise a well trained waiter would possess.

"Umm, Marco?" Janna questioned slowly "Is that all you heard?"

Star could've blasted Janna right there and then if she hadn't left her wand upstairs in her haste. She couldn't believe Janna would actually ask that! Even if Star was curious about Marco's response, she didn't want to know. Okay maybe a little.

"Umm...yes?" Marco replied, unsure if there was more to the conversation other than Star's support "Was there something else?"

"yep!" Star admitted "We were talking about your amazing cooking skills and how you should totally make something for Jackie."

"Oh!" Marco's blush became even redder "psst, that's easy. With my cooking skills, I'm sure Jackie would love anything I cooked for her."

The trio jumped at the sudden sound of knocking on the front door.

Star and Jackie shared a quizzical stare with one another as Marco made his way to open the door.

Marco was all smiles and confidence until he found Jackie to be the person on the other side.

"Jackie!" Marco's voice cracked, causing the poor latino to flush with embarrassment "I mean" A loud cough "Jaaaackie, hey."

Jackie giggled at Marco's antics, her blue eyes bright and eager.

"Hey Marco." Jackie greeted warmly "hi Star, hi Janna!"

"Heeeey Jackie!" Star replied happily

"S'up girl. What are you doing here?"

"Oh" Jackie fidgeted nervously "I'm here to ask Marco a favor."

Marco nodded instinctively before realizing what Jackie had said.

"Wait, me? Like me me?" Marco questioned, pointing to himself to clarify if Jackie really wanted to speak to him.

Jackie nodded "yeah. Like I need some help with math. I'm not bothering you guys, am I?"

Marco glanced backwards to Star who gave an encouraging thumbs up while Janna just shrugged and continued to eat her breakfast.

"No, of course not! I can totally help you with math" Marco muttered anxiously, wondering if there was any way to die from embarrassment.

"Cool" Jackie replied with a smile "I really appreciate this Marco."

"of course Jackie!" Marco chuckled queasily

"Cool, it's early so I'll come back around noon okay?"

"Sounds like a date" Marco beamed before popping his eyes out of his head "I mean like a study date. Er book date! Ugh, I mean math date! A date that isn't a date but like a tutoring date. I mean just a tutoring session!"

Marco covered his eyes, wishing Star would just narwhal blast him already.

Jackie laughed warmly at Marco prompting him to stare at her in surprise and slowly return her smile.

"I'll see you later Marco. Bye everyone!"

"BYYYYYYE JACKIE!"

"Bye"

"Bye Jackie..." Marco murmured dumbly as he shut the door.

Janna chuckled "Smooth Marco. I didn't think you could pull off the cute freak out but you did."

"Ooooh" Star cooed excitedly "Marco's got a date!"

"It's not a date" Marco said softly "I'm just helping her with math."

"It's a daaaaaaaate" Star replied in a sing song voice.

"It's not a..." Marco flinched "oh no! I need to get ready! She'll be back in 6 hours."

"umm Marco" Janna tried to catch his attention but he was already halfway up the staircase "MARCO! Calm down, don't overthink this."

"Oh man, my hair's a mess! And I can't wear my hoodie! I ALWAYS WEAR MY HOODIE! But what if that's what she likes. Does she like my hoodie? Ugh, where's the gel?"

"YOU GOT THIS MARCO!" Star called to the increasingly panicking Marco.

Janna stared at Star, taking in every inch of her face carefully before nodding, clearly impressed by what she found.

"Oh you are good" Janna said with a hint of respect "very good. Nearly fooled me"

"The secret is I want him to be happy" Star replied with a slightly plastered on grin

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur on fast forward. Marco hadn't come back down until 10 till noon though he wasn't much different than when he went up.

Marco claimed his spikes were perfectly 2 inches apart from one another (which apparently took him an hour or so) and he was wearing his fancy red hoodie which was a shade darker than his regular hoodie. A lighter gray shirt and darker green sneakers completed the look though if you asked Star, she would've said he looked as he always did: Cute.

Jackie was 3 minutes late which caused Marco to break down, fearful that Jackie didn't want to see him. Of course when Jackie had arrived and apologized for being late, Marco had waved it off, claiming it was no big deal despite the dramatic show he was performing just a few seconds before.

Star watched the pair awkwardly climb towards Marco's room. Marco offered to go somewhere else as not to bother Star but Star refused and reminded Marco if he wanted things to work with Jackie, he needed to pull off the same confidence he did during the truth or punishment game.

Star could feel her conflicting emotions pulling at her in two directions: She wanted to be with them, hang out and just you know, support Marco stuff. That was it.

But a part of her knew if she was with them, Marco wouldn't make any progress between him and Jackie. He would hide behind Star and try to escape the situation he put himself in and as much as Star liked him, she couldn't control him. His life was his to live.

Luckily Janna stuck around and distracted the princess from her warring viewpoints. The two spent most of the day playing with Star's magic outside and occasionally performing the odd prank or on unsuspecting people passing by on the street.

Nothing too malicious: Switching their chocolate ice cream to vanilla, causing their dogs to meow and phones to ring. Harmless stuff really.

Star was so caught up with her deputy mayor she hadn't realized Marco and Jackie had been alone for four hours straight and it wasn't until the pair came walking down the stairs, laughing in a whisper that she realized how much time had passed.

Marco walked Jackie to the door, handing her books back to her in true gentleman fashion.

"Thanks Marco" Jackie smiled brightly "You made it like really easy to understand."

"nah" Marco waved off Jackie's compliment "You knew what you were doing. You just forgot a step or two."

"In math that's like everything."

Marco shrugged "true."

The duo burst into laughter that was too natural to be rehearsed.

"I'll see you Monday. Bye Star!" Jackie called to the princess "Bye Janna" Jackie focused solely on Marco for a moment "Bye Marco..."

"Bye Jackie"

Marco closed the door calmly before collapsing against it, his body trembling.

"YAY!" Star beamed towards Marco as she closed the distance "you did it Marco! You hung out, with Jackie, aloooooone"

"I gotta admit" Janna said as she made her way over "I expected you faint right now."

"ha!" Marco confidently responded "I am a bad boy. It takes more than that to make me faint."

"riiiight, good job Marco" Janna was clearly unconvinced "Well, I gotta to go. See you guys later"

"Byeeee Janna!" Star waved as she opened the door for her deputy mayor.

Janna shot one last glance to Marco before exiting the household.

Star closed the door quickly and turned in time to catch Marco who looked pale.

"Thanks..." Marco muttered sickly "I didn't know how much longer I could hold it."

Star shook her head "Come on Marco, let's watch movies! You can tell me all about your date with Jackie."

* * *

The soft glow of the television against the darkness of the room was the only source of illumination for Star, the movie low and barely heard given the lateness of the hour.

Star ran her hand through Marco's hair gently, enjoying the smooth, soft feeling of the slumbering teen.

Marco excitedly told Star about how he was able to keep himself mostly in check with Jackie, helping the skater with her math problem and cracking a joke here and there that got a genuine laugh from his crush.

Star was happy for Marco even if a confession danced on her lips during his story. She wanted to tell him, not to pry Marco away from Jackie but rather to reinforce his crush. Maybe if Marco knew Star had feelings for him, he would become more confident in himself.

She wasn't sure if Marco noticed the profound effect the pair had on each other but Star did. Star noticed Marco becoming more sure of himself, more confident and more comfortable with his actions and personality. On the flip side, Star noticed she was more patient, more levelheaded and how natural it came to her now when before she would've been hard pressed to keep calm and open minded about non star ideas.

Before she could confess, Marco switched the subject, asking Star how was Janna's and her's day. Any questions and thoughts of romance nearly left Star's mind though she had to admit it was nice to have Marco's undivided attention.

Jackie was soon forgotten as the pair performed a movie marathon far into the night which lead to Marco falling asleep, laying on the coziest object he could find.

Much to Star's joy and dismay, this was her lap.

Star sat at the far edge of the couch in an effort to keep her distance and emotions from Marco but without any effort, Marco had closed the distance.

He was sprawled across the couch, his head laying restfully on her lap, a content sigh escaping his mouth every now and then as Star kept stroking his hair.

"Marco?" Star asked but failed to get a response.

Star pursed her lips, the near silence of the night blanketing any noise either teen made.

"...You're cute..." Star told Marco as she brushed the hair out of his face "You're adorable...You're the coolest guy I have ever met..."

Star closed her eyes, her confession spilling out of her lips, no longer able to be contained.

"You are smart...you're clever...you're fun...you're strong..." Star whispered as she took in every feature of Marco's sleeping face "You're amazing...I would've never guessed a guy like you could exist. I thought Tom was great but I was young, well younger and foolish...Marco...I have a crush on you..."

Marco snoozed on, his breathing tickling Star's face and sending a shiver down her spine.

"It's hard not to." Star admitted, cupping Marco's cheek in her hand "Everything feels so natural with you. Talking, hanging out, fighting. Everything's in perfect sync. I've never felt this way before. I don't even have to guess what you're doing, what you're thinking, even what you have planned. I just know..."

Star took a deep breath "I'm sorry I almost got us killed with the whole lying to the magical truth game. I...I wasn't ready and you just confessed to Jackie. I didn't want to ruin that. It was so special and I was so proud of you. You've came a long way from the timid, stammering safe kid who couldn't even look Jackie in the eye without freaking out."

Star leaned over, softly kissing Marco's forehead despite her fear it would wake him. Star stared into Marco's closed eyes, just imagining those pools of caramel brown staring back at her. She hovered over his lips, the overwhelming urge to kiss him chipping away at her resistance.

"I will always be your best friend Marco" Star muttered quietly, still holding his cheek in her hand "No matter you decide."

Star nearly jumped as Marco stirred in his sleep, his eyes fluttering slowly alive but by the time his gaze had refocused, Star was snoring loudly, her head tilted backwards in mock sleep.

"Star? Oh man it's late." Marco sat up, stretching his tense muscles before nudging the sleeping princess awake.

"Wha? Huh? oh..." Star let out a loud yawn "Whazup?"

"It's late"

"Oh right."

The two best friends shut off the television and went upstairs, Marco waiting in the hall as Star made her way into her room.

"Night Marco" Star beamed happily, her lips still tingling from the kiss she planted on his forehead.

"night Star" Marco tiredly waved back.

Star's door closed and Marco stood there as the soft pitter patter of Star's footsteps became softer and softer until her bed creak with added weight.

Marco stared at the door to Star's room, tiredness forgotten with no sign it would return anytime soon.

Marco took a deep, shaky breath as he gently touched his forehead, the skin still tingling with the soft, smooth feel of Star's lips upon it.

"...you like me Star?"


	92. Welcome to Mewni (Nightvale, Starcoween)

Hello everyone! Mr.E hoping you all had a fantastic week. Thank you for every single review, follow and favorite. I know i say it alot but i really mean it. they all mean the world to me and make it so much fun to write for you all.

a special thanks to anoymims- i have no idea. I guess i've studied Star enough to put together a pretty feasible confession out of it. im glad you liked it!

camilapia- i've heard that a lot lately i suppose i was just in the zone when I wrote it, channeling Star herself. haha thanks. Given how Star is, i think she would bury her feelings to make sure Marco had a fair shot with Jackie. It seems to be in her nature. i mean she's lazy but not selfish

CLM88 haha thanks! im getting that a lot and over, and starco insurance is freeee! haha yep a lot of people wondered how nova's birth happened and that was a little preview into her childhood and general life.

guest sorta: I'm a bit of a prankster sometimes and yes, yes i am older probably by quite a bit.

Naisuaisu- sooooo i guess you don't want part 2? :0 haha im kidding. I always try not to play into every cliche. Sometimes its fun to come up with a different way and it seems more star-like this way.

finn: i know right? that would be so cool!

shadowgem: haha i know right? of course she does Marco! haha thanks! WILL DO!

princessxgilex- thank you for your review!

tora- jaja no hice más que utilizar el triángulo que nos dieron a pesar de que me pregunte si maks Oskar hará que sea un cuadrado. No tengo idea. tal vez lo hacen. oh disparar, lo que necesito para escribir la luna marinero au. gracias! y usted se queda muy bien también! espero que siga disfrutando de la historia

guest (chapter 71): haha i doubt Sans would get you for that. besides he only fights you if your lvl 19 so you should be good

weather-art: sorry! i fixed it! and im glad you liked it!

Majinbuu- haha i dunno about you but I can still hear when Im sleeping. I still think Janna is crushing on Marco because they are pretty cute together but starco forever! thanks but i like to use them sparingly. it doesn't seem fair i use them too much here because you know they are my creations based off a show i love. seems like i'm cheating haha those are great ideas, ill write them down and maybe i can do them soon I've been told the covy shortage is affecting people.

thundermist- haha deal with it glasses are on Marco and yep that is canon in nova vs and let's not scream no need to scare people haha I know right? they seem more natural because most people are usually emotionally exposed. thanks and i hope you enjoy the rest of the stories.

jjmmmlol: don't die because starco insurance will just bring you back. you eat or else. thanks and it shall be. soon

minthia- that's okay, we have your new body ready on standby. starco insurance works amazingly. oh, we might have to test that. dont worry the warning label has been updated. aww *hugs& oooh that sounds awesome!

grim: hmm i dunno, people told me it feels canony. is that why? haha thanks!

nerymauro: thank you! i am happy you enjoyed the stories and thank you for your review. I hope you keep enjoying the story.

author smimph: yeah, i love that way to confess and it feels very star in this situation haha yep poor marco he's so confused and he already likes to overthink things. hopefully he can keep his head on long enough to figure out what to do. i think so too and i believe it's a nice character. it is story 101 to make your character's grow and change in both good and bad ways and cartoons nowadays are getting much better at this. I noticed as the season went on, Marco was more comfortable with himself and with life in general while Star seemed much calmer and more level headed. oooh awesome! tell her i say hi! thank you so much and good luck on your work!

Honestly just go to tumblr for starco needs. Spatziline, weather-art, anomalyah, moringmark is back! marionette-j2x, seddm. seriously go online there's some great work there. and sara over on instagram idrawcartoons1314

on Ff there's a lot of great stories but i haven't had a chance to read alot lately. We got travelling together from striiker, life choices omega ultra, the princess and the safe kid PFTONES3482, AND STARFALL from golfalpha mike.

 **Story Prompt of the day:** Starcoween begins! and it's time to start with one of my favorite series. I am a huge fan of a youtube show called Welcome to Nightvale. it's a mock radio broadcast about a desert town in the middle of nowhere dealing with supernatural forces and horror and dark humor. I highly recommend the series if you love that kind of stuff and it's great to hear on Halloween. my good friend anoymims actually did two welcome to Mewni's on her story little talks and i highly recommend you read it. they are great.

Honestly, because she did it first, i didn't want to feel like I'm copying her but i really loved the idea. So i remembered we can change things and have different versions of the story. in her version, Star is the radio host, has not left canon mewni and its more dealing with the supernatural things that happen in Mewni's dimension. In my version, Star is the radio operator as well but Mewni is more like nightvale, a modern city that deals with Supernatural forces with a very meh view. So this whole story is like a radio broadcast and from star's point of view.

Oh and when the weather comes up, it works best if you put it on youtube.

I hope you enjoy it. i was thinking of making this a monthly thing but I'm not sure yet. let me know what you think

Well that's it for now, i got more starcoween to work on and one more prompt for starco week that will be late sadly. For the starco confession chapter, yes there is going to be a part two. I hope you all have a great week and i'll talk to you soon. Enjoy!

* * *

Do you hear that? It's the sound of silence.

Of a quiet universe whose existence will go on and on and on and on and on for eternity, whether you are around or not.

Welcome...to Mewni.

Hellllloooooo listeners! Star Butterfly here once again from the Miskatonic University radio station with today's news and happenings and boy do we have quite an eventful day.

As no doubt many of you have discovered, either through town gossip or the notification the sheriff's secret police have slipped into your mailboxes, purses and wallets, we have new visitors to our humble little town that we don't need to chase away with pitchforks, guns and giant library books! So exciting!

I've been told that the visitors are from a city called Echo Creek and they are here conducting scientific research. They are science people! Or as Jackie the intern keeps telling me, scientists.

I think Science people works waaaay better. Sounds more straight to the point. Scientists sounds like some kind of element on our 24 element periodic table and I don't know about you listeners but this girl is not ready to add another one to the list anytime soon.

The scientists are led by a Marco Ubaldo Diaz and they held a press conference at the most formal location in our city: The Sonic's right across from City Hall.

Marco spoke about how our city is the second most supernatural town in all of America with only... our rivals, ugh, Gravity Falls overtaking us in what he referred as "Things that shouldn't be doing that."

He went on to say that he hopes to conduct his research without interfering with our town's daily routine and that he is simply here to observe and record his recordings.

Yes Jackie?

Okay.

Sorry folks! I was just handed a plain, beige envelope by Jackie. It seems to be from our beloved secret police. No doubt about Marco and his mysterious background. They really need a vacation. They work way too hard.

….

….

Wow...he's is pretty cute. Like, honestly? He's really cute. Adorable even. Aww look at that little mole! SO CUTE! And that red hoodie looks so warm on him. I wonder if I can borrow it from him? It _has_ been getting pretty chilly and he's already got a lab coat ontop of the hood.

It says here that Marco's favorite food is nachos. He has a minor in psychology and he knows karate.

…..

 _oooooo_ he's single.

I-I mean good! It means he is devoted to his work and his cause. Yep! That's all to that.

What was I talking about? Oh! Right, Maaaaarco. Hee.

So, with Marco's address to the our amazing citizens, he has no doubt already been tailed and secretly shadowed by the Sheriff's secret police.

As we all are.

Oh! Remember when discussing private matters for long periods of time, please share some juicy gossip once in a while. The people watching you get bored easily.

I have a report here that strange helicopter has been flying around in circles over the Forest of Certain Death again. The black one with a shooting star scrawled across it? If that helicopter belongs to anyone, our mayor and stick in the mud mom of the year, Moon Butterfly implores you to **please** leash it! Or she will be forced to blow it out of the sky. Again, and we don't want a repeat of the last time our mayor shot it down.

I don't know about you but I still smell like popcorn butter and M&M's and the Ralph's has yet to reappear.

In other non-Marco news, which quite honestly isn't as interesting, the annual corn festival is nearly upon once again! Yay! And because it is that magical time of year where we make corn necklaces, corn earrings and of course, sharp corn spears to fend off the lizard people of the Mewnian Swap for their yearly invasion, I have to remind you of several safety tips to ensure that you and your love ones live to see another day.

tip number ooooone: _Don't_ go out to the corn stalks alone.

During the invasion, most of our fighters will be too busy protecting the city from the waves of attacking lizard people and of course, the sheriff's secret police will conducting counter offensive operations against them so no one will be able to come save you should you be bleeding out in those tall stalks of corn.

The second tip! When the invasion begins, please remember your safety bunker number.

Last year some people ended up in the wrong one and there were perfectly good bunkers completely empty. Look people, you paid for the bunkers with your tax money so just use them or what's the point of getting bunkers? Seriously, city hall even got the really nice ones for you.

Tip number Tres! Please do not go near John Pierce, you know the farmer? Fields. Specially the Strawberry field. A demonic entity is scheduled to take up residency there next Wednesday and you know how it hates to be disturbed while feasting of animal flesh and strawberries. I mean I do too. I love sleeping but sometimes Janna my roommate just comes in! Slamming the door and I'm like "Ugh, Janna I'm sleeping here!" and she's like "Okay but like I need to borrow your spell book again" Seriously all alchemic majors are the same. Get your own spell book _Janna_! I know they're like 200 hundred dollars but I'm sure you can find it on E-bay or sell your soul or something.

Just go try.

Sorry about that, didn't mean to make it personal. Love you Janna but you really need to get your own stuff.

Oh ! Before I forget, remember if you are going to run for Cob King and Queen, please submit your resume and proof you have slain a librarian, a creature beyond the rows or something of an equal or more fearsome rating by this Tuesday.

And now a word from today's sponsor

We know you are empty.

A void deep within your soul that you cannot fill without pitiful, lesser worldly goods.

We know how you hunger to be fulfilled, to be whole, to banish the void, the emptiness that haunts you even in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun has not yet risen but the night still marches on. When the dark shadows of the unknown dance across the silhouettes of the living and what has been created by the hands of humanity.

We know your shame, your guilt of your dependency upon us but it's okay, we understand and we still care for you. We still love you and we shall always be here for you.

This message has been brought to you by Mcdonald's. We won't tell if you don't.

Oh, Jackie the intern tells me I have a special guest. Umm, sorry listeners, I will be but a moment. In the meantime, here's the weather.

 _Swing of Justice by Gramatik_

Omg, omg, oh my god listeners, you'll never guess who just came by the station!

That's right! Marco!

Came to see me.

Me!

And he is even more handsome in person. That mole? Even cuter than I thought. And those eyes. I could stare into those light brown eyes allllll day.

Marco told me he wanted to meet up tomorrow. Since he's new to town, he needs someone to guide him and show him around and who better than your lovely host?

We also traded phone numbers and his ringtone is totes adorbs. It's Space Unicorn. I love Space Unicorn! He said he was being ironic but I think he's just embarrassed.

Listeners, I got his number! I got his number! YES! YES YES YES!

I mean, it's for keeping in touch, of course.

He might need me to pass on a message to all you amazing folks. As the second most listened radio program, it is my duty to keep us safe and more importantly, informed. In case you are wondering what is the first most listened to program, that of course is the weekly chanting of the shopkeepers, required listening as enforced by the vague yet menacing government agency.

I hear they're covering beatles this week. Should be good.

Well this is Star Butterfly, signing off! Good night listeners, good night and remember we...

Janna?

Wait, slow down! SLOW DOWN JANNA! What do you mean you borrowed my spellbook? You what?! Janna look at me, look at me Janna! How many times did I tell you not reanimate the dead? How many? What did you promise me? And what did you do? Animate the dead, exactly.

Sigh

you know what this means right? That's right. Go grab the shotgun and salt. I don't care if you saw a cute boy outside, go back to the dorm and grab the shotgun and salt. Wait, red hood? Nononononono no! Janna give me back his keys! No you can't keep them! JANNA!

Ugh, a little side note. If you are currently in Riverside or by Miskatonic University, please stay inside or travel heavily armed. We've been Janna'd again.

And now for shadowy puppetry with Ferguson. Please remember the key is to _visualize._


	93. Cuz They're bad (Starco week )

*a figure slowly approaches, completely wrapped in their cloak and a scarf. with a mighty tug and cough, the scarf comes off revealing...*

Cough, cough oh man how long was i gone? Hello Everyone! Mr.E here, returning from my accidental break. I hope everyone of you is doing great. thank you for every review, follow and favorite. you are all the best.

thepothead- haha im glad you liked it! you check out the youtube series, it's great.

finn- thanks! they are coming i promise. things kept happening.

Majinbuu- I am crazy and I make no apologizes haha that's an interesting idea but i think you should write it. give it a shot, you'll only grow and get better. I hope you like this chapter.

minithia. I think i have proven i am quite random. haha im glad you enjoyed it :) haha did the order come in? yes starco insurance! ooooh do it do it do it do it whenever you get a chance. and yes you can message me on tumblr. all of us really, we dont mind though it might take us a while depending on the day and will do!

shadowgem- haha yeah welcome to nightvale is like that. just sheer horror and supernatural humor its pretty awesome and i highly recommend it. haha she heard what dipper did and wanted to one up him. thanks!

Random trash thank you so much and when you get to this chapter, i hope you enjoyed all the other chapters!

guest sorta; you were warned, dark humor! but its funny. starcoween stories tend to be darker so as a word of warning, thats what you expect.

author smimph- what's that? KEEP MAKING MORE CUTE ADORABLE STORIES WITHOUT RESTRAINT? AS YOU WISH YOU TWO! and melting is a recurring effect here. haha yeah i think that was me. I decided to make the term because I love Halloween and starco equally and i was like I MAKE THIS TERM NOW! oooh awesome i can't wait and yes the series is on youtube called welcome to nightvale. it's audio only which is really impressive. im glad you liked the story! and talk to you soon

anoymims: all hail the glow cloud, the glow cloud is god. haha thank you so much for your kind words haha i shall lick them all all the radioactive metals! haha the McDonald was too funny to write, JANNA! GET YOUR OWN! and i think that's going to be my character's to response when things go wrong "Things that shouldn't be doing that." Yours was great and i loved it as much as you loved mine. keep up the awesome work!

grim: welcome to Nightvale :)

thundermist; admittedly it's weird to have a single character talk so much but it was a nice change of pace haha yeah she couldn't resist the picture well you react however you wish. haha i shall! and i hope you enjoy them

Captain Jar: (writes down Marco's birthday

princessxgilex- thank you for your review! it means a lot.

sir starcoshipper- haha it's a nice home for us. and it moves! yes it's always like that at night and the day, and at all times really. always travel lightly armed or in groups. haha we'll see. happy halloween!

cartoonlover- haha poprocks and coke that's how you bring people back. haha yay! (throws all the star fics

demonic blade- i could but i need more information. there's so much i can do. xmen, doctor strange, avengers etc etc

ViridiHarmonia64- yeeeeeah i was lazy. I speak it very well but writing it not so much. but that was a while ago. i've got some help but thank you for your offer! I am glad you liked it!

guest: updating!

guest sorta: oh sure will do when i get a chance

Fantasyfangirl13: yep, she did but it's easier to blame zeus haha zeus is never wrong like ever. you say that now oh good you survived. Im glad you liked the story,

the one who reads too much- i know right? it's almost like it's fan service and two pairs the writer wants to see interact with each other.

So for starco on ff i really only know two since i have been pretty busy. Wands and weirdos from sonicElite (Nice to hear from you buddy) and a really emotionally awesome chapter from artgirlLullaby's ever after. check them out they are epic and awesome

for art, tumblr, just tumblr and sara over on instagram idrawcartoons1314. its all good

I want to take this moment to speak from the heart. 2 weeks ago, was halloween so i hope you all had a great time. I went as a nondescript magician (literally wore all black with a top hat.) the 26th of October was my birthday and i got so many thank yous and awesome stuff that it was amazing. I hadn't meant to take the week off but then i finally watched Rwby and...yeah. haha hooked.

Then last week happened and...well yeah.

I wanted to tell you all you are not alone. I am here, We are here for you. the community is here for you. You have our love and support. We will stand together and never be divided no matter what. When you fall, we will pick you up. When you cry, we will dry your tears, when you need us we will be there. You got us, we got you and together we have each other. Never forget that because i will never stop reminding you.

now let's get some starco in our system and no spoilers have not seen today's episode. but into the wand? ooooh girl.

 **Story prompt of the day: Bad AU** You remember my bad boy au? well welcome to my story for the last day of Starco week, au of choice and i chose to make the bad aur or more specifically where both Marco and Star are a bad boy and bad princess respectively or try to be. more like pranksters, these two aren't getting along and doesn't seem like they ever will This was inspired by fanfictionfordayz you're my wish come true and a drawing i saw on tumblr that I cannot remember at this moment.

So that's all i got to say for now, Have an great, fantastic week. keep being amazingly wonderful people and being epic. Thank you all so much for all your support. It's really humbling to have come this far and it's all thanks to you. every single one of you. Enjoy and I own nothing!

* * *

Marco let out a loud yawn, stretching his tired body as he smacked his dry lips together, groggily glaring at the sun while it slowly rose high into the sky.

"Yeah, yeah I see you" Marco grumbled "I don't care."

Marco rose to his feet, tracing his clean shaven face with his finger in search of something that wasn't there.

"Ugh, it must've fallen off again. Stupid band-aid" Marco muttered under breath as he approached the bathroom he shared with _her_

Marco let out a sleepy yawn, closing his eyes while reaching for the door knob, his warm, fluffy bed beckoning to him with its siren call.

Marco shivered, pulling his hand away from the piercing cold surface of the smooth metal while a thick, sudden icy chill ran through out his body.

Marco glanced at the bathroom entrance and frowned at the sight of the completely frozen door that was nothing more than a large, rectangle sleet of ice and frost.

"Star..." Marco growled accusingly under his breath, clutching his fist angrily at the antics of the foreign exchange student who slept next door.

"Wow Marco, I didn't know doors on Earth could flash freeze." a voice smugly joked from the hall.

Marco turned around to find Star Butterfly leaning against his doorway, arms crossed with a mischievous smirk dancing on her lips.

"What did you do Butterfly." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Me?" Star pointed to herself innocently "I'm not supposed to use my magic for such childish things Diaz. Clearly your door decided to chill out, maybe you should follow it's example"

Marco snarled but the princess had already taken her leave, her long blonde mane swaying hypnotically as she shot him a sideways glance, a smug playful grin dancing on her lips.

Marco's cheeks were tinged a bright red though he hadn't noticed. He was too busy trying to resist the urge to chase after the princess and throttle her.

He took a deep breath. He couldn't murder the foreign exchange student. His parents were home and would turn him in without a second thought.

Marco was on the verge reaching a tranquil state when he felt a chill, wet wave of liquid pass by his feet, his socks becoming moist and soggy.

Marco could feel his eye twitched against his will, his feet damp and wet as the icy barrier between his room and bathroom melted into a torrent of water slid past him and across the floor.

"STAR!" Marco yelled bloody murder, his patience spent and long since gone.

He could hear the comical slide whistle as Star's face appeared in the doorway, the very picture of innocence while she gasped in mock surprise at the sight of water sliding across the smooth tile, drowning anything in its path.

"Marco!" Star cried with concern "What happened? Did the ice melt? I could help you clean it up! I _know_ that wet socks are the worst. "

Marco glanced wearily at Star

"Don't worry your pretty head about it... _Butterfly"_

Marco could feel his cheek burn against his will as Star shot him a flirtatious wink, her ocean blue eyes both smug and playful at the same time while making her hasty exit

Marco clutched his hands tightly, his gaze melting into a glare as he mumbled under his breath..

"I hate her so much..."

* * *

Marco took his seat at his favorite spot in the bus: The very back by the emergency door where the troublemakers chose to make their turf.

Marco glanced out the window, lost in run away thoughts when he felt the seat groan under added weight.

Marco rolled his eyes before finding himself face to face with not the troublemaking Star but rather the slightly less troublesome Janna.

"Heeey Marco" she greeted in a sly, lazy tone "All alone? Where's your new best friend?"

"Star isn't my best friend Janna" Marco replied icily "She's a pest and annoying, almost like you're being right now."

"Psst, you love me" Janna answered with a wide smile "Though I find it strange the first person you think of is Star and not Ferguson or Alfonzo. Starting to fall for the princess bad boy?"

Marco snuck a glance to Star up in the front next to his long time crush and only weakness Jackie Lynn Thomas.

Jackie looked as pretty as ever even with the same outfit that she always wore regardless of month or season (not that Marco could really say anything given his tendency to keep his red hoodie/black jacket combo even in the hottest of summers.)

Star, begrudgingly Marco admitted, looked good too. She wore her seafoam green dress with the cartoonish skull in its center, a black demi jacket with an image of a crown surrounded by two butterfly wings stitched to the back with her iconic devil horn headband

Somehow the princess had discovered Marco was currently pinning for the skater (Janna was probably the rat which only gave Marco more of a reason to be so distance with her). Unfortunate that meant Star made it her personal mission to mess with him about his unspoken feelings.

Star quickly befriended Jackie and what started off as a tour around the school quickly evolved into a rock solid friendship with Jackie visiting the Diaz household nearly every other day.

Marco's avoidance issues only grew when the person he desperately tried to avoid was showing up at his doorstep.

Marco might've been the resident bad boy of Echo Creek Academy but even the baddest boy had their kryptonite and Marco's was Jackie Lynn Thomas.

He knew it was a pointless fantasy given that all his cool, suave confidence flew out the window whenever he was in close proximity to the pretty skater, his tongue failing to function as well.

It's a little hard to ask someone on a date when you couldn't even get the words out. Or breath normally, or even make a coherent noise.

All vitals things for speaking.

"I don't like Star" Marco said after a moment a silence

"You staring an awful lot her way."

"I'm staring at Jackie."

Marco flinched, resisting the urge to cover his face from his slip up.

"Oooooh, still crushing on Jackie?" Janna inquired with a Cheshire grin "Mr. Bad Boy falling for the skater girl? Sounds a bit cliché doesn't it?"

"No Janna because that's not what's going on. Don't blow up nothing into something."

"You" Janna poked Marco's shoulder "aren't fooling anyone. You are following the book to the letter. Outsider bad boy and the popular girl. The only thing more cliché than that is you and the princess."

"Never in a million years" Marco grind his teeth venomously

"Never say never lover boy" Janna patted his cheek affectionately.

* * *

"Come on Diaz" Star begged cutely, pouting her lips as her blue eyes went as wide as they could, hoping to ensure the unsuspecting Marco in their trap.

Marco looked at Star, face set in annoyance before he slammed his locker shut.

"No" Marco told the magical princes, crossing his arms for added effect "Don't even try it."

"But I haven't said anything!" Star whined, stamping her foot against the school tile.

"You said enough. N-o means nah" Marco waved off Star before brushing past her, completely ignoring her quivering lips.

"Diaz!" Star cried, quickly chasing after the retreating bad boy "You need to be there! Psycho Milkman 3 is spooky! Jackie won't go if it's just the two of us."

"You" Marco's voice took an edge of finality "Should've thought of that before you pranked her last week."

Star scoffed "Like I was supposed to know she was afraid of spiders."

"Everyone's afraid of spiders Star. It's like the number one phobia"

"I ain't fraid of no spiders." Star puffed out her chest proudly.

Marco couldn't help but smirk at Star.

"What about..." Marco leaned closer to Star's ear, ignoring the sweet scent of vanilla and chocolate as he whispered softly into the waiting princess's ear "Clowns?"

Marco took more satisfaction than he should've when Star shrieked loudly, wand a crazed blur while several multicolored sea mammals sailed through air wildly, smashing into walls, lockers and poor students who failed to notice.

Star was heavily breathing, clutching her wand tightly with her entire being before she realized what she had done, the groaning of the fallen students and the subtle cracking of drywall filled the air with tension.

Star cast her glower sideways to the innocent smile of Marco, his eyes twinkling mischievously with a clear message that this was payback for earlier.

Star opened her mouth to scream Marco's name to the 13 protectors of Mewni but a dull voice called hers first.

"Star Butterfly" Skeeves called in a bored, disapproving tone "Office, now."

Marco tried to hide his snickering as Star stomped angrily towards the beckoning principal.

"You too Diaz"

Marco blinked, unsure if he really heard what he thought he did

"Yes" Skeeves repeated in an irritated voice "You too."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Marco rose his hands defensively "What did I do?"

"You enabled her. You should've calmed her down but you decided to stand there and chuckle as she unleashed this chaos upon my school. Do you know how much ice cream it's going to take to make me feel better about this? My office. Both of you. Now."

"I'd like to point out that I did nothing of the sort" Marco replied

"This is your fault Diaz!" Star snarled, face an inch away from Marco's

Marco reflexively took a step back as he saw his reflection stare back at him in Star's eyes, her blue pupils having an oddly calming effect on him.

Star stopped mid-accusation as she looked into Marco's brown eyes, the shade a different color than it'd been a moment ago. She had never realized this before but the brown was much lighter than she thought it was.

"No kissing in public! OFFICE NOW!"

The spell was broken and the pair quickly backed away from one another before settling into an open glare and falling into step behind Skeeves.

* * *

"You are a poopy head" Star said matter of fact, arms crossed while throwing Marco the deadliest death stare she could muster, the room empty since Skullnick decided she had better things to do rather than watch those in detention.

"And you're annoying, the point is?" Marco threw back as he leaned back into his chair, beanie covering the sight of the princess.

Marco could feel his heart racing, the memory of Star so close caused the organ to skip a beat or two.

"Seriously what was that with the clowns?" Star snarled, making her way towards Marco "I might've messed with you but that was low, even for you Diaz."

"Me?" Marco couldn't keep the incredulous edge out of his voice "You gave me wet socks! There's nothing worse than wet socks!"

In all honesty, Marco would've never guessed the princess was deeply afraid of clowns. He only hypothesized based on the common fears he knew most people had. The fact Star was afraid of something really humanized her.

Before that display of uncontrollable fear, Marco always thought Star was too cool to be affected by anything: Always quick with a joke, sweet yet mischievous, ahead with a prank and already discovering his only true weakness, Star Butterfly worked fast and Marco had been struggling to keep up ever since. Marco might've been bad but even in school, he had never been second to anyone and he did not like it one bit.

Marco yelped when Star ripped the band-aid from his cheek and tossed it furiously to the floor though it fluttered slowly.

Marco shot to his feet, steadying himself on the desk as he came face to face with Star.

"Seriously what is your problem? You got me thrown in detention, you gave me _wet socks_ and you're talking to JACKIE! ALL TO JUST MESS WITH ME!"

"My problem?" Star looked shocked at Marco's comment "What's your problem? You've been a meanie, poopy head since I got here! All you do is sulk and act like you're too cool to hang out with me."

"Me?" Marco motioned to himself "You started it!"

"Started what?" Star shot back, her hands finding their ways onto the desk that separated the two "You're the one who started all this with that stupid exploding cupcake."

Marco opened his mouth to retort before drawing a blank. Exploding cupcake? When did he use an exploding cupcake on Star? He was certain he'd remember that.

"Look princess, I know you're new here but you seem to be confusing cupcakes for something else. You _see_ , cupcakes are..."

"I **know** what a cupcake is Diaz!" Star scolded "it's a hand sized tiny cake that normally is super yummy when they're not blowing up in your face!"

"Seriously princess, what the heck are you talking about?" Marco asked, still unsure where she was getting this whole cupcake thing from.

Without warning, the wall collapsed, kicking up dust and blanketing the figures standing in the newly created opening in a thick fog.

"S-St...S-St...S-tar BUTTERFLY I..." Ludo wheezed, coughing up lungfuls of dust as he broke through the cloudy barrier with his minions following close behind "I..."

Ludo let a fit of coughs, struggling to get fresh air.

"I...WANT YOUR WAND!"

"NOT NOW!" Star and Marco shouted in unison, rising a finger to prevent Ludo from further interrupting.

Ludo looked weakly to his monsters, unsure how to respond. While normally these two were at each other's throats, this time seemed more aggravated than usual.

"You know which cupcake Marco" Star murmured softly "it was my first day here and it was bad enough you weren't there to show me around but when your mom brought me a cupcake, she told me you made it just for me, I foolishly thought you wanted to make it up to me. I didn't think you'd be so cold that you rig a sweet treat to blow all over my face. Seriously, who does that to a poor cupcake!"

Marco shifted guiltily, realizing what cupcake she was now referring too.

"Oh Star..." Marco whispered softly " _That_ cupcake. That...that wasn't actually for you. I was testing a new recipe but...I wasn't really paying attention and when I took it out of the oven, it was...well kinda of unstable. I left it in the fridge in hopes it would cool down and stabilize. I told my mom it was a special treat because I didn't want her to move it. I just thought she tossed it out the next day..."

"Oh... _oh..._ " Star's face shifted from uncertainty to righteous fury "You expect me to believe that?! That is the silliest thing I have ever heard and I make rainbows and narwhals from a magical stick!"

"Hey!" Marco was indignant "It's true! Why would I rig a cupcake? That's a horrible thing to do and a waste! And if I didn't care, why did I chase after you when you ran off?"

"Because you were trying to cover your own butt!" Star accused "You knew your mom would ground you if she found out what you did."

"I ran after you because you're my responsibility" Marco answered "I ran after you because I look up and you're gone. I was freaking worried."

"Psst, likely story Marco."

"Ugh, you're impossible Star!"

"Just shut up and fight already" Star yelled, quickly drawing her wand and letting loose a torrent of spellwork, the first blasting Ludo off his feet and sending him skidding across the floor.

Marco jumped into action, dodging and weaving out of Star's attacks before directly engaging the still stunned monsters with a fury not seen before.

"NOT THE FACE!" Spike Ball cried

Marco indulged him and struck the towering monster directly in the stomach.

"OOOO THAT WAS A MISTAKE" Spike Balls whined through sucked teeth.

Marco let a crazed battlecry, scampering up the monster's body before launching himself onto the fearful minions below.

* * *

The united groans of pain filled the air as the various monsters weakly clawed the air, freshly formed bruises, bumps and scars covered their body while Ludo opened the portal, ushering the others in before following himself.

He turned to say something to cocky faces of the princess and the bad boy, his hand raised high.

He let it fall, opting to just hurry home and fall asleep in the ice pack fort.

Star leaned on Marco's shoulder, basking the glory of their recent victory.

Marco could feel his hands twitching, the urge to check if Star was okay nearly overcoming his distant behavior for the princess.

Despite their mutual animosity towards each other, they admitted they were one hell of a team.

Just not to each other.

"So." Star spoke up after a while "Let's say if I believed you, you did a lot of things in between then and now. As the future queen of Mewni, I cannot simply let that all slide because of a maybe misunderstanding. Got my pride Marco."

Marco turned to Star, eyebrow raised curiously "You did a lot of things to torment me too princess and I don't let that go easy. This changes nothing Star."

Star giggled playfully, nudging Marco's side "come on, let's go get some food. I'm starving."

Marco watched the retreating Star closely "You know we're still in detention right?"

Star shrugged her shoulders "Fine, stay in prison. This princess is breaking out."

Before Marco could make up his mind, he could feel something soft press against his cheek gently.

Marco felt his blush blaze as Star pulled away, winking at him before bolting away as fast as she could.

"Star!" Marco cried out, nearly cracking his voice from surprise "That's not funny! You cannot prank like that!"

"Why Marco, liked it too much?"

"You wish princess! Now get back here and apologize."

"Psst you're going to have to catch me Marco."

Marco smirked to himself "Challenge accepted."


	94. He's my dad! (Shipping war AU)

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here and still alive yay! a special thanks to all of you for all your support. your kind words, reviews, follows, favorites. even just spreading the word just means so much to me. Seriously you're all the best and you each mean a lot to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A special thanks to finn i know right? i love the aggressive, playful flirting style of love. haha

shadowgem: that's true. they're always adorable regardless they mean to be or not. even Steampunk Marco. thank you! :D

thundermist; haha soooo i'm taking it you liked it huh? you're welcome! Any time i can help out

thebeard: glad to be back. Umm yes and no. I mean i am slowly working on it but given the current situation I'm in, it might take a while. I decided to work on the two most popular works which is this one and my solo series Nova vs. Hopefully it won't take too long and guardians will be back very very soon.

guest sorta; yes! I thrive on weird bwahaha

grim: it's here kinda. there's a bit of background to this one but i hope you enjoy it

Majinbu: haha honestly i will come back to the bad au because it was fun to put a spin on Star and Marco's friendship. well if it makes you feel better, once upon a time i couldn't write either but that's why we keep practicing and getting better. not yet but hopefully soon.

: thanks! Hopefully i can keep topping myself and you enjoy all the attempts :)

Sir Starcoshipper: haha i think Marco tries too hard. and be my guest i think you already did too. sorry everything is a blur.

Author Smimph I had so much fun writing this too. I love playing around ideas and this one was a perfect itch to scratch and I'm always coming up with some pretty good burns and i couldn't resist challenging myself. Because misunderstandings are pretty much the easiest way to cause drama and conflict. haha btw your stories are great too! I just need to leave reviews.

buggienttebby: i'm glad you enjoyed it! yes there will be more in this au because it was so much fun.

SonicElite: Sequel? you got it bro. but not now later. haha i'm glad you enjoyed them so. they were a lot of fun. Yeah the joke was that in the Bad au, our favorite dorks aren't really bad but just think they are. and you keep up the awesome work too!

princessxgilex: thank you for your review. I'll answer you soon.

CLM88: haha i know right. everything is different yet nothing is.

Amalspach: I'm glad and i hope you keep enjoying the stories.

author smimph: yeah looking back, it feels like a slice of life anime.

honestly after tumble exploded, there's so much artwork on there. There's sara over at instagram with her idrawcartoons1314. We got atomicmangos, marionette-j2x, aweirdlatina, areablog, moringmark (he's important today) loads of art work on tumblr and i recommend you go check them out.

I haven't been reading much but I did read SonicElite's Wands and weirdos, Author Smimph's two new chapters of dimension of infinite tales. seriousl need to read more.

 **Story prompt of the day:** Shipping WARRRRRRRRR AU. So one of my favorite artists moringmark (check out his work for some amazing star vs and his earlier gravity falls work) created an au where Jam (Jackie and Marco's child from a post apocalyptic future) and Elizabeth (Star and Marco's child from another future) came back in time to ship their father with their respective mothers. I asked him if i can write a prompt featuring them and even worked with him to create OC love interests for them. So for Elizabeth with have her best friend from the future Dart who is a confident, chivalrous teen who believes in standing up for what's right and switches between old medieval speak and modern slang and for Jam, Jelly. A present day girl who always looks to be in a dazed and wondering about the newest conspiracy theory. I will be writing more of this in the future so i hope you enjoy this beginning.

That's it for me. I am going to be working on Don't play with your food part 2 and hopefully it'll be up soon. Have a fantastic week and stay amazing everyone. Enjoy! and seriously go check moringmark tumblr for one awesome artist.

* * *

Marco stared blankly ahead, unsure what was the source of his splitting headache: The fact Star was currently without her magical tutor and absolutely devastated, that he managed to kiss Jackie on their (his) very first date ever or that two time traveling children had gone back to ensure their birth by making sure their father married their respective mother.

By the way, Marco was the father in this strange scenario.

The three of them sat in the Diaz dining room table as the sun lazily rose above them. The two were moments away from murdering each other though it might be a little bit harder since Marco had taken away the girl's magic wand and the boys laser gun of doom.

"Dad" The girl asked childishly, arms crossed as she glared at the older teen across from her "he's being a jerk! He keeps telling me I shouldn't exist!"

"Psst" The boy scoffed as he rolled his eyes "I am simply stating the facts. He's _my_ father and since he married _my_ mother, the timeline can only be restored if _you_ go back from where you came from and cease to exist. What is so hard to understand about that?"

"DAD! DO YOU HEAR HIM?!"

Marco rubbed his temple tiredly, trying to piece together what exactly was going on and the only way to do that was to study the situation.

Marco looked to the 14 year old blue eyed girl first. She introduced herself as Elizabeth though failed to give a last name. Not that mattered much given the context clues: She had long, straight light brown hair with two long strains hanging off on either side of her face. She wore a very Star-equse sleeveless blue dress with a red heart in the center, two angel wings sticking out from the back. Purple leggings and black boots that were too familiar to be coincidence with elegant Fleur-de-lis on her cheeks (Marco originally thought they were corn stalks but Elizabeth was veeeeery clear that they weren't). Though if all that didn't scream "THIS IS YOURS AND STAR'S DAUGTHER FROM THE FUTURE!" the wand he confiscated from the young princess was proof enough. Different color scheme but otherwise identical to Star's former wand's appearance.

Marco then switched his gaze to the 16 year old simply named Jam with sea green eyes. If Elizabeth's clothing was well kept, Jam's looked like they came from a war zone or some sort of terrifying post apocalyptic future. He wore some sort of black ninja bodysuit with his forearms and legs covered with some bandages. His hair was too light brown though Marco could've swore he saw a single strain of blue in one of his spikes. His lavender headband/ purple cape thingy was tattered yet well kept as if he treasured the fabric more than anything else. He had freckles under his eyes just like Jackie though his right eye also had a slight downward scar marring his face. An orange seashell hung on a decaying piece of string and completed the dystopian look he was going for.

"Okay, stop undermining each others existence or so help me I will ground you!" Marco threatened with a stern voice often reserved only for his best friend.

Elizabeth and Jam shared one last mutual glare towards one another before focusing on Marco.

"Okay..." Marco began slowly "Now how about we share a little bit about each other? Maybe you both would stop trying to kill each other if you found some common ground."

"You're our dad" Elizabeth gestured to Marco "isn't that enough?"

"Yeah, the paradoxical anomaly makes a point. We're both your children from a proper timeline and a mistake, what more do we need to have in common?"

"You did not just call my parents loving marriage a mistake!" Elizabeth snarled, rising to her feet in a self righteous fury.

Jam remained unimpressed. It was almost like the youth had face far more fearsome creatures than an enraged magical princess.

"Ugh, do you react to anything?!"

Jam shrugged his shoulders casually "I like bread"

"Bread?! Seriously?! Oh ha ha, you're _sooooooo_ funny!"

"Huh?" Jam couldn't keep the confusion out of his voice "What's funny?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes "Your name is Jam. You like bread. Duh"

Jam's seas green eyes narrowed, his face befuddled and unsure what was going on.

"Bread is easy to make. Especially where I come from. The only constant source of food in the future."

"Ah!" Marco eye's lit up, finally seeing a chance to bond and placate his er children? "Yes Jam, why don't you tell me about where you come from?"

"In the future" Jam began darkly "The world has ended. California is probably the most stable of the landscapes but that means nothing: Hordes of zombies, wild monsters, packs of were beavers, the cult of Johnny Depp, The starco bandits. Very little means well in the future."

"oh..." Marco murmur quietly "Umm...so...how does the future end up so...umm post apocalypseish...?"

Jam leaned back his chair, his face set in deep thought "I personally do not know. There are many rumors to what caused the end times. Some say it was the rise of Google's new Google glass, determined to get people to accept it, love it. Others believe that the popularity of platypuses due to Perry from Phineas and Ferb lowered our guard, leaving us unprepared for their sudden take over. But many, including myself, accept the true source of the dystopian future was Stapocalypse."

"Umm...I'm sorry?"

"The Stapocalypse" Jam repeated "A few months after your dance, a star-shaped portal appeared in the sky without warning. Society fell due to their inability to face the horrors that came from within the bowls of the strange phenomenon. Also the fact no one could update their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Weird admittedly but when there's a giant hole in the sky, it seems to be the most likely culprit."

"My god" Marco whispered "I can't imagine the chaos"

"Humans were no longer the dominant species of the planet" Jam went on "We were forced underground, making caves and tunnels, cities below the surface to survive. Many of man's self created wonders remained on the above our heads, untouched by those who now live on the surface. I am a scavenger. I venture above ground, finding and taking anything I can sell or use and destroy whatever bars my path."

"Right" Marco nodded slowly "I could tell with the whole Mad Max thing you're got going on."

Jam raised an eyebrow "War chief Max is well known in your time?" Jam looked incredibly impressed "He's only 18 in my time. A fierce warrior even as a child? Most impressive"

"Sooo" Marco continued "How did you manage to return to the past?"

"This" Jam pulled off a tape measure from his belt "I was searching the ruins of Holy Wood when I found this incredible device. I had never seen such a thing before and while normally I am not so curious to the inclinations of former society, I felt immense joy pulling at this... _thing._ Father, what is this called?"

"Umm, it's a tape measure."

Jam's eyes lit up with awe and wonder, gently touching the small squared measuring tool "A tape measure. Society was capable of technology? I wonder how it fell."

"Oh no no no" Marco shook his hands "Just that one. I've never seen a tape measure go back in time or things like that. Must be the newest Apple product or something."

"Fascinating" Jam murmured as he carefully placed the measure away "In any case, when I discovered I could return to the past, I decided to secure my existence by following the example of legendary folk hero Kyle Reese and John Connoring myself."

"Umm...what?"

"It's slang for time travel father." Jam answered respectfully "To ensure I was born."

"That's lame" Elizabeth scoffed "In my future, we call it Marty Mcflying. John Connoring. What kind of slang is that?"

"Oh speaking of which" Marco quickly turned to Elizabeth, hoping her future was not so grim "How is your future?"

"Pssst" Elizabeth beamed "It's nothing like Toe Jam's over there."

"The name is Jam Lynn Diaz Thomas corn girl."

"THEY'RE NOT CORN YOU UNCULTURED SWINE!" Elizabeth screamed at her half brother.

"Children, settle down" Marco threatened

"Sorry dad."

"Forgive me father."

"Anyway" Elizabeth flung her hair back "The end of the world doesn't happen in my time. Everything is the same. You married mom, I was born, your pride and joy and everything goes on. Like completely the same. I grow up, get teased about my best friend Dart..."

"Dart?" Marco questioned

"He's not my boyfriend dad!" Elizabeth defensively answered, her cheeks flaming red, her pink Fleur-de-lis covered cheeks lightly glowing in the sunlight "He's just my best friend. A cute best friend but just a friend. OH NO! I LEFT HIM IN THE FUTURE!"

"Umm Liz er dear?" Marco tried to chime in but Elizabeth seemed on the verge of a full breakdown

"Oh man I told him I'd be a minute! Ugh I knew I should've brought him with me." Elizabeth began pacing back and forth anxiously "But did I really know what was going to happen? I mean Glossaryck told me there was some sort of anomaly in the past and I should go see Father Time and ask if he could let me borrow his hamsters but I didn't think I'd be going back to see my father kiss my aunt. Eww. Wait a minute"

Elizabeth whirled around, finger accusingly pointed towards Jam

"You! You're the anomaly. If you hadn't came back, my dad would've never kissed Aunt Jackie."

"Well..." Marco flushed uncontrollably "Actually..."

"I came back" Jam rose to his feet, fists clenched in anger "because you came back and tried to erase me from existence!"

"I WAS HERE FIRST!"

"NO I WAS!"

"NAH UH!"

"I'M 16, YOU'RE LIKE WHAT 12?!"

"I'M 14 AND YOU ARE NOT ERASING MY BEST FRIEND!"

Elizabeth and Jam were inches from each other, eyes locked in mortal combat and singing bloody murder.

Marco rose to his feet to stop it when a soft, dazed voice called out "This is very interesting."

All the tension left the room as the trio glanced around to find the source of the new voice only to notice someone else joined the table amidst of their fighting.

It was a girl around the age of 16 with wide, sliverish gray eyes. Her black hair was wavy and short with a single streak of purple. She wore a red t-shirt with a large question mark on its surface and dark blue jeans. She smacked her lips tiredly, lazily looking about the room.

"Oh no" Marco rubbed his aching head "Not another one."

"Ah!" Jam cried, reaching for the deadliest weapon within in reach. He brandished a butter knife menacingly to the new person in the room "What are you? A shapeshifter? A vampire?" His sea green pupils fell into a deep hatred glare "A mole person?"

"Mole Person?" Elizabeth asked curiously

"They are the worst." Jam replied before training the knife back on the new guest.

The girl stared at Jam, seemingly undaunted by the eating utensil held inches from her face. She slapped her lips groggily once again before shifting her gaze downward, picking up the toasted bread that laid untouched before her. She slowly held it to her mouth and with a mighty crunch, took a bite, savoring its taste at a calm pace.

She smiled, turning to Jam once again who still held the knife within striking distance of her face. She blinked once. Twice. A third time before focusing on the knife.

She slowly twisted her head, first glancing at Marco then Elizabeth before returning to Jam once more.

"Oh me?" she spoke softly "Nah I'm a human. Unless" She pursed her lips thoughtfully "Repliods replaced me with a robot designed to take my place with the covert mission to gain the trust of my parents."

The girl tugged at her skin roughly, twisting it painfully and wincing in response before giving a satisfied nod

"Nope, still human."

"So" Marco began calmly "What future are you from? Did I kiss Janna? Or maybe it was Sabrina? Oh man I hope it's not Brittney"

"Future?" The girl repeated "I'm from the present and you're way too young to be my dad"

"Wait...I'm not your father?"

"Nope!" The girl cheerfully replied, crunching down on the toast happily "I'm Jelly. I'm the next door neighbor."

"Next...door...neighbor?"

"I know it's hard to believe" Jelly started with a grin "but your house does not exist in a vacuum. You have neighbors, you just never talk to us."

"So..." Jam murmured softly "not a mole person?"

Jelly shook her head "sorry but no. 100% grade A human." She paused for a moment " you have nice eyes."

Jam backed away uncomfortably, cheeks slightly pinked "T-thanks?"

Jelly beamed towards him before returning to her tasty treat.

"Okay" Marco said, tone exhausted "Who here is from the future and my child?"

Elizabeth rose her hand, Jam rose his. Jelly just chewed on the unclaimed piece of toast.

"Okay, good. Now..."

"Whooooa!"

A voice filled the air as a loud thud smashed against the grass in the backyard. Before anyone could react, the backdoor was kicked up and a figure cladded in full gray knight's armor bound into the room, sword held high.

"Never fear my princess, I am here!" the muffled voice shouted before tripping forward and skidding across the floor, the helmet tumbling off to reveal a well kept head of dirty blonde hair.

"Dart, is that you?" Elizabeth asked before straightening out her dress anxiously

"IT IS I!" the voice called out dramatically, rising to his feet, sword drawn. This new person had green eyes, thick squared glasses on his face, shooting Elizabeth the goofiest smile ever conceived "your knight, traveling time and space to find you."

"Dart, how did you even get here?"

"Well m'lady" Dart bowed gracefully "You took time from our future. Literally everything is frozen including the portal. Only Glossaryck, Father time and myself were not affected by the disappearing flow. Seriously, it's pretty cool. Like amazingly cool"

"D'artagnan, it's dangerous here" Elizabeth scolded though could not hide the smile on her face "You shouldn't have come."

"Psst" Dart scoffed "It's no big deal. Glossy told me to come and get you. Said you were gone way too long. I mean to me you've been gone for a minute but Glossy was pretty determined."

"You stupid idiot" Elizabeth shook her head "You're going to get yourself hurt."

"Nah" Dart waved off Elizabeth's concerns "I got this sweet sword, armor and now you. I'm all kinds of good."

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Marco yelled, slowly losing his sanity from the amount of craziness that now surrounded him.

"Oh, s'up Mr. Diaz" Dart shook Marco's hand firmly "you're like really short when you were my age. Oh right time travel...I'm your daughter's best friend."

"OKAY!" Marco screamed, irritation and confusion biting at him "I'M DONE!"

"Dad" Elizabeth and Jam called out but it was too late, Marco had stormed out of the room, eyes twitching as he made his way upstairs.

The room was deathly silent, the full weight of their actions dawning on the trio of time travelers.

"Wait a minute" Jelly pipped up "This isn't my house"


	95. Fantastical Butterflys (Fantastic Beasts

Hello everyone, YES i am alive. Mr.E here, better than i was last week. I had food poisoning which is always fun and when i recovered enough, i had to help with my niece's 15th birthday which was just an undertaking itself. Thank you for every review, follows and favorites. They mean the world with me and you all do too. Seriously thank you so much.

A special thanks to princessxgilex: thank for your review!

Captinjar: haha more stories sure, actual shipping war au soon. as for the hero to zero i am working on it but when it'll be out, still working on it.

author smimph: haha rushing abit yeah but i'm still happy how they came out. I ran some ideas by mark and he seemed to enjoy them so that's good. I'm glad you both enjoyed it and yes it does seem a bit flashy :D i'm sorry haha. hopefully the timeline stabilizes and no one else *CoughNovacough* comes through. haha you know a lot of people really liked Jelly despite she didn't really have much of a role so I think that is a compliment Nymph! no worries, it'll probably be next chapter and i'm fixing it up and putting it on tumblr soon. take care you two!

Sir Starcoshipper- haha honestly i couldn't resist using them as slang. they fit so well. haha WHO WILL WIN! FIND OUT SOON and Jelly ended up being well liked.

jimmmlol: I think a lot of people would. i mean time travel is real, two possible outcomes and you'd be surprised. yes yes i did

thewookie: right? though it makes me wonder if this was supposed to happen. time travel man, confusing.

thudermist: keep laughing good good haha i hear you. I mean there's only so much a person can take, even marco and of course i will! no worrie :)

DonDonatek- haha i couldn't resist with that ending and right now, Mark would like the truth to be hidden from star. be a lot more fun and she's had a lot to deal with recently. I think Marco's time with star has made him more durable and immune to such shocks. maybe. or maybe his mind was just too tired to properly react. thank you so much and likewise to you my friend. haha i've been following him too for like ever and i'm deeply honored to work with him on this universe.

Shadowgem: I can't really blame him. i mean not only does he know he has children, he knows he gets with Star or Jackie in the future. mind blowing. haha what? psst that's...haha jam's future...i mean...haha. subject change. thank you so much and i hope you keep enjoying the stories.

Finn: I know right?

anoymims: haha everyone stalks somebody, don't worry about it. haha thank you so much. I worked with Mark to get the feel of the story right and you can tell i had way too much fun with it. agreed. i mean i don't want that for them but it really needed a sibling dynamic which Elizabeth and Jam now fill nicely. Yeah i keep being surprised how many people love Jelly. It seems to be a recurring theme with me that the J's keep stealing the show haha. no worries about missing it. these stories are meant to be enjoyed at your own pace.

guest sorta: Jelly wins the award for most stolen hearts and Mark said that the tape was canon so i went with it thank you so much for the epic covy babies. they were great!

SoniceElite: because time. time travel. and maybe. X people timeline is...yeah. a thing. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! sometimes some character interaction and development is the best. you keep up the great work too!

littlered951: thank you so much! I'm glad you like them so much. Don't worry, there's at least one more bad boy au planned. maybe more. we'll see

amythestblade: I don't really use autocorrect, for better or worse, but you are absolutely right. I was using it wrong. See early on, i always thought it was a strain of hair (strain of course also meaning tired, weary as you previously mentioned), not strand and i guess it always stuck with me and since no one bothered to correct me, i kinda just kept doing it. Wary is actually one of the few times i either get right or wrong. Sometimes it completely slips my mind. Thank you for pointing it out, i am very grateful for it and I do hope you enjoy the rest of the stories despite my many mistakes haha i still flinch at a few of them.

camilapia: haha i am so glad you enjoyed it so!

wolvenstorm: Well maybe not. the operation isn't too hard to reverse and I don't know if Marco could do that to his kids, even as a threat to keep them in line. he is a softie.

grim: haha i know right?

honestly, go to tumblr. there's so much great artwork there. moringmark, spatziline, marionette-j2x who made this great christmas nova picture for me. anomalyah, sara over at instagram with idrawcartoons1314. guest sorta who took a little future covy child joke and drew it *they look great* check it out at izzybeedrawsfanart at paigeeworld i believe

I haven't been reading a lot but SoniceElite's wands and weirdos is great, author smimph's dimension of infinite tales (Sorry i have not left a review. i will asap.) and thundermist36 did a great job with the red and the blue. I feel like i am missing someone but i can't remember right now. sorry

 **Story prompt of the day:** I finally could not resist anymore. I did a fantastic beast and where to find them au. and in case you don't know what that is, harry potter in the 1920's au. I really couldn't resist and i was supposed to finish this last week but i got sick. So to fill you in, there will be no real spoilers from the movie here. only what you guessed from the trailers. Star is a British witch (That's right British Star returns) who travels the world finding, studying and protecting magical creatures because wizards don't understand how important they are yet. She runs into Marco, an american Government wizard who finds her briefcase to be...suspect.

I don't know if I'll keep this going since i'm pretty bad at timing and all that jazz but who knows, maybe I will. the actual title for this is Fantastic Butterflys and where to find them but FF is bad at title lengths so. I hope you all enjoy this story. I'll be writing jantom stuff for jantom week, nova or trying to and i will be posting that on my tumblr mrevaunit42 because I'm not sure if i want to create another story dump here. We'll see. but for now, please enjoy the story and I shall talk to you soon. have a great week!

* * *

"Beg pardon darling?"

Marco gulped, caught unexpectedly by the bright sky blue eyes peering at him curiously, his cheeks blazing as her gaze focused , a cheerful smile directed his way with the same warmth and care one would give to a long lost friend recently found.

Her long, sunshine blonde hair was tied in an elegant knot hanging carelessly over her shoulder, tucked haphazardly under a cloche hat that seemed popular with the flappers nowadays.

Her clothes were wrinkled though of a high quality: A pink blouse matched with a long black skirt that partially covered her rather militaristic pair of dark boots. A long naval blue coat shielded her from the cold oceanic air pouring in from the harbor a few blocks away.

"Miss" Marco began again uneasily, unsure how one begins a conversation with a stranger he followed into a dark alley who was holding a violently shaking briefcase rather casually in public.

"Sir" She replied with a charming, airy accent that undoubtedly was foreign" I am rather confused what I could have possibly done in the 10 minutes I have been in this country to warrant a strange man following me as if I was a trouble making school girl."

Marco gulped, trying to calm his racing heart as the woman's sky blue eyes peered closer towards his face suspiciously.

"I-I know what you are miss" Marco said in a nervous tone.

"What, British?"

"What? No, no" Marco waved off the woman's response "A witch. You are a witch and you are carrying a very dangerous magical object."

The woman gestured to the briefcase which rocked uncontrollably back and forth in her hand "This is not a dangerous object Mister..."

"Diaz" Marco supplied helpfully before adding emphasis on the next part of his statement "Marco Diaz and also an employee of MACUSA"

"Gesundheit Mr. Diaz" The woman bowed respectfully while handing Marco a tissue.

"Huh?" Marco took the fabric, confused what use he could possibly have for such a thing "oh wait, no no I didn't sneeze."

"You didn't?" the blonde pursued her lips "it should sounded like a sneeze or a bit of flem caught in your lungs."

"It's an acronym miss..." Marco stared blankly towards the witch, unable to recall if he had gotten her name yet or not.

"Miss Butterfly" the woman smiled cheerfully "Star Butterfly and I don't see how MACHU or whatever you work for gives you reason enough to follow me for whatever suspect reasons you've conjured."

"It stands for the Magical Congress of the United States of America" Marco was unable to keep the smug and knowing edge out of his voice as he could see the cogs and wheels turning in the woman's brain, the dawn of realization slowly creeping over her relaxed smile. Soon she'd realize why exactly she was being stopped and Marco would be able to get an answer to his...

"Where's the A coming from?"

"Huh?" Marco could hear the record screech to a halt, confusion rather than satisfaction setting in.

"The A" Star clarified "In MACUSA ."

"I...don't..."

"Your government is called the Magical Congress of the United States of America but that should be MCUSA, but you just referred to it a MACUSA. You're adding an A."

"Wait, I'm sorry?" Marco tried to regain control of the situation but Star kept on focusing on the matter at hand.

"Where is the A coming from? Is the A even needed? You Americans are an awful funny lot, adding letters where none should be."

"Miss Butterfly!" Marco shouted, trying to get the attention of the wandering woman "I do not name things, I simply enforce the rules and I have reason to suspect you are breaking a few."

"Me?" Star bit her lip cutely, an endearing motion that tugged at Marco's heartstrings "...Oh! Yes of course, you must think I came in illegally."

"No, I was talking about your brief..."

"Right, here you are!" Marco looked on as Star reached into her coat and hastily shoved something into his outstretched hand. Marco blushed at the sudden contact with Star's smooth skin, her hand warm despite the frosty, biting wind that howled around them.

"It is all accounted for: Passport, licenses to spellcast, potion brew and handle animal magical creatures while I am here and of course, explicit permission from both your government and my own that I have completely and utterly filled out all forms, passed every security check and I am in no part affiliated with any dark wizards or have any infractions that would label me as an exposure risk. Done and done love."

Marco barely had a chance to gloss over the very legal looking and very formal notes, forms and signatures Star had thrown at him before she reached out and plucked everything out of his hands without warning.

"And now, I wish you a good day Mr. Diaz"

Marco was struggling to comprehend what just happened, the dull echo of Star's boots bouncing all around the alleyway, drumming into his mind while his brain struggle to figure out what just occurred.

"Wait a minute!" Marco shouted after retreating form of Star but she just kept on walking, briskly forging ahead without a care in the world.

Marco drew his wand from his jacket pocket and aimed it directly towards Star's back.

* * *

Star took a deep breath of relief, taking in the sights and sounds of the city she found herself in. She was always fascinated by how nonmagical beings, or muggles so called back home, found ways to cope without magic.

Metal carriages capable of self propulsion, reading unmoving words on paper, walking without any hope of reaching your destination instantly.

"Truly amazing" Star whispered to herself as she waved good morning to a passing man, his movements uneven and sloppy, empty bottle in his hand but a spring in his step all the same.

The man vaguely noticed the pretty woman who greeted him. Not many people usually did in the hustle and bustle of city life and it was a refreshing to see. But when the man raised his hand in response, the young woman's face broke into surprise as she was pulled backwards in the dark alley, almost like a powerful wind had carried her away.

The man glanced at the empty bottle and let it slip out of his hand, the glass shattering against the sleek, cold, wet pavement. The man dumbly told himself he was going to quit drinking.

Tomorrow.

Tonight, he needed a drink.

* * *

Star's face was a mixture of appalled and impressed as she skidded to a stop in front of Marco, her arms crossed and her foot tapping angrily against the ground.

"You _did_ not just use accio on me." Star went straight to the source of her annoyance

Marco shrugged sheepishly, trying not to let the pretty woman embarrass him into shame "I'm sorry but I wasn't finished. You just walked off! That's very rude when a government official, me in case you missed it, is trying to question you for suspicious behavior."

"Rude?" Star gestured to herself "I'm rude? Sorry mate but you got the wrong bloke, squire. _You_ are being rude. You _do not_ use a summoning spell on someone. That's just bad manners. You are not representing your government very well. And what do you mean suspicious behavior? I gave you all my proper identification and the official forms that allow me to be in this country. _Unimpeded._ "

"Fine, then let me see your briefcase"

Silence.

That was Star's response. A thick, unavoidable awkward silence.

"Beg pardon?"

"Your briefcase" Marco pointed towards the source of all his trouble which gave a helpful shake "That's what I am talking about. It's been shaking since you got here. Nonmagi's cases do not shake."

"Ah..." Star flexed her fingers anxiously "Well that's a color of a different shade. In any case, I cannot simply just hand over my personal effects to a stranger."

"As I told you" Marco frowned, rubbing his temples wearily "I am with MACUSA..."

"Yes, the organization that loves the letter A"

"Miss, I need to see your briefcase and your stalling is making you seem more of a trouble maker than you might actually be."

"Well..." Star began but was cut off when one of the locks on the briefcase flipped free of its own accord.

Marco stared at Star expectantly, Star slowly returned Marco's look with a nervous smile.

"...Miss Butterfly...are you currently in possession of magical creatures...?"

"Well..." Star muttered softly

"Miss Butterfly, you are aware that the United States currently have a ban on the personal transportation of magical creatures and is considered illegal."

"I am aware of such a thing but..."

"Miss Butterfly, I will need to confiscate your briefcase."

Star's apprehension couldn't been more obvious "Mr. Diaz, I am only here for a short while. I will cause no trouble but I cannot be delayed in my endeavor. Please understand my briefcase stays with me and should not be opened by anyone else."

Star's sky blue eyes scrunched up in the cutest puppy pout Marco ever received but in his moment of hesitation, in Star's attempt to convince Marco to be lax in his duty, the second lock was loose and undone.

Marco felt an icy chill run down his spine and he knew Star felt it too as the world around the pair became lifeless and gray, color fading away without warning while a demented laugh filled the air.

"HELLLLLLLLO, IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK!"

Marco looked to Star for some answer but all he found was the young woman rubbing her eyes tiredly.

The briefcase shook violently, hopping back and forth, skidding across floor before it flung itself open, a bright, harsh light exploding forth and blinding the duo.

Marco tried to shield his eyes from the illumination but his eyes blurred under the intensity, silhouettes racing free of their tiny cage though Marco couldn't make heads or tails of what exactly had been unleashed upon the city.

The light faded but color did not return to the world.

"Miss Butterfly!" Marco called out, his sight slowly returning to normal "Miss Butterfly, are you alright?"

"At the moment though I suspect that will change in an instant." Star replied from somewhere at Marco's feet.

Marco offered a hand to the fallen witch, trying to ignore the blush that worsened under her soft touch.

"Miss Butterfly, how much trouble are we in?" Marco asked bluntly, trying to ignore the anxiety in her eyes.

"Loads I'm afraid love." Star responded but before she could elaborate, another creature rose from the briefcase, a golden triangle with black, stick-like legs and arms. A single eye formed from thin air and a well kept, elegant top hat placed on the very top.

"What is that?!" Marco cried, clutching at his wand in a panic

"That is a dream demon. Bill..."

The single eyeball glanced towards Star, a thin smile breaking out on the creature's lips

"Hello B Fly" The demon greeted "Long time, no see."

Marco rose his wand. He wasn't sure what a dream demon was capable of but it was his duty to ensure the safety of the magical world and nothing, not even a triangular demonic entity was going to stop him.

"Stupefy!" Marco yelled as a jet of red light shot from the tip of his wand and sailed directly towards the creature known as Bill, the stunning spell flying straight and true.

If Marco's sudden attack had surprised Bill, he hadn't shown it. Bill's gaze was amused as he casually rose his hand, halting the spell in midair.

Marco reflexively took a step back, unsure what sort of trickery was being played out before his eyes.

"Naughty, naughty safe kid. You could really hurt someone shooting off spells like that."

"I...wha?"

"If you wanted to play catch" Bill said with an evil smirk "you should've asked."

With a lazy flick of his finger, the stunning red jet reversed, rewinding faster and faster until it collided with Marco's chest, sending the young man sprawling backwards.

"Bill!" Star shouted much like a disapproving parent would to a mischievous child "How did you get out?"

"A powerful counterspell. You didn't feel it?" Bill shrugged smugly "Well a little air head like you probably was more.. _.distracted_ than you should've been."

Star shifted uncomfortably as Bill looked towards the stunned Marco.

"Bill" Star's voice was sweet and calm "You can't be running around. Come on, get back into the briefcase. We'll chat, we'll have some tea and biscuits. It'll be fun"

"Ooooo that does sound like fun!" Star could hear the mockery in Bill's voice "But I much rather torment the minds of lesser beings! That sounds much more entertaining. BYE B FLY!"

Star reached for her wand, rising it high as Bill exploded in whirl of light and wind.

* * *

Star jerked awake, rising from the dirtied alley floor in time to see a beautiful unicorn trot over her prone body and run off into the crowded street, surprised cries and yells of anger amidst the chaos of the city filling the air.

Star flicked her wand quickly, shutting the briefcase closed before anything else could escape from within.

Star rose to her feet, brushing her outfit clean before a deep thud and the shift of the briefcase caused her to flinch in surprise.

"Right" Star nodded to herself "Better take stock. But first."

Star hovered the unconscious form of Marco, his snores were adorable and soft though as much as Star would love to stand there and watch Marco in such a peaceful state, they had a mission to do.

Star jerked Marco awake which might've not been the best idea since the roused Marco leapt to his feet, instinctively firing a stunner directly towards her but Star caught the jet with her wand and sent it harmlessly into the nearest wall.

"I...umm Miss Butterfly" Marco scratched his head timidly before his thoughts caught up. Marco glanced left and right, eyes narrowing as he scanned their surroundings carefully.

"Don't bother daring, Bill's long gone. And doesn't exist in this physical plane reality."

"I..." Marco smacked his dry lips together "what was _that_?"

"Triangulum Demonicist or better known as Bill. A dream demon I stumbled upon when I was in America last. He had been tormenting the resident of one Gravity Falls. I had yet discovered a way to exorcise him."

"You" Marco growled angrily "Kept that thing in your briefcase?"

Star waved Marco off quickly "He was well secured and heavily contained."

"Contained? How did he escape then?"

Star scratched her chin thoughtfully "he mentioned a counterspell. Someone must've broken my spell. Not on purpose mind you but still must've been immensely powerful to break my containment charm. Right, hop in"

Marco couldn't help but stare at Star as she gestured to her briefcase expectantly.

Marco raised an eyebrow "Excuse me?"

"You heard me mate" Star repeated "In. We need to see which of my creatures escaped so we can begin finding them."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Marco rose his hands defensively "We? We what? No, no, no we are going to headquarters and calling it in and I will use force if you attempt to resist."

Star's giggles were pure music to Marco's ears, his cheeks burning as Star wiped away a nonexistent tear

"Ooooh love and what, pray tell, are you going to tell your superiors? How you cornered a visiting witch and failed to prevent to escape of a powerful dream demon and an unknown quantity of magical creatures that now run rampant across the city, risking exposure of the magical world? Tell me how quick would you lose your job?"

Marco opened his mouth only to shut it close a moment later.

"Exactly" Star smiled with a cheerful wink "So you help me round up my creatures and none's the wiser. Now into the briefcase"

"Whoa, whoa wait" Marco rose his hands

Star couldn't help but roll her eyes "we haven't all day. My poor creatures are out there."

"I know, I know but we can't just walk into your briefcase in the middle of the day. We need to check your...umm...case in a safe location...my...my home is close by...we'll check there."

"Well" Star's smile was warm and gentle, a view that caused Marco's heart to skip a beat "Lead the way Mr. Diaz."


	96. It's Christmas and I have no gift (nova)

Hello everyone, Mr.E here still alive! yay! sorry it's been a busy week for me and just pure chaos.

Before i thank everyone, i want to make an apologize to someone. To Star Bootyfly, I want to say I am sincerely sorry. I had a tough day but that's no excuse. I took my hurt and my anger before really thinking my actions through and I am so sorry. I understand if you think less of me, i wouldn't blame you but I rather own up to my actions than pretend i did nothing. that isn't me and I'm sorry.

thank you for every review, follow and favorite. You readers are just the best and I love and appreciate you all. I really do.

a special thank you to guest sorta- thank you and i really hope you got that in in time.

thundermist- haha i know right? British Star seems to be very well loved and Bill is one of the most well crafted villains ever. Who knows, maybe i will go back to this au

starvseverything: haha i love my references. good eye

shadowgem: Nah, i'm just a guy who likes to writes and has way too much craziness in my mind haha I needed to pull out an excellent bad guy for this au. haha British Star! and he's not even close to ready. Thank you so much for your review.

Anoymims: it's an excellent film I highly recommend for visuals alone though it is built in a way for anyone to enjoy it even if they aren't a fan of Harry potter. It really has easter eggs for fans but in general you don't need much information to enjoy it. I am so glad you enjoyed the story. Thank you so much. luckily it wasn't too bad. Merry Christmas happy holidays and Happy New Year!

Finn: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

payne621: I'm glad you are enjoying the stories! thank you for the review and sorry but I love star wars and yes there is more coming.

princessxgilex- thank you for the review.

Gallifrey denizen: noted and written down.

Starco shipper: kinda. it's based in the universe but it's more...well fast pace and honestly fills out the lore. It's a nice change of pace then harry potter. haha British star returns! and probably after my 100th chapter *oh man, 100 chapters...* because i have some chapters plan letting up to the 100th. haha all the ships! okay, no help. bye!

grim: it is! sorry it's late.

guest: AHHHHH umm...do you need help? I can't remember if screaming is good or bad

sirwaffleton: it's okay (hands you napkin) it was meant to

SoniceElite: it's a great movie but something you can wait for if you're not a fan. thank you so much for your kind words. I'm really glad you enjoyed it keep the awesome work! *i read your story i just haven't left a review, sorry* talk to you all.

Cartoonlover: no, not on purpose but starco tends to kill a lot of people which is why we all have starco insurance. I am happy you enjoyed it and i hope you enjoy your vacation

vampire priest: I hope so but i'd be scared to find out haha.

so tumblr is a great location for so much amazing art and sara over at idrawcartoons13144 on instagram. A very special thanks to minthia at minthia-ren on tumblr, emilybutterfly252 and my good friend Bernadette for some amazing Nova art work. thank you so much

on FF we have SonicElite's wands and weirods, the princess and the safe kid from PFTOnes3482, Little talks from hiatusqueen (Aka anoymims) dimension of infinite tales from author smimph and of course mother as daughter from star bootyfly (sorry again)

 **Story Prompt of the day:** It's christmas time (in this universe) and Nova is trying her hardest to find the perfect gift for Connor. a little, late *sorry* Christmas Nova story set 1 year before Nova vs. So Nova is 13 in this story and does not have the wand.

Sorry this is late, i tried to get out before Christmas but so much just kept happening. Still I hope you enjoy this despite Christmas has passed. Thank you so much for all your support and everything. You readers are the best. thank you so much for helping me write and motiviating me to better myself with each passing day. Merry late Christmas, happy Kwanzaa, Hanukkah , life day and holidays. and an amazing New year to you all. I'll try to update before then because Star needs a Christmas story and I have a few gifts to give out before we hit 100. Wow...a 100 chapters. I never thought I'd see the day. well enjoy, have a great week and I'll talk to you all soon

* * *

It was Christmas time again in Echo Creek. The streets were filled with good cheer and happiness once more as people scrambled about either to reach their safe, warm homes in hopes of counting down the seconds to Christmas day with some hot chocolate and time honored traditions or in a mad dash in hopes to find the perfect gift of their loved ones amidst the picked clean, savage wasteland of the holiday stores and malls.

Nova was the latter of the two.

She frowned, unable to keep the bent downward smile up

She stood in the middle of the Echo Creek mall, eyes shifting back and between the sea of frantic customers and near barren stores.

"Uuuuuugh" She let out a frustrated moan, gripping her long brown hair tightly "WHY DID I WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE?!"

Nova pouted, arms crossed, foot tapping across the smooth tile anxiously.

Nova loved the holiday especially Christmas and her current attire reflected that fact: Her devil horns were replaced with a simple Santa Hat (Cotton ball expertly fluffed) with a candy cane colored scarf wrapped around her neck. Her father's red hoodie draped around her though the normally comforting clothing did nothing to ease her nervous heartbeat.

It was the 24th day of the 12th month in the Earth calender (December 24th) and Nova had bravely journeyed to the land of shopping (the mall) with one thing in mind: Finding her best friend a gift.

The 13 year old Butterfly made the mistake of completely forgetting about her best friend's mandatory Christmas gift this year due to rumors that his family would be out of town on Christmas day which _did not_ make the current princess of Mewni completely disheartened and forlorn.

That was a lie, a lie started by Sol, whom you should never trust.

Ever.

Still, since Nova was foolish enough to believe the rumor, she was silly enough to forgo getting Connor a gift when she went scavenging for presents the first time.

Her father? A pair of knee pads, a pen and paper and a sign copy of Mackie Hand's autobiography (Helpfully provided by Jack's father.)

Her mother was easy enough to shop for: A stuff plush of an animal she hasn't owned yet (this year was a platypus), some candy treats and of course, a nice razor sharp battle ax from the blacksmith in Mewni.

Nova even got the little brat in her life a gift though she was unsure how happy he would be with a cardboard box but perhaps the 6 year old would be too enamored with it to raise a complaint to their parents.

Grandpa and Grandma Diaz were to receive some puppy snacks and toys (though lazer dogs haven't been puppies in years).

Nova was giving Grandpa River a book about the history of the royal families of Mewni but that was more of a cover for the hunting dagger he had been hounding his wife for. Nova hollowed out a small part of the later chapters to hide the palm size knife in. Hopefully, it would slip by Grandma's notice.

Nova shifted uneasily at the idea of Grandmother Moon's gift. She was as much as a mystery as she had been during Star's childhood though Nova's been told that she wasn't nearly as strict as she was Star. Still, Nova was unsure if Grandmother Moon would enjoy a guide to well known natural Earthen wonders...

She'd cross that bridge when it was time but the matter at hand remained Connor's gift.

"Nova, are you alright?" Star asked curiously, peering closer to her perfectly still daughter "You've been standing there for like 5 minutes. NOOOOOOVY"

Nova snapped out of her stupor as her mother prodded her shoulder gently.

"AH! What time is it?!" Nova whirled around, electric blue eyes wide with fear.

"7:30" Marco answered simply "The mall closes at 8. You don't have that much time."

Nova groaned again, hands tangled in her hair "I need help, not a reminder dad!"

Marco and Star shared an amused look with one another as Nova bolted into the thick crowds of people, quickly swallowed whole and lost within the raging ocean of people. A moment passed and without warning Nova was tossed out, skidding across the slick, smooth tile with a loud screech. Nova was unhappy as she looked upwards towards her parents.

"A little help, please?"

Marco and Star shared a nod but before Nova could react, her parents turned to one another quickly, hands and arms a flurry of motions while shouting at the top of their lungs in some strange language.

"guys?" Nova questioned, ducking under the hat some more as several people stopped to glance at the actions performed by the King and Queen of Mewni.

Marco held his hands together, butterfly wings flapping eagerly as Star hunched low, one hand on her hip, the other high in the air, curved and hooked downward.

"YES!" Star cheered, fist raised in victory "I WIN!"

"What?" Marco whined "How do you win?! I thought butterfly beat Curved Snakhorns?!"

"Psst" Star scoffed, waving her husbands indignant cries off "Of course not. That makes like no sense."

"Guys?" Nova piped up quizzically "What are you doing?"

"Deciding who's going with you" Star beamed happily, pushing Marco forward towards Nova "and your father has graciously agreed to take you!"

Marco stared towards Star, face completely deadpanned "You're cheating again, aren't you? Last time the butterfly _did_ beat Snakhorns"

Star stuck out her tongue "prove it sweetie."

Marco rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the grin off his face as he guided Nova through the thickets of people scurrying about.

Star smiled wide towards the retreating figures of her husband and daughter

"yeah" Star whispered with a nod "I totally cheated."

* * *

Marco chuckled to himself as Nova ducked and weaved in between the near empty racks of clothing, carefully trying to ignore the bunches of clothes thrown carelessly on the floor around her.

"UGH!" Nova cried "There's nothing here! And anything that is here is not Connor's style! How can someone so simple be so difficult to shop for?! It's his fault for ambushing me like this! Dad" Nova whined, looking at her father for guidance "What am I going to do?!"

"Why are you asking me?" Marco responded with a shrug

"Because" Nova continued, unsure where her dad was going with this "You're my dad."

"And?"

"Well...you know everything..."

Marco scratched his chin thoughtfully

"Well that's funny. I don't think I know everything and I'm pretty sure I can't know everything"

"Dad" Nova frowned "This isn't the time. Stop joking around. I need your help or I'll never find the perfect gift for Connor...I...I don't want him to have nothing on Christmas."

Nova looked downward shamefully, unable to believe she actually thought Connor wouldn't be at Christmas this year.

Marco softly placed a hand Nova's shoulder, grasp comforting and loving.

"Nova I'm not joking. I don't know everything."

"yeah right" Nova muttered quietly, staring into her father's gaze "You're the smartest guy I know. How can you not know what Connor wants for Christmas?"

"Because" Marco replied with a smile "I'm not his best friend."

Nova glanced at him, confused "What?"

Marco shrugged once again "I'm not his best friend. I'm not sure what he would like. I don't know him like you do."

Nova pursed her lips, unsure what her father was getting at.

"Is this some game dad? Because I don't have that much time."

"Nova" Marco ruffled the Santa hat playfully

Nova bit her lip, lost in thoughts and confusion. None of this was making sense! Dad wasn't being helpful especially with his all cryptic response

Nova took a deep breath. She could do this. She was their daughter and they wouldn't tell her something if it wasn't important.

Dad didn't know everything. That was news but nothing Nova could decipher at the moment.

Dad wasn't Connor's best friend. Which was pretty obvious. Her father knew Connor but didn't really _know_ Connor like she did. Nobody did. That's why they were best friends.

Nova stared at the clothes scattered about, varying shades and hues of colors with countless slogans and images on their surface

"Connor wouldn't want a shirt" Nova told herself "He'd like it but they'd get smudged and burnt with all the inventing. It'd be ruined by the end of the year which is like a week away."

Nova walked absentmindedly away from the clothing section, Marco following close behind.

Nova looked around, seeing the remaining stock of home appliances the mall still possessed at the moment.

"None of this would do" Nova whispered to herself "His parents build everything they need. Plus I'm pretty sure Harry would peck at anything shiny and new."

Nova growled, irritated and annoyed at herself. No matter where she went, there was nothing that screamed "This is perfect for Connor!" No amazing gift she could give him without hinting at the fact she didn't think he was coming this year.

"Why is the freaking inventor so impossible to shop for?!" Nova screamed, startling some unsuspecting shoppers nearby, their gaze filled with concern towards the young girl.

"Sorry..." Nova sheepishly scratched her cheek "Ugh, I should've just got him some nails, screws and some tool kits."

Her pink hearts morphed into lightbulbs, a sudden bolt of inspiration overwhelming the princess.

"I GOT IT!" She cried outloud, causing the poor bystanders to jump and flinch once again as Nova raced past the crowds, past the cashiers and into the mall once more.

Marco chuckled to himself, checking his watch carefully "That's my girl. Star would've taken at least another 5 minutes."

* * *

Nova ducked and weaved through the impossible throng of people crowding in the normally spacious building, careful not to knock anyone down but still rushing at full speed, a familiar store name tickling the back of her mind.

Nova skidded to a stop in front of a tiny store called the Workshop tucked away in a hidden corner. It was basically two rows of shelves wide with a picture of a lumberjack dressed bearded man beckoning her within.

Nova nearly tripped over herself as she flung herself inside.

Her heart fell at the sight of the empty shelves, nothing in sight. Even the unwanted had been bought hurriedly and without second thought.

"No..." Nova rubbed at her tearful eyes "No, no...I...I thought..."

"Are you alright?"

Nova jumped at the fluttery, almost bass like tenor of a man approaching from the backroom

"I...no" Nova wiped her tears "I'm sorry to bother you. I...I didn't think a little hardware shop would've been so...umm..."

"Popular?" The man provided, his piercing blue eyes twinkling playfully at her, his heavy black beard well kept and combed despite it's thickness "me too but I guess people were desperate for gifts to pick my store clean."

"Yeah..." Nova murmured gently "I guess so..."

The man frowned at the sight of the distraught princess

"So what's wrong sweetie?"

Nova twiddled her fingers, shifting from foot to foot.

"You can tell me" The man smiled, his perfect teeth nearly blinding her with their shine.

"...my friend" Nova began, giving a soft chortle at her choice of words "best friend really...I thought he wasn't going to be here this year...I was stupid to believe he wouldn't...I didn't get him anything and I've been running around everywhere trying to find something and nothing was doing it and I remembered this shop" Nova gestured around "and he loves making things...and I should've came here first...and...sigh. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be wasting your time."

Nova turned to leave but she felt a heavily calloused hand hold her shoulder carefully. She turned to find the man still smiling with a mischievous glint in his eyes

"It's only a waste of time if I deem it so. Besides, lucky for you I do have one last item in stock. Someone ordered it but they canceled just a few minutes ago. Wait here."

The deep thudded footsteps barely broke Nova's train of thought. While she was grateful she lucked out, she was still unsure if Connor would like the mystery gift being provided

"Well" Nova scolded herself "Beggars can't be choosers."

"Here you go" the man grinned cheerfully, holding a rather impressive looking jet black case in his hand "One of my finest toolkits available"

Nova's eyes widened at the sight of the object and they nearly popped out of their sockets when she actually saw the contents within: Finely crafted tools and gear polished to a perfect sheen.

"I..." Nova nervously played with a strand of hair "There's no way I can afford that. That's some of the best tools I've ever seen...I can't imagine the price."

"How about" Marco's voice called from the doorway "I deal with that part."

Nova turned to find Marco, his face set with pride.

"Go on and find your mother dear, I'll be along shortly."

"Umm..." Nova looked to the bearded shop owner only to find the toolkit gently pushed into her hands

"It's alright dear" He smiled brightly "Your father and I will work out a price."

"Thank you" Nova whispered, clutching the item tightly "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Nova let out an elated cheer of victory, rushing out of the little shop as fast as her legs could carry her.

* * *

"BOXY!" Sol cried out in pure joy as he leapt into the empty cardboard box once again.

"I SAY!" River's voice boomed over the excited chattering of joy and happiness that filled the air "This is an excellent gift Nova! I can't wait to use it on..."

River shrunk under Moon's questioning gaze

"in the halls of Mewni of course in the library with all the other books, the studying and reading and such."

"right dear" Moon pursed her lips, clearly not believing her husband "Well thank you Nova, I love my gift. I cannot wait to visit these locations with your grandpa."

"Indeed"

Nova smiled proudly as Moon gave her a distant yet warm hug though grandmother and granddaughter had to ducked under the sudden barrage of laser fire from full grown lazer doggies running about.

"Hey Nova"

Nova could feel her warm cheeks blazing as Connor gave her a friendly wave, thick winter coat in one hand and a nicely wrapped gift in the other.

"Hey four eyes" Nova answered nonchalantly "I'm glad you made it."

"Psst, duh" Connor gave a false scoff "Like I'd miss it for the world. Are we late? You're already opening presents at like 11. Don't you usually open them at midnight?"

"You're not late" Nova told him gently "We decided to open gifts a little early that way we can just enjoy Christmas day with the best gift of all."

"Being together?" Connor chimed in helpfully

Nova gave a shrug "That's what the parents say. Some gushy old people saying."

"Like you're really complaining about opening your gifts early"

Nova gave a playful smile "Maybe, now gimme."

Nova carefully took the gift from her best friend's hand, tearing off the wrapping paper as slowly as she could.

Nova stared blankly at the bow she held in her hand: It was a tiny thing, bright blue matching her eyes perfectly. The fabric was elegant yet durable and the ribbon attached was silky smooth against her touch.

"I know it's not what you're used to" Connor began, scratching his cheek anxiously "and probably you don't want it but I thought it looked nice. You can even undo the bow in case you feel like just wearing a ribbon and this was a stupid idea and I should've just gotten you..."

"Four eyes, you're rambling. I love it" Nova gave Connor the biggest hug she could, wrapping him firmly in her arms and holding on tightly.

"Now!" Nova pulled away and made her way towards the tree "Your gift!"

Marco and Star laughed in their Christmas red and pink sweaters, Marco with an elf cap on his head while Star had a reindeer headband and rubber red nose.

They watched their child present a hastily and poorly wrapped box shaped gift towards her best friend (She demanded to wrap it herself).

They chuckled, along with everyone else, as Connor seemed awestruck by the gift. So much so that he pulled Nova into his arms without warning, lifting her into the air despite the protests from the princess to put her down and span her around blissfully.

Marco and Star gave a loving sigh.

"I told you she'd pull it off." Marco told Star as they opened a fancy bright red letter addressed directly towards the pair.

"You know what this means, right?" Star asked Marco, showing him the card's cover of a happy Saint Nick gliding through the air.

"I know" Marco replied, opening the card and reading the elegant message scrawled within "But it's totally worth it."

 _Merry Christmas Marco and Star, We're even- S.C._


	97. Lunch for 5 (canon, Wholesome week 1)

hello everyone Mr.E here after a...really really hurried few weeks. thank you so much for every single favorite, follow and review. they make my day and really just makes it so much fun to write for all you. thank you.

I'm doing a different format than usually as my good friend the hiatus queen changed the way she answered reviews and i liked it. It's more streamline. I can get info out and go straight to the story and still thank you wonderful people for the reviews so if you're looking for my responses to reviews they are not at the end of the story.

A lot great stuff. I got some amazing artwork of nova from aweirdlatina and cid331 and marionette-j2x and spatziline and moringmark findoworld, anomalyah on tumblr and so much great star artwork and fandom art in general. don't for get sara on instagram at idrawcartoons1314 and if you have any great artists to share, let me know.

storywise given I've been so busy i haven't had a real chance to read but princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482, mucho caliente from lazersfanfics, slowly reading star vs the forces of evil by JolleIQ, star bootyfly doing some noncon nova stories with nova vs the forces of adolescence shorts, escaping the castle from help i'm shipper trash, wands and weirdos from sonicElite,cleaved from thedarkflame15 (first story too so go send some reviews and some helpful advice if you can) little talks from hiatusqeen formerly anoymims. umm the divided by Canadianinfernape. SVTFOE Presents: Disharmony in Symphonia from stranger in the most. a lot of great stories really and basically amazing how this fandom has really grown.

 **Story prompt of the day: this is a special week** some of the biggest names of the tumblr star vs communtiy have gotten together and made a special week called wholesome week. You can find it at wholesome-week at tumblr and it's just artwork and stories about star vs. and I am deeply honor to have been chosen as a mascot for the promo (and by me I mean connor. I fanboyed pretty hard when I saw moringmark add him. I mean he asked but still) so here's the first prompt of the week cooking. and i took this as a chance to remind everyone that Star vs is an amazing, well written and great show and that we shouldn't fight over shipping wars. we should enjoy the characters and see where the show takes us. together.

so this takes place in the canon universe after most of season two but before bon, bon. Marco and Star planned to have a little lunch together as besties do when it is revealed Star might've changed the plans without letting Marco know.

So that's it for me at the moment. I'm going to try to work on the next prompt which is parents. I don't know if i'm going to add it here given it's about the Buttefly's and Diazs interacting but you can find it on my site mrevaunit42 at tumblr and search for it using the phase my story or wholesome week. Also I did it because my laptop was mostly dead and my desk top doesn't like to stay on. sorry for the long absence but if it happens again, it's probably my computer. have a fantastic week and go check wholesomeweek, it's really good. remember reviews are now after the story!

* * *

"Umm…" Marco's jaw hung loose as a small, almost humming-like noise escape his lips, several pairs of eyes stared at the young teen with varying degrees of amusement, concern and boredom while Marco remained motionless at the sight of them.

"Maaaaarco?" Star asked quietly, taking a ginger step forward towards her frozen best friend "Is something wrong?"

There _was_ something terribly wrong with the sight that lay before him, something unexpected that caught him off guard and Marco was going to be completely honestly, kinda unwanted at the moment.

Marco was currently wearing his usual attire of black pants, well pressed red hoodie and gray undershirt though he also sported a cooking apron as he was prepared to make lunch for himself and Star as per her request.

He was _not_ prepared to make lunch for 5 people.

He did _not_ want cook for Star's ex boyfriend and his exfrienemy Tom.

He did _not_ want to cook for his eternal and probably heavily crushing on him stalker Janna

and he did _NOT_ to make himself a fool in front of his longtime crush Jackie.

Nope, nope, just all the nopes. This was not what he agreed to when he promised Star he was going to cook today.

"Staaaar" Marco let out as calmly as he could, ignoring Janna's attempts to hang random assortment of things on Tom's horns "Can I talk to you? Bestie to bestie?"

Star let out an excited gasp "Bestie to Bestie?! Secret tiiiiiime!"

Marco stifled a groan as Star elegantly and gracefully bounced towards him, legs fluttering joyfully with each leap.

"soooo" Star cooed, nearly tripping on her feet on the slippery floor tile, arms flailing for a moment before she caught herself and leaned expectantly towards Marco, lip bit and eyes brimming with exhilaration "what's the secret?"

"Star" Marco whispered softly, eying the other occupants of the kitchen carefully "Why are they here?! I thought you said it was lunch, not a hangout?!"

"I did and do want lunch Marco."

"You said just us!"

"Weeeeeell" Star peered at him thoughtfully " It _was_ supposed to be us but then I realized why not invite all our friends? Except Ferguson and Al, they kinda just vanished and Pony Head is off underwater somewhere but I mean it's Saturday and we have nothing to do so why not have a FOOD PARTY!"

"Star" Marco muttered in a harsh whisper "I don't have enough food to feed every…."

"FOOD PARTY!" Star repeated, throwing her hands in the air with reckless abandon.

Marco let out an inaudible sigh before peeking at the trio of unexpected guests.

Tom looked as bored as ever, eying the room with a mix of apathy and curiosity.

Janna caught his gaze, shooting him a wink and a finger gun while simultaneously reaching into Tom's back pocket with her free hand.

Jackie gave a friendly wave, her face blissfully unaware of the hammering of Marco's heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears.

"So…" Marco began, pushing pass the now dancing Star "I don't know what Star told you…."

"Duh" Janna scoffed "You're not Star, of course you don't know what she told us. Geez Marco I thought you were supposed to be smart."

"I _am_ smart Janna" Marco replied through gritted teeth "but you know what I mean."

"Ssshyeah, free meal."

"Janna, I…."

"Oh come on Marco" Tom said with a sneer "you were talking about your amazing cooking skills when we hung out but I'm just not seeing it."

Marco could already hear his dentist comments while he grinded his teeth from the audacity of Tom's claim.

"Marco?"

His rage faded away within a moment as Jackie's soft, lazy drawl called to him.

"It's okay if this was more people than you were expecting" Jackie told him reassuringly "we can just order out or something if you don't have enough food."

"ha!" the sound of laughter felt forced to even his ears "Of course I have enough for everyone! Ha ha ha, just give me a second, you're all here before I thought you would be."

"You sure Marco?"

"Psst yeah" Marco answered with a confident smack "I'm a master cook of this home. I can easily make us lunch."

Marco turned around, Star noticing his confident smirk fall into a face known only as full mental breakdown.

"oooooh" Star nodded in understanding, hand tucked under her chin "I see, I see. We don't have enough for everyone."

"No!" Marco snapped before sheepishly dropping the facade "yes? I mean you told me it was just us today Star! You didn't mention anything about _Janna_ or _Tom_ or even _JACKIE!"_

The pair of best friends glanced backwards to their guests, Tom snarling at a grinning Janna with Jackie giving the duo a thumbs up.

"ugh" Marco moaned in defeat "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Okay, Marco told himself, it wasn't as bad as he thought initially.

Luckily he did in fact have enough to make a rather filling meal for the five of them so getting the hungry teenagers food wasn't going to be a problem.

What was going to be a problem was the amount of time. If it had been Star and himself, it would've been an easy 10 minutes tops. 5 people, however, was going to take a longer amount of time and given one was a lying demon jerk, another was his kleptomaniac stalker who loved playing with him with the last being the girl he was crushing on hard, Marco was going to one heck of a time trying to keep everything going smoothly.

"Don't worry Marco" Star beamed cheerfully "I'll help out"

Despite the fact she was the source of the entire problem, Marco could feel his body relax at the sight of his best friend, her blue eyes with determination, her lips cocked into a confident smile. hHe felt a spark of hope. Maybe they could do this. Maybe this wouldn't turn into a total disaster. With Star's help, maybe….just maybe they could….

* * *

Nope.

Total disaster.

Marco could feel his eye twitch at the sight of the chaos that broke out just a few minutes into the task.

Well maybe total disaster wasn't the current level but he could feel that threat loom over himself.

Despite how much he cared, and god knows loved her, Star was no help in the kitchen.

For that one brilliant moment of reassurance from the magical princess, he had completely believed her.

and utterly forgot that she came from another dimension and hadn't the slightest clue how to use or operate any sort of Earth appliance or what Earth foods tasted good together.

He remembered this little fact when Star attempted to mix a banana with a piece of uncooked meat into the blender. He barely managed to stop her in time.

It was amazing how natural life with his best friend was. He could barely remember a time that Star wasn't around, hanging out and just having fun.

Of course that came with the disadvantage of lapsing memory when it came to ordering Star to do basic tasks.

Marco sweated profusely, the heat from the pan and sizzling pieces of meat filling the kitchen area almost as distracting as the occasional popping of grease jumping from the metal cooking utensil.

"Great job Marco" Janna called out idly "Smells great. Can't wait to eat."

"You're not helping Janna!"

"I'm a guest" Janna answered quickly "It's rude for me to intrude in your personal space."

"Like you believe in personal space" Marco muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Janna shot back.

"Nothing" Marco rolled his eyes and turned only to find himself staring face to face to a bull angry Star glaring at the refrigerator, stance wide and fingers clenched.

"Star?"

Star huffed, wand held tight "YOU WILL REVEAL YOUR CONTENTS MAGICAL ICE BOX!"

Marco paled remebering Star never used the fridge before!

"Star!"

"Mega Marshmallow smash!"

Tom, Jackie and Janna sat around the dining room table as plums of pink magical clouds and the shrieking of Marco's girlish scream intermingled with melodic keyboard jingles and fierce battle cries.

"So…" Janna said out loud "anyone else get the feeling that Marco wasn't ready to feed all of us?"

"Star!"

The trio turned to the kitchen in time to see Marco skidding across the floor, smoky and slightly charred as Star rushed after him, wand ablaze and panic in her eyes.

"I think Star didn't tell him we were coming" Jackie added carefully.

Tom clicked his tongue "Classic Star. She probably got distracted by something cute and adorable."

"Or violent" Janna chimed in.

Tom nodded in agreement "Or violent."

"So…." Jackie glanced at the hellish demon "You and Star dated?"

"yep" Tom replied

"Why'd you break up?"

"Umm…..no idea."

Janna rolled her eyes "Typical response. I bet you have a temper."

"I DO NOT!"

Tom didn't know what was worse: the small flame that caught the tip of Janna's beanie or her knowing, smug smirk as she casually doused the flames with her hand.

"niiiiiice" she spoke with a wink

Tom shifted uncomfortably under Janna's playful gaze.

"Should we order pizza?" Jackie asked "I mean Marco looks pretty stressed and Star seems to be….escalating things"

Jackie slowly returned Marco's frantic wave, a wild warnicorn carrying off the cook by his hood while a Star chasing close behind with a salad fork and butter knife in hand.

"nah" Janna waved Jackie's concern "he's goooot this. Right Marco?"

"Of course!" Marco answered with a shaky grin, still held hostage by the stampeding magical mount "Everything is fine!"

"FIIIIIIINE!" Star called out, her uneasy face not matching her response "JUST FINE!"

"See fine" Tom gestured to Star and Marco

There was a thickness in the air that was only broken by the fearful cries of Marco, the battle lust determination grunts of Star and the huffing and neigh of the warnicorn.

Janna frowned as more and more sounds of destruction join the chaotic musical that filled the Diaz household

"yeeeeah" Janna sighed dramatically "We better order the pizza or else we're never going to eat."

"Yeah good idea" Jackie agreed "It'll be easier on Marco" a loud crack "and the house."

"Kay" Janna pulled out her bright pink cell phone

"Pink?" Tom couldn't keep the surprise out of his tone "You?"

"yeah" Janna threw the demon a glare "and unless you want the most girly, pinkest hat I can find super glued to your head, you better keep quiet."

Tom rose his hands defensively "I won't, I won't….hey can we get anchovies on the pizza?"

"UUUUUUUGH anchovies!? What kind of demonic hell spawn are you?"

"hey, do you know how hard it is to find anchovies in the Underworld?"

"I assume not at all given normal people just toss them out. Seriously you have no idea how uncool you just made demons look "

Tom frowned furiously, rising to his feet with his hands blazing with a pure white flame, the heat from the fire charring the table a light crispy black.

"I AM TOM, SON OF THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD AND I DEMAND ANCHOVIES! IF MY WILL IS NOT MET, I WILL BURN YOUR SKIN AWAY AND CHAR YOUR VERY…AH!"

The flames died, the insufferable waves of heat generated by the demon cooled while splashes of water caught Tom's eyes, stinging and burning as he tried to shield himself from the watery barrage.

"No" Janna scolded, splashing Tom with the tiny watergun she hid in her pocket "Bad demon.

Tom snarled and hissed, clawing at the tiny plastic weapon but flinched when Janna's attack caught his eye a second time.

"Calm prima donna" Janna told him with a roll of her eyes "We'll get you your stinky anchovies. Ugh I thought the torment happened when I died, not here."

Silent return as the chaos in the kitchen appeared to have been calmed.

Jackie stared at Janna, Janna stared at Tom, Tom stared at Janna.

A halcyon quiet.

Then Janna shot Tom once again.

* * *

Content and peacefully moans of joy and happiness hung in the air as 4 of the 5 teens happily enjoyed their gooey, yummy lunch (Anchovies for Tom as promised by Janna)

Poor burnt stained Marco, on the other hand, stared at his plate, face fallen and filled with disappointment.

"Marco?"

Marco turned to the soft, gentle voice that called his name, unsurprised to find Star staring at him, worry and concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Marco sighed, realizing it was best to be honest rather than prideful like he was earlier.

"I'm sorry for ruining lunch." Marco apologized "I'm sorry I did something I clearly couldn't. I'm sorry I fought tooth and nail for something that wasn't worth it. That I wasn't honest with you…and myself. And now I destroyed the kitchen and we had to order out…."

"You're an idiot"

All eyes snapped to Janna leaning back in her chair, pizza one hand and arm slung across the back of her seat.

"Who cares if the day didn't go as plan? Who cares if it wasn't what we expected? What matters is we're here and we're eating this well made, amazingly delicious food. Together."

"yeah" Star nodded in agreement "friends"

"yeah, sure, whatever" Tom muttered, the eye roll and disinterested look plaster on his face only for show, masking the true joy he felt with these…humans.

Oh and Star.

"Wow Janna" Jackie patted her best friend's shoulder, clearly impressed "That was really mature and nice of you."

"yeah" Marco chimed in "That was pretty cool"

"I know right?" Janna leaned further back in her chair "and I take the pizza you paid for Marco as thank you."

Marco bit into a pizza, agreeing with Janna until he fully processed her words.

Marco coughed, choking on the food he once enjoyed before throwing a deathly glare towards his stalker.

"JANNA!"

* * *

a special thanks to thanks askthedeadman: thank you so much, here's to a new year of stories.

fandomlover: haha tiny nova is always cute for the win and I'll take as much time as i need.

marionettej2x: haha all the covy sweetness. like those pictures you drew of Nova hugging connor and connor hugging her back. aww i got to stop killing people. also merry late christmas. *HUGS*

anonymims: Star accidentally knocked santa from the sky but it turns out that was a good thing since he was being chased by ludo. I remember our talk and I stand by what i said in the nova vs story *BIG HUG* HERE'S TO 2017!

Sir starcoshipper: okay don't save. i written the note it was pretty okay this review is gift enough, that's an excellent quote.

cartoolover: i don't think giving sol a cookie was a good...oh dear, he's gone full rambo...haha he still uses those tools today. they're his favorite after all. everyone gets hugs! and not cheap this review is an excellent gift.

finn: merry christmas and here's to a good new year

xxinfamousxx321: thank you so much. hey don't think i forgot about that au you sent. I hope you've been working on it.

star bootyfly: thank you so much *hugs* you are really too kind. here's too more stories! man 100 is coming up

thundermist: ...*puts a pillow under you* i'm not sure what else to do. i forgot am i supposed to wake you up or leave you be. well have a great sleep! and thanks for the review, i'm glad you liked it.

authorsmimph: haha it seemed like a proper callback. she really is her father's daughter especially he raised her by himself for 7 years no skipping breakfast. they were about 10 and that chapter is in the works but i got other more important chapters and requests to fill first. but one day, one day. have a great day you two and I can't wait!

shadowgem: thank you! they're adorable even if they don't know it. everyone is adorable! no worries, mine was late too! here's to a new year!

Dghjgh: all the yeses. haha i'm glad you like it. more? noted?

guest; A long story of adventure action and Star eating a candy cane.

SoniceElite: Merry Christmas and happy new year! it's been pretty good and i hope you did too! thank you so much for your kind words. im glad you liked it! keep up too bro

grim13: haha a massive elf army vs ludo's army of rats. haha wow only 3 now

guest sorta; of course COVY SWIRL HUG! you got this

fantazyfangirl: most of these stories take place waaaaaaay before bon bon because i did not see that coming. haha always a dork is marco. thank you so much for all your reviews and i hope you keep enjoying them.

lumberHyjack: Me too, that was a lot of fun to write


	98. Clash of Culture (wholesome Week day 3

Hey everyone, Mr.E here still alive and bringing wholesome goodness. I hope everyone had a great week, staying awesome a cool. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they mean everything to me.

so wholesome week came and went and i mean just go to the tumblr and see it all. Spatziline, moringmark, my friend hains-mae who made a Hamilton play au drawing with hints of more on the way, findoworld, aweirdlatina. so many great artists and writers. sara over at instagram too

here on ff we have the final chapter of the amazing epic starfall from golfalphamike, football au from heavybond, wands and nachos from blue neonlightshow, the red and the blue from thundermist36, RIPPLES FROM MY GOOD FRIEND WATERMALONE. good to see you back! reasons from Help I'm shipper trash, cleaved from thedarkflame15, wholesome week prompts from JolleiQ, more drama from ever after from artgirllullaby and of course out of context and little talkes from Hiatus Queen

 **Story prompt of the day:** It's time for the next prompt of the day, day 3's culture clash. I know what you're saying. E, you miscounted and my response is WHAT I DID!? wait...1...3...no i didn't. did i? haha the second prompt of parents is up on my tumblr mrevaunit42 under my story and wholesome week. I didn't put it here because it's short and not really having to deal with the main cast. it is a nova vs prequel though. still if i found myself doing just random shorts in general, i'll put it up but for now it's on tumblr only. So this prompt is simple. Star takes Marco to see some of her native plant life in mewni while forgetting to mention their...carnivorous nature. Meanwhile Tom pops into the Diaz home to find an unexpected guest.

That's it for me. bit of a rush but i hope you have an amazing weekend, keep being awesome and keep looking out for more prompts and stories. 2 from 100...2 from 100...when did that happen? I own nothing so enjoy! remember reviews are now answered at the bottom.

* * *

"YAY! I am so excited for today!" Star beamed happily, her grin wide and infectious, so much so that Marco was in equally good spirits whether he realized it or not.

"Me too. It's not every day we get to visit Mewni without having to hide from your parents" Marco agreed, able to take in a proper view of Star's hometown without the hiding from sight condition attached to the trip.

Mewni may have been some sort of perfect step by step recreation of the medieval ages but rather off putting, Marco the historical nerd found the second journey to the dark ages just as enjoyable as the first.

Possibly more since nothing was currently trying to kill him or his parents.

"This is so fascinating" Marco muttered outloud, fanny pack and phone at the ready "What's the occasion Star?"

"ooooh nothing special" Star cooed playfully "Just a little exposure to Mewman culture! I mean you looooove learning about new things so why not Mewni?"

"Haha that's great Star!" Marco smiled brightly "But you know you could've taught me at home."

"I know but hey, why not have an up close and personal experience?"

"As long as we don't go into the Forest of death, I'm all in"

"No worries Marco" Star assured her best friend, placing a hand comfortingly on his shoulder "We're not leaving town. There's an exhibit I thought you'd like to see! Come on!"

Marco allowed the energetic princess to slip her hand into his, pulling him along the dirt road that led to Star's big surprise.

* * *

There was a crackling. the smell of burnt fabric filling the air as a raging flame appeared from nowhere, charring the colorful rug found in the middle of the room as a figure walked out of the blaze unharmed.

"Hey Star" Tom called out, arms full of perfectly unmelted ice cream bars and sandwiches "Marco! I brought ice cream to apologize for the whole cursing Marco thing. I promise there's nothing wrong with these though you sure try this choco blast flavor Marco. It's to _die f_ or."

"Subtle"

Tom blinked, staring into a near empty room with not a trace of his ex girlfriend or best friend to be found.

What he did find, however, was someone lazily laying Star's bed, flipping through a book labeled "Marco's journal" in a laidback fashion.

"...umm...hey" Tom waved, dropping the frosty treats into the bonfire behind him

A peer of brown eyes glanced his way, looked him over once and gave a disinterested nod.

"hey" the dark blue haired girl replied nonchalantly

"aren't you Marco's stalker?" Tom asked curiously, certain he'd seen this girl before.

"That's deputy mayor and unofficial Marco stalker to you red" Janna with a dull edge, her eyes focused on the book and not the demonic teen who just teleported into the room via flames.

"Red?" Tom glared, eying his hair before shifting his gaze angrily back towards Janna.

"psstyeah" Janna rolled her eyes "Cuz the fire and stuff."

"Oh..." That was not the answer Tom was expecting "Wait, wait, wait. What are you doing in Star's room?"

"As deputy mayor" Janna started in the most apathetic voice she could muster "It is my job to ensure that the mayor's stuff is untouched while she's away with Marco on some sort of date or whatever."

"DATE?!"

Janna sighed tiredly, lifting off her beanie and patting out the solitary flame that spontaneously combusted onto the accessory while Tom paced furiously back and forth, little flaming footsteps in his wake.

"Date?! DATE!? I THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T DATING?! UGH THAT LITTLE LYING...I MEAN I AM IMPRESSED BECAUSE THEY FOOLED ME BUT STILL! UGH I SHOULD'VE PUT THE BALDING CURSE ON MARCO! THAT WOULD"VE STOPPED HIM."

"Whoa, whoa slow down hot head" Janna raised her hands in a calming manner "I said or whatever too. No need to get worked up over your unresolved issues."

"MY ISSUES ARE RESOLVED!" Tom shrieked, eyes a blood red and fangs sharp as a nearby desk burst into flames without warning.

Janna looked at the flaming pile of wood then quietly glanced back at Tom once again, clicking her tongue slowly followed by a disbelieving "Riiiiiiiiight."

"That is so like Star!" Tom whined "and I expected better from Marco. Truly disappointing."

"So...what are you going to do then?" Janna asked inquisitively "Sit here and wait for them to come back?"

"Yes!" Tom scoffed "What else would I do?"

"I got an idea" Janna smirked mischievously

* * *

Marco eye's went wide as the duo entered the small, greenhouse-like building tucked away in the back of a very shady looking alley Marco would've normally questioned but was far too caught up in the elegant and breathtaking flowers that filled the countless planters that were scattered about.

"Welcome!" Star gestured to the entity of the exhibits "To the wonderful world of Mewnman plants! Ta daaaaaa!"

Marco chuckled as Star gave an eager jazz hand flourish

"This is awesome! I didn't know Mewni had so many different plants."

Indeed there were countless shapes and shades sprinkled throughout though there were only a handful or so people with the visiting couple. Like Earth, it seemed Mewni was generally uninterested by what they thought of as common.

But screw that, Marco was totally into this.

"Mewni has a diverse array of flowers, found throughout the land" Star explained as she and Marco walked towards the nearest plant "each with a different environmental defense."

Marco mindlessly nodded, only half listening to the words coming out of Star's mouth. This was exciting! This was amazing! So much planet life, so much to learn! Maybe he could take back some plants and grow them in the garden that way Star always had a bit of home close by while she was staying with them.

"What's this one?" Marco tried to keep the excitement out of his voice but Star picked up on it instantly. Try as he might, Star had gotten very proficient at picking up Marco's general attitude.

"This" Star motioned to the deep rich purple and black rose-like flower that hung in a limp manner "Is called DeepFoot. It's usually found in the plains of crying feet North of here."

"Ooooo" Marco gave a muffled squeal, his light brown eyes wide with wonder and awe "This is a good looking plant."

Star's smile was too big for her face. This was going perfectly! Marco loved this trip! For once everything was...

"hey buddy" Marco spoke gently towards the flower, leaning closer to get a better look "You want to take a picture with the coolest guy ever? Alright, if you insist."

"Marco!" Star cried out, reaching for her best friend's sleeve as he positioned himself next to the DeepFoot, rising the phone high to take a selfie with one hand and another wrapped around the plant playfully.

The DeepFoot twitched, a subtle movement that was missed by the unsuspecting hood wearing Marco but not by Star.

Marco's grin faded as he stared at his phone, the tiny screen showing the DeepFoot's petals widening, razor sharp teeth protruding from inside. Its stem arched back before lashing forward as quick as lightning.

"Ah!" Marco shouted, clutching his hand fearfully while Star pulled him away at the last possible second, the sounds of crunching plastic and electronic bits being munched into smaller and smaller bits.

The DeepFoot burped, flecks of what was once Marco's cell phone sprayed across his face.

Before Star or Marco could react, the DeepFoot gave a shudder, an unwell growl came from its stem before it folded forward, the colors faded and washed away.

"Marco! Look what you did! You made it sick"

"Me?" Marco couldn't keep the disbelief out of his tone as Star leaned forward to check on the little flower "It tried to eat me! WITH TEETH! IN ITS BUD! WITH TEETH"

"Ooooh" Star patted the flower gingerly "Sorry little plant. He didn't mean too. Feel better okay?"

Marco didn't know if it was the trauma talking or if he was losing his mind because he could've swore he saw the flower gave a weak nod in response.

"Well..." Star nervously chuckled "Let's try the next one, the Ankle Biter."

Marco's eyes narrowed into a glare.

* * *

"Dude, just order" Janna nudged Tom in the side "It's not hard."

"I don't even know what I'm looking at" Tom answered, eyes darting back and forth.

"It's a menu."

Tom and Janna found themselves at the local Mcdonald's, a pasty teen anxiously waiting for the strange teen with demon horns to hurry up and order.

"I don't even know why I'm here" Tom sighed "They don't have anything good. Where's the tormented souls? Where's the broken hopes and dreams with a side order of pain and misery."

"They're serving your food. Just get something. We don't have all day."

"I didn't even want to come here!"

"Well you're here now so just order something."

"Fine" Tom pouted, arms crossed "Give me a...I don't know an order of chicken nuggets and some fries."

"umm" The pasty teen murmured "okay and you?"

Janna shrugged "I'll have a Big Mac and a soda."

"Wait" Tom patted his pockets "I don't have my wallet."

"You do" Janna said, pulling a black and red wallet with a cartoonish skull on its surface out of her beanie "I just borrowed it for lunch, here you go."

The cashier's gaze fell on some blood red notes with funny Latin symbols in Janna's hand.

"Umm...I don't think we take Blood Notes...anymore."

"Shame" Janna clicked her tongue, checking her fingernails for nonexistent dirt "Because the prince of the Underworld does not like being denied."

"Denied?" Tom stared at Janna in confusion "I don't even want to eat here. How did I even get here? I..."

Crack.

The only sound that was heard throughout the restaurant as Janna slammed her foot onto Tom's without warning.

The pasty teen's face received a nice tan as a plum of smoke and flame engulfed Tom's form, his eyes pure red, glowing despite the daylight pouring from the windows.

The cashier wiped the soot from his eyes and found Janna smirking at him, eyebrows wiggling with the promise of more demonic hijinks if he did not comply.

"Thank you for eating at McDonald's"

Janna gave a cute, uncharacteristic girly grin "thank you!"

Tom fumed, huff and puffing with an intense rage, the flames growing each passing second and threatening to burn everything to a char black crisp.

"MY FURY KNOWS NO BOUNDS" Tom's voice was laced with the overtones of a demonic choir "I WILL NOT SUFFER THIS INJUSTICE ANY LONGER! I WILL BURN YOUR BODY TO ASH, I SHALL CHAR YOUR VERY SOUL AND TAINT IT WITH THE FIRES OF THE UNDERWORLD ITSELF!"

Tom rose into the air, consumed by raging fire.

Janna's face was indifference as she reached behind the counter, ignoring the cowering cashier while pulling out a small tiny toy from the basket.

"Hey" Janna held up the tiny toy "Look."

The flames died, Tom fell to the ground with a mighty thud, cracking the smooth tile floor beneath as he rose to his feet.

"Oh cool, is that a puppy?"

"Yep, yours if you stop burning down everything"

Tom sighed in defeat "Fine."

"Cool. Let's go find our table."

The cashier shook as the two walked over to a nearby table, acting like nothing just happened.

* * *

"STAAAAR HELP!" Marco yelled at the top of his lungs as he tried to pry his trapped arm from the massive of stems and flowers that wrapped themselves around his figure.

"Awww" Star held her hands together, looking adorably towards her best friend and the plant that held him hostage "he likes you!"

"STAR!"

Marco went along with the rest of the trip, hoping that the rest of the flowers would be more tame compared to the opener.

Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there.

Plant that spat acid before they ate you, Plants that would throw paralyzing thorn at those who ventured too close (thank god for the Mewman who cut in front of Marco), Plants that would pretend to be a food that you were craving before trying to swallow you whole. Plants that only existed if you thought they did and try to eat you. Plants that would hypnotize their prey into coming closer, plants that you can only see out of the corner of your eye as they approached. Plants that set themselves on fire, that froze the very air itself, that were able to create a mirror image of yourself and confuse you to which was the safe one to touch. All sorts of predatory plants with a common theme: being carnivorous.

The last plant on the list was named Kraken which should've been an obvious sign but Marco couldn't say no to Star's puppy dog face, chanting "please let this one be normal, please be normal."

it wasn't

Marco still couldn't even see the body of the plant through all the thrashing: both of his body and waves it was causing across the surface of its massive water tank. The tentacle-like stems were a sickly green, thick as a tree trunk with pretty sky blue flowers and petals sparsely covering its surface.

"STAR!" Marco cried out again, flailing his one free hand wildly.

"AWWW HI MARCO!" Star waved in return "DON'T WORRY IT'LL TAKE AN HOUR BEFORE IT TRIES TO EAT YOU"

"STAR!"

"MARCO!"

"STAAAAAAAR!"

"MAAAAAARCO!"

* * *

Janna felt strange as Tom walked her to the front of the Diaz household, a comfortable silence between them as they calmly made their way to the door, frosty treats in their hand.

"This was not a complete waste of a trip" Tom said comfortably "I mean I didn't get to torment Marco but hey at least I found the joy of McDonald's."

"Right?" Janna murmured, hungrily dropping the ice cream into her waiting maw "I told you'd like it."

"You did. You know I'm going to get you back for the wallet right?" Tom glanced towards Janna.

"If you didn't, I wouldn't respect you anymore" Janna shot back with a wink.

"You respect me?" Tom asked with a smile.

"Nope" Janna said with a flirty smile.

"Next time?" Tom questioned hopefully

Janna shrugged nonchalantly, bored and uninterested "We'll see. Maybe if I don't have anything else to do."

"See you Janna"

and just like that Tom vanished in a whirl of smoke and flames.

Janna let out a sigh of relief, a faint trace of blush painting her cheeks.

"I can't wait Red."

Janna grinned the goofiest grin she could as she walked inside the house and came to face to face with Mr. and Mrs. Diaz surprised but happy to see her.

"Janna, are you here for Star and Marco?"

"yeah" Janna answered with a dazed smile "I'll wait if that's okay with you."

"Okay sweetie, come on I'll make you some lunch."

Janna sighed once again

"That sounds great. Just perfect."

* * *

a special thanks to guest sorta: I mean you can draw it later. you don't have to wait till like 11 at night. just saying

legendofzeldafan100: It honestly is probably the best way to do this. I mean too many ship options and really everyone character has a solid chemistry with one another. Poly for the win!

help i'm shipper trash: haha star's enthusiasm is pretty much an unstoppable force. none can stop her power!

camilapia: I'm so glad you liked it! and of course, they're my second ship. :)

Finnjr: thanks!

Blueneonlightshow: sorry. haha it feels like i was slowly climbing a mountain and not realizing i had some trailing behind, trying to pass me a message. thank you so much! I am so happy you enjoyed all the stories and those reviews came from all you wonderful people. they really help me keep writing and coming up with more ideas for you all. I can't wait to read your nova reviews. :) of course, just PM and i will get back to you as soon as possible. haha well i shall teach you how to do it. Good luck to you too!

HiQanoymims: haha i am so glad you laughed. we all need to from time to time and i loved the idea of wholesome week and I am deeply honored to be one of the promos for it. yeah i do and i usually don't do angst because i trigger depressions sometimes. haha still sounds like a great crossover. I really hope they get more out of Jantom because i think they're a solid couple. also one of my character's existence kinda relies on it. HAPPY WHOLESOME WEEK!

Manifisto: Honestly, the fact you left me a review and that you enjoyed it is more than enough. thank you, they really make my day.

shadowgem: haha i try my hardest when during canons stories to actually try to feel like the show and we need more of them interacting with each other. and i shall try!

Cartoonlover; they have a lot of names but mostly Jantom or something of the like. haha banter for the win and no, not all the cookies for Sol. I'm glad you liked it so much! :D

Redhood01: Thanks, it's the purpose of wholesome week to remind everyone we're fans of the same show.

thundermist: haha i thought the leads could take a small break and let the other undeveloped characters shine a bit. haha i'm going to keep a pillow for you just in case.

sonicElite: I've been writing for 12 years and i always love a good story so they're all kind stored in my brain and i'm not, just a guy who likes to write. no worries man but yeah 100 chapters 2 chapters remaining. keep up your amazing work as well!

ThatSadpanda: ALL THE CHEESE! ALL THE CUTE

grim: haha 3 more 3 more and 2 now. and yeah i wanted to remind everyone that no matter who we ship, we're all friends people. I mean in reality, not a single one of the main cast is a bad person or truly negative. i have a big one planned :)

Sir starcoshipper: thank you so much. i try my hardest to make capture the feel of the show. haha there's a lot of well crafted stories that really do feel like the show itself, it's great.

Fantazyfangirl: That's what i was going for. my cabbages. haha who to pair marco with? haha sometimes we need a bit of cliche. haha me too. should probably write them soon. all the fucks.


	99. Friendship Thursday (wholesome week)

(a figure appears from the portal, slowly approaching as he ripes off his cloak) HELLLLLLLO EVERYONE! Mr.E HERE I LIIIIIIIIVE! sorry i didn't mean to be gone so long. life happened and then i got lazy and then i got sick and then i decided to post this today because...well yeah. thank you for every review, favorite and follows. they mean the world to me and they brought a smile to my face this whole time.

on ff there's loads of amazing stories from Axis and his new series the masked charro, heavybond56, JollieIQ, Hiatus queen, sonicE1337 umm who else lazerfanfics, stranger in the mist, star bootyfly, the canadian infernape, princess and the safe kid from PFTones3482, help im shipper trash, guest sorta did something nice and sweet. sorry i had this huge list then my internet crashed and it didn't save and i rawred. really loud.

So many great artists out there and i got amazing stuff for nova month (this month, sorry been busy) spatziline, moringmark, findoworld, aweirdlatina, marionette-j2x, ask-star-and-marco, minitha-ren, prettylittelrock123, starco-life, 55star-love, atomicmangos, my good friend hains-mae, artgirlluallby who also has an epic story you should. so many great things but tumblr is filled with spoilers, oh idrawcartoonson1314 on instagram,

So really quickly just for notes, umm i might not sure what to do. there's 2 birthday presents i need to work on before i do my 100th chapter but i don't want to leave you all out so is it okay if i post first before the 100th chapter or should i just wait? okay to the prompt

 **Story prompt of the day:** Wholesome week, Friendship Thursday. yes i am so late it is not even funny but i had some trouble with it then i got lazy because i had massive writer's block and when that finally lifted, i got sick but hey here it is and i hope you enjoy it. So this story is broken up into three parts and i need to share something special with each part.

Part 1 has spoilers from the star vs comic deep trouble number 2.

part 2 takes place before the blood moon ball. _this means someone is singing,_ **this means someone else is singing.** ** _and this is the pair singing together._**

and finally part 3, when you get to it, is a prequel and you'll know what i mean you get there.

thank you so much for your patience. i really appreciate it and all the support you give me. Hopefully i won't disappear again sorry about that and i take my duty as starco captain seriously. It's a long wait but we got this. umm i did some creation notes on nova on my page, some random original stories and a preview of a future nova chapter that caused someone to literally scold nova so that was fun. my new format, all reviews will be answered at the end. thank you so much, have a great week and thank you for everyting. it means the world to me.

* * *

 _A long time ago, in a kingdom called Mewni._

"Come on! It'll be fun Moon!"

Moon rolled her eyes, white gloved hands clasped firmly together. She was wearing her customary bell shaped dress of varying shades of pink, an outfit she was told under no circumstance she was to get dirty. A rule River Johansen clearly did not understand.

"River" Moon's face was set in stony indifference "I can't see how spending the day in the Forest of Certain Doom could be... _fun_."

River scoffed cheerfully "You're the princess of Mewni. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"You are a Johansen" Moon shot back "Where is your sense of self preservation?"

"I think you answered your own question princess."

Moon blinked, unable to believe that River Johansen of all people had outsmarted her.

"Come on Moon" River pleaded, lip trembling, his sky blue eyes wide and tearing up "I just want to hang out with you. You've been pretty distance since...you know"

Moon shifted uncomfortably at the subtle reference to their former friend Dirt.

True while Dirt might've been a little pushy in his false affection towards Moon and far too cruel and indifference towards River, Moon still couldn't believe he was an assassin set to end the Butterfly line and take the wand.

Moon wasn't shaken by the fact Dirt pretended to be a friend. Her mother warned her of such things.

No it was the fact that she allowed him to get so close. So close that she would've never suspected he would try to kill her.

She needed to keep her distance from people, from allowing anyone to get that close again. She was the future of the Butterfly dynasty and her safety was paramount.

"And what" Moon asked after a moment a silence "is the reason we're going to the Forest? I mean it is what...Thursday?"

"Exactly!" River beamed cheerfully "Friendship Thursday!"

Moon raised an eyebrow

"Well..." River paused "my family has something called Family Thursday. It's when we get together and you know, hang out. Just reaffirm our bonds. I figured if it works so well for them, why not...you know...us?"

"I..."

"Come on Moon" River pouted "You need to get out. You've been locked up in that castle for the last week and I get it, everyone's on edge because you almost died but that's no excuse to stop living. It's just one day and you can kick my butt if anything happens."

"River..." Moon began but the look of desperation River was giving her was enough to crumble her resolve.

"Fine" Moon relented "Only for a few hours okay?"

"Awesome" Moon felt herself smiling despite her attempts to remain composed, River's goofy, carefree smile infectious.

* * *

Moon regretted her decision at once.

The Forest of Certain Doom was seasonally humid, uncomfortably so during this time of year and despite the forest canopy and the shade it brought, it was the air that was causing the most suffering and dressed in stuffy, poorly ventilated royal outfits did not help the matter any.

"River" Moon tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice "I know I agreed to come outdoors into the...umm forest...but..."

There was a loud snarl and a sudden rustling that filled the air. Without warning, a large monstrous purple gator pushed through the brush, jaws lunging and snapping at anything within sight.

Moon rolled her eyes, lazily drawing her wand and taking aim at the ferocious beast.

River grinned happily to himself, muscles flexed as he prepared to tackle this new and amazing creature when a large rainbow sailed directly into the gator's waiting maw.

The eyes budged out for a moment as the gator reared back, its comically tiny legs flailing everywhere while it gagged and coughed, trying to loosen the refracted light clogging its throat.

River grimaced as Moon strolled pass, one hand loosely on her wand, the other rubbing her temple tiredly.

"River, I know you mean well" Moon sighed "but I don't need to be out here. I really should go back. I have princess things to do...and practicing with my wand and stuff..."

"wait! WAIT! We're here!" River gestured to the clearing around them, the gator still thrashing wildly behind him.

Moon glanced about, unimpressed by River's grand surprise: There was a log, there was the wild sky gator currently choking on her spell and some bushes. Overall nothing special for the Forest of Certain Doom. Well scratch that, the fact they were able to stand in this clearing without something attacking for a grand total of 20 seconds was special. A personal record but not worth the journey.

River kept his smile plastered on even as Moon gave him a deadpanned stare that screamed "I am not liking this. At all." he could feel beads of sweats run down his neck, the heat not helping while he tried to keep his composure.

This wasn't working? WHY WASN'T IT WORKING?! He counted the right amount steps, he followed the pieces of tatter clothing he left behind the last few times he ventured into the forest. He was certain Moon was going to love the surprise but so far it seemed his grand plan was a total failure. Again.

Moon sighed as she began to walk back towards Mewni. She was unsure why she agreed to humor him. This was a waste of time and while she knew his intention were pure, she really was in no mood for this misadventure.

"Wait this isn't it..." Moon stopped in her tracks as she heard River rustle about, the foliage nearly drowning out his grunts of effort.

"River?" Moon questioned while she turned back, her curiosity far outweighing her irritation.

"There we go! TA DA!"

Moon was greeted with the familiar sight of a dirt covered, stained River, arms outstretched in a hopefully gesture, splitting an obstructing bush down the middle.

Behind the viking prince was beautiful pond. Its surface was calm and still despite the chaos that surrounded it this deep in the forest. The water was a crystal clear blue that sparkled as bright as the stars that hung overhead at night. Moon could hear the echoing of rushing water far in the distance that was soothing and put the young princess at ease.

"Do you like it?" River asked eagerly, his bright blue eyes wide with expectation.

Moon found her lips curving into a smile, her eyes softening at the natural beauty that lay before.

"I..."

Crack.

Moon and River shared a confused stare. Their gaze fell on the still struggling gator who was clutching at its throat dramatically.

Crack.

Moon looked back to River and River stared back at Moon.

Snap.

"Whoa!" River managed to get out before disappearing out of view, the sounds of crunching leaves, branches and dirt harmonizing with River's elated screams.

"River!" Moon cried out but before she could take a single step, there was a splash and a joyful burst of laughter.

Moon gripped the helm of her dress carefully, making her way down the previously unseen hill, concern still biting at her despite the lack of any real danger.

When Moon finally reached the bottom, there was River, laughing without restrain, his smile wide and gleaming as several multi-colored fish flopped about: Leaping over his head, skimming the surface of the pond as they playfully nudged the soaked teen with their heads.

Maybe it was the stress of the past few weeks. Maybe it was how absolutely ridiculous River looked just sitting there in the pond, making no effort to get out and instead deciding to play with the various fish that now surrounded him. Maybe it was just how carefree he seemed. Not a single worry. No crushing weight of the kingdom overhead. No fear about the future of the Butterfly.

Just a viking and his fish.

And despite her best effort, she started to snicker, something she wasn't used to and soon she started giggling which bleed naturally into snorting wildly as she desperately tried to hold it in but failed to do so.

"Wow..." River's daze voice broke her out of her fitful chuckling "You got a cute snort."

Moon could feel her cheeks redden against her will, her gloved hand instinctively flying to her mouth and blocking River's view of her.

"I like it."

Moon stared dumbfounded at the viking who just sat there, same goofy smile he held the whole time.

River wasn't really complex...but that wasn't a bad thing.

Moon made her way to the edge of the water and crouched low though still careful not to dirty her dress.

"So..." Moon muttered softly with a small smile "Friendship Thursday huh? I like it."

River couldn't contain his grin and neither could Moon.

* * *

 _Present day, Earth_

"Friendship Thursday?" Marco questioned as he made his way over to the waiting magical princess who was currently trying to launch into space by using his couch as a launch pad "Is this a Mewni thing?"

"No no noooo" Star shook her head energetically "It's a Butterfly thing! A great and hallowed time honored tradition dating back...umm...blah blah blah years. Now come on!"

Marco yelped while Star pulled him closer, grabbing his arm tightly and dragging him into the seat next to her.

"Star!" Marco scolded, gently placing the nachos on the table "You need to be more careful, you almost made me drop the nachos."

Marco cooed at his nachos but Star paid it no mind. She was far more interested in what Marco had plan for their first ever Friendship Thursday!

"Soooo Marco!" Star anxiously pawed at his arm "What are we doing? What we doing? Watching the magic box? OOOOOOH playing in the magic box! WHAT ARE WE DOING MARCO?! MAGIC PUPPET SHOW!?"

"haha calm down Star. I figured if this is our first Friendship Thursday, we can start off simple. Just me and you watching a movie. Sound good?"

"Magic puppet show!" Star cheered, raising her arms happily in the air

Marco rolled his eyes "Yes Star, magic puppet show."

"YAY!" Star beamed, sky blue eyes twinkling with a joy that could not be matched.

Marco chuckled, still unable to believe someone as cute Star existed.

"What are we watching?" Star asked impatiently, still pawing at Marco's arm like some sort of playful cat.

"Well I figured you liked How to Train Your dragons so much..."

"ooooo!" Star cut in, blue eyes bright and sparkling " THE GIANT FLYING LIZARDS? We're watching it again? Yes!"

Marco chuckled "No Star, we're watching part 2."

Star gasped dramatically, her lips curled into an O while she clutched at her face with both hands "There's a 2?! YAY!"

Marco shook his head, reaching for the control before taking his seat, Star giving one final bounce before dropping onto the couch without warning.

"You know I'm still surprised Earth has vikings" Star said nonchalantly

"Oh yeah" Marco nodded, a past memory flashing into his head "Your dad's a viking right?"

"mhm!" Star gave a cheerful nod "I mean he is royalty but 100% a viking."

"Neat" Marco murmured as the opening title sequence pulled up on the television.

* * *

Marco crept towards the living room quietly, trying his hardest not to disturb Star's enjoyment of the movie. He needed to sneak away for a moment to use the little bad boy's room though he doubt Star noticed. She was far too engrossed in the new cute lizards, Hictrid and the general good time that came with watching the sequel to her favorite Earth movie.

Honestly, it was a little too quiet for Marco's taste given Star's natural explosive nature. When he left, she was gasping at the news Hiccup's mother was in fact still alive. He could hear the cheers and tearful moments while confined in the tiny space but now, making his way back to his seat in the front of row of the theater, there was nothing.

Marco paused, his ears perking at something that hadn't been there before.

There was a low, melodic hum that filled the air. A soft, gentle flute-like tone that sung softly, hitting every pitch perfectly despite its volume.

Marco leaned forward as the muted pitter patter of feet joined in, a bouncy yet ever so quiet.

Marco peeked around the corner quietly and his brown eyes widen at the sight that lay before.

It was Star, no longer confined to the couch but behind it, her long sunshiney blonde hair swaying back and forth as she glided across the floor, humming with the quietest hushed tone Marco had ever heard her use.

Her eyes were closed, dancing with an invisible partner.

Marco gazed on with wonder as Star moved back and forth with a previously unknown grace. Each movement was precise, effortless and smooth as any classically trained dancer Marco had ever seen.

Marco took a step forward as Star began to sing, slow and softly, her airy voice joining in with Stoik's thick, gravelly singing

" _I'll swim and sail on savage seas_ " Star whispered, bowing to some unseen partner " _With ne'er a fear of drowning_ "

Marco continued on, completely awestruck by Star's hidden talent.

Star was lost in her own world, eyes still shut and blind to the world around her as she outstretched her hand, her tone clear and strong despite how gentle " _And gladly ride the waves of life...If you would marry me_ "

"I didn't know you knew how to dance."

Star's eyes snapped open, her grace and charm vanishing into thin air as she whirled her arms uncontrollably, teetering on the edge of falling face first onto the ground

"WHOA!" she cried out as her body began its free fall.

"Star!"

Star flinched, body tensed for the anticipation of pain but was confused a moment later when no such thing befell her.

Star cracked open eye, her sky blue orb darting about while she pieced together what happened.

Marco held her by the waist, holding on tight with both arms as Star hung haphazardly, her body bent an angle with a leg high in the air.

Star turned one way only to find herself staring at the polished, clean tile of the Diaz household. Star turned the other way and was greeted with a relieved Marco, a small smile dancing on his lips.

"Hi Marco!" Star beamed, returning her best friend's grin "Thanks for catching me though you really shouldn't sneak up on people. It's rude."

Marco pulled Star to her feet, his face sheepish and embarrassed "Sorry" he scratched the back of his head helpfully "I thought I heard something and I come out here to see you dancing and singing."

"Oh...psst, no worries" Star waved off Marco's comment, desperately trying to hide her reddening cheeks "I couldn't resist! You didn't tell me Earth had the same songs as Mewni!"

"Huh? What are you...?"

"Duh" Star rolled her eyes, gesturing to the movie "For the dancing and the dreaming? That's the song my dad used to sing to my mom."

"Whoa, really? I didn't know that."

"Really? So cool."

"Who knew Earth and Mewni had so much in common." Marco smiled cheerfully.

" _ **My dearest one, my darling dear"**_

"Marco" Star whispered, her smile shifting from happy to mischievous

" **Your mighty words astound me"**

"Umm, Star?"

"YOU interrupted my dance."

"umm..." Marco took a step back as Star took one forward, closing the gap between them.

" **But I've no need for mighty deeds"**

"That means you need to dance with me..."

"Star! I..."

" **When I feel your arms around me"**

"Marco" Star said with a tone of finality, gripping his hand with her own as she guided the other to her waist "This is happening."

Marco gulped, opting to nod in defeat. the song sped up at once, its joyful and lively beat overtaking the best friends.

" _But I would bring you rings of gold, I'd even sing you poet_ _ry."_

Marco let out a happy laugh as Star spun him around, twisting and turning while shooting him the cutest smirk.

" _And I would keep you from all harm, If you would stay beside me"_

Marco's hand slipped from Star's waist while the other gripped her hand tightly to prevent her from flying away from him.

" **I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry"**

Marco planted his foot firmly, coming to a complete stop as Star was still caught in a dizzying spin.

" **I only want your hand to hold!"**

with flick of his waist, Star was sent into a twirl, her blonde hair trailing after her as she expertly pivoted on the balls of her feet.

" _I only want you near me"_

Star's grin could be barely contained on her face as Marco caught her, his hands in her hers while her hair flowed over her shoulder.

" _ **To love and kiss to sweetly hold, For the dancing and the dreaming"**_

The pair's joyous laughter filled the empty room as they swayed and bounce to and fro, their movements perfect and synced

" _ **Through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your laugh inside me"**_

"Star! STAR!" Marco cried out between his fits of laughing "WE NEED TO STOP!"

"Nah uh safe kid!" Stat teased with a wink "the song's not over yet!"

" _ **I'll swim and sail on savage seas, With ne'er a fear of drowning"**_

It was Star's turn, grabbing onto Marco's hand and launching them into a reckless spin, their giggles and chuckling overlapping in a harmonious melody without a care in the world.

" _ **I'd gladly ride the waves so white, if you will marry me!"**_

Marco fell free of Star and the shift in weight caused the duo to sink to the floor, laughing all the while as they slid across the smooth surface

"Haha, man that was fun!" Marco shouted

"I didn't know you can dance Marco!" Star gushed as she jumped to her feet.

"haha a little" Marco chuckled, lifting himself off the ground and wiping away any dust and dirt that may have ended up on his clothes.

"That was not a little." Star scolded with a playful edge while the best friends made their way back to their seat.

"Haha well I'm not telling you" Marco stuck out his tongue as they settled back onto the couch, cozily nestling against each other while film went on.

"Psst fine." Star said with a shrug "I bet you're terrible waltzing"

"haha maybe if you're good, you'll find out"

"aww, tell me Marco! Tell me tell me tell me!"

* * *

 _20 years in the future._

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Diaz-Butterfly" Connor called out as he made his way into the household, waving cheerfully towards the older couple relaxing on the couch without a care in the world.

"Hi Connor" Marco replied respectfully.

"CONNIE! HIIIIII!" Star answered with an excited wave.

Connor chuckled nervously.

"What are you doing here?" Marco questioned in a mock suspicious tone.

Connor opened his mouth

"He's here for Friendship Thursday daddy."

Connor turned and glanced up the stairs, Nova waving at him eagerly as she made her way towards him.

She was wearing her adorable bluish pink sleep dress, her long brown hair freed from their usual twin tails and sprayed wildly all over her back. Her devil horns now two cute, soft looking cat ears.

"You really weren't kidding when you said it was pajama day..." Connor muttered

Nova looked unimpressed at the sight of Connor in his white shirt and brown khakis "and you really brought your street clothes? Four eyes I told you pjs! These are not pjs."

"First of all" Connor countered as he reached for his bag "I thought you were lying"

"Me, lie? Never!"

"Second" Connor went on "I brought it. It's in my bag. Let me go change."

"Okay four eyes, you know where the bathroom is. I'll set up the movie."

"You'll set up the movie?" Marco questioned with a raised eyebrow while Connor disappeared out of sight.

Nova coughed, making her way to the blanket covered floor surround her parents and the couch "Well, I mean you already have the movie in the player right?"

"Riiiight."

"So there's no need for me to do it. I wouldn't want to ruin your hard work."

"You know" Marco muttered to himself, his eyes glancing upward thoughtfully "I'm thinking we should watch a different movie..."

"no!" Nova cried out "I mean you love this movie so why change it?"

"I don't know" Star added in helpfully "I'm kinda changed my mind...you know, maybe it is a good idea if we watch something else."

"Guys!" Nova couldn't keep the helpless whine out of her voice.

Marco and Star burst into laughter "haha we're kidding, we're kidding."

"yeah Novy, they always joke like that" Sol's cute voice called from upstairs, his tiny pitter pattering echoing softly throughout the home.

"Mijo" Rafael scolded as he and Angie came out of the kitchen "don't tease Nova like that."

Nova beamed in appreciation "Thank you grandpa!"

"You make fun of her when her novio is here."

Nova paled at her grandpa's words "Grandpa, Connor no es mi novio."

"I say, are we talking about Nova's boyfriend again?" River called out as he and Moon strolled out of the mystical portal that appeared in the middle of the household.

Nova's only response was a groan of irritation and defeat.

"Don't worry sweetie" Moon offered gently, holding onto her granddaughter's shoulder reassuringly "I'm sure they're just getting it out of their system."

Nova's response was a deadpanned stare.

"Besides" Angie added in helpfully "we're not trying to rush you, we're in no hurry to be great grandparents."

Nova eyerolled as Moon and Angie shared a high five with Star, the trio of women smiling bright at the expense of the youngest female Butterfly.

Connor came out of the bathroom, freshly changed and facing the entire Diaz-Butterfly clan though he had expected that.

"hi everyone" Connor greeted

Various types of greetings were returned as Connor made his way to his seat.

"I say Connor" River called out to the approaching inventor "Why haven't you found a girlfriend?"

Nova facepalmed herself, hand completely covering her eyes in embarrassment.

"Well..." Connor shifted awkwardly under the family's gaze "I'm pretty busy right now. Between inventing, school and keeping your granddaughter out of trouble, I don't know if I have time for the girlfriend. Plus I always smell like sweat and oil..."

"No you don't" Nova muttered lightly under her breath

"I don't think any girl wants to deal with that..."

River narrowed his eyes "You'd be surprised my dear boy."

Connor chuckled anxiously, sitting next to Nova with a questioning stare.

Nova shrugged as the living room lights dimmed, Star twirling her wand with reckless abandon.

"WAAAAIT!" Sol cried out, lunging into Connor and Nova's lap.

"SOL!" Nova snarled but Sol was already curling in between the best friends, sending his older sister a playful smirk.

Nova sighed in content as the title sequence played, leaning against Connor's shoulder in the near darkness of the room

Everyone noticed.

* * *

a special thanks to guest sorta; because you are an important member of this fandom because you are in this fandom EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT and awesome take your time though

cartoonlover: haha fan girl zombie? there's an idea. and throw all the fuel into the fire bwahaha

autho smimph- your exams are important, don't forget that you two. ooooh i'll check if you posted anything, sorry been a bit busy and it has and thanks to you and everyone who reads it, we'll make it to 100. thank you!

finn: trust me i got something big planned bwahahahaahahaha

Hiatusqueen: aww thanks, i really hope it does become canon though. yay! though honestly, in even nova vs, Janckie is a little canon. hee i wonder which au hmm? and here's to you and your amazing work as well! HOPE WE LIVE LONG ENOUGH i'll try to keep us alive

sir starcoshipper: haha i couldn't resist giving star more cute dialogue despite how dangerous her world is. oooh thank you happy lunar year and man am i so late...Markeey says a lot of things

shadowgem: CHAOS IS THE GOAL and ship it ship it ship it. aww thanks for your reviews and your support, wouldn't have ever made it without you all

thundermist; are you alive? i mean i have another body here in case. haha i think she can level him out or encourage more chaos out of him. the prompt said mewnman plants so i went all out and made it an exhibit. haha i dunno why but i think they're first date would be causing trouble at a mcdonald's . aww good night! good luck

blue neonlightshow: haha marco knows what he's in for now. and you know i will! i made it canon in nova vs after all.

H mae: haha yes mae mae, tom. haha you need more hearts for him! you know how fast i like to escalate things. Marco always knew how dangerous mewni was, he just knows better now. thanks i really wanted come up with loads of dangerous plant life and i had fun with it. MORE JANTOM and of course, it was at a mcdonald's how else would you end it?

sonicE1337: haha mine too. I think Tom and Janna can have real chemistry if you know they ever let them talk. aww thanks. i really try my hardest to use my experience every time i write. haha trust me, 100 is going to be big and no sweat. i'm glad you left me a review at all! you too, keep being awesome! and one more till 100

grim: i am thinking about it but still on the fence about posting them here since it really doesn't have anything to do with nova or star which is weird for this series. we'll see.

guest; haha agreed, i believe this is how janna and tom would act. my simulations told me so.

axis; i'm glad you enjoyed that prompt it was a lot of fun. i don't think you've missed any though. i'm pretty sure you're all caught up

Minthia: cliche or troupe? cuz it's a cute troupe i want! haha don't worry there's more bad boy aus on the way. a lot of random aus really. the list, it grows.94 haha for now. dart is an original oc i made for moringmark's shipping war for...reasons. have a great day! 95: I'm glad you enjoyed it, i really try to make the story for everyone in case they don't follow what it's based on. umm so far reception is good so there will probably be another part coming. and of course, can't have supernatural and magic without GF. 96: it is totally canon. it takes place the year before when Nova is 13.

redhood1: that was a sweet rematch

sparkleyunicorn: aww i'm glad, there's a part 2 coming.

lordthundergamer: i am thinking about that but i might wait a bit more because i know it was popular. but it is on the list.


	100. Don't stop me now (canon 100th chapter)

Hello everyone, Mr.E here and yes it has arrived. the big 100th chapter. Honestly not really since there's two pages of requests opened and closed but the title says 100 and i went all out so it's 100 and lord knows i've written more than 100. Thank you for every single follower, review and favorite. honestly I wouldn't have made this far without any of you. your support is how i got to 100 and i wanted to personally thank you all. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You have no idea how much this means to me.

I'm going to skip the starco corner. sorry if i seem like an ass or rude but this is long and i shall make it up to them next time this week because i already have another story all done and set to go and i will upload later this week.

 **Story prompt of the day** : Canon Star and Marco are fighting for their lives against Toffee but they're out matched and hopelessly losing. Can our heroes make it? maybe with a little help.

This is not how i expect the final fight to go down. just for the record. this something I planned all the way back since my 50th. even if i didn't know how, this is how i wanted it and this is how i wrote it. Honestly there's a lot of nods, winks things of the sort here and there especially to a certain story. if you don't get it, don't worry about it. it's my cheeky humor.

That's it for me, thank you again so much forever you all rock and you make me deeply honored to be a writer. thank you for helping me get to 100. thank you. have an amazing weekend, stay awesome and I'll see you all soon.

* * *

"STAR!"

The magical princess grasped wildly for Marco's hand as he reached for her, his chocolate brown eyes wide with panic as a sinister green light basked him in its glow.

Star stretched as far as she could and for one brief moment, she could feel his hand touching hers, muscles flexing to tighten their grip on one another.

Then everything went pale green.

Star flinched as a powerful blast of solid magical energy smashed directly into her helpless form. The attack dissolved into emptiness while the magical princess was flung across the room.

Star hit the wall behind her full force, the terrifying sound of brick and mortar cracking beneath her weight and momentum barely heard over the ringing that filled her ears, her body straining under a deep, throbbing ache that bleed into her bones.

Toffee's grin was wild, maniacal, hungry. Gone was the cool and composed monster who stalked her nightmares and terrified her waking moments, replaced by a creature that was drunk on the power he wielded and far too gone to be saved.

Star tried to move but her body felt heavy as if the sins of her family were weighing her down. Star shuddered as she ran her fingers down the once smooth black grayish blue wall: she could actually _feel_ the indentation she made in the wall.

"Give it up Star" Toffee said with a toothy smirk, his yellowish eyes completely green and pupil-less "It's over. Not even _you_ could stop me. Just hand over the wand and I'll make it quick."

"Star" Marco cried out, lunging forward with a swipe of his katana.

Toffee was unimpressed as he took a step back causing Marco to miss completely.

Marco tumbled to the floor, breathing heavy before managing plunge his blade into the ground and bringing himself to a stop.

"You can't give up!" Marco pleaded with her, drawing his blade once more "We've come too far to let it end like this."

"Aww" Toffee chuckled "how sweet. I always loved star crossed romances."

Marco shifted uneasily, his cheeks burning at Toffee's words: he still hadn't told Star how he really felt about her and it looked like their time was almost up.

"My favorite" Toffee murmured with a cheeky smile "Is the tragedies of course."

Toffee slashed at the defenseless Butterfly with his shard infused hand, a crescent wave of green, crackling energy headed straight for Star.

Marco, the ever brave, foolish boy, leapt to absorb the blow but the magic passed through him effortlessly. He convulsed for a moment before sinking to his knees, smoking curling off his body as he remained unmoving.

"Marco!" Star reached for her best friend but was slammed backwards as Toffee's spell hit her.

* * *

The foggy mountain range was still and quiet, nothing but the sound of rushing water pouring from the monstrous structure filled the air when the side of the castle exploded, chunks of rubble and debris scattered in every direction. A thick, greenish black cloud of smoke poured out of the newly created hole.

Star struggled to open her eyes, the howling of the wind deafening as she tried weakly called for Marco.

Everything hurt, everything felt like she had been caught under hoof of a warnicorn stampede and then hit with a narwhal blast. Repeatedly

Her eyelids stung every time she tried to force them open, blurry, jumbled images that were impossible to decipher but the one thing she knew for sure: Marco was nowhere in sight and she had never been more scared in her entire life.

There was a booming thud that echoed thunderously throughout the mountain range. A plume of smoke rose silently from a newly formed crater dug deeply into the Earth.

Star crawled out of hole as best she could, determination fueling her desperate need to reach Marco.

"Marco" She whispered urgently to herself "Marco, I'm coming...I'm..."

She panted heavily, her body worn and defeated. She couldn't do this...she couldn't. Toffee was going to win and there was no way to stop him.

Star held the wand tightly in her hands, tears streaming down her faded pink heart covered cheeks.

"Marco...Marco I'm so sorry..." she wept, grasping hands full of dirt "Marco..."

"Aww, there's no need to pout darling, the shows about to start." A peppy, cheerful , strangely accented voice called to Star.

The tears ceased at once. Confusion set in as Star slowly glanced upwards only to find herself staring at a very unusual sight.

"Wha?" she muttered as she found herself at a nearly identical copy of herself.

Well keyword was nearly.

The woman (not girl as Star mistook for a moment) was undoubtedly an older, 20 something version of herself if her trademark pink hearts and (short) blonde hair were any indication. Her eyes were kind and warm, gentle and an all too familiar blue.

She wore a rather elegant dress tucked under a dark blue coat with her hair hidden under a funny looking hat Marco once told her people called "flappers" wore and like Star, she had a wand though older Star's wand was more of a smoothly carved piece of wood.

"Honey?" a man's voice called out worriedly as the sky began to fill with a pale, greenish light "You might need to hurry up some more."

"Alright sweetie, duly noted" Older Star called back lovingly to her companion

The older Butterfly helped her young self to her feet, brushing the excess dirt and grime that covered her face

"One must look presentable when one is to kick the forces of evil's ass" Older Star said with a wink.

Before Star could say anything, her older self flicked her wand and suddenly Star felt refreshed and renewed like she had gotten a good night's rest.

"wait, wait, wait" Star rose her hand, taking a step back from the 20 something version of herself "Who are you?"

"Me? Why, I'm you darling" Older Star replied cheerfully, giving Star one of her own trademark smiles.

"No, I'm me. You're you so who the heck are you!?"

"I'm you but not quite."

"umm" Star looked unconvinced by the answer "That makes no sense."

"As you no doubt have discovered, there is a multitude of different universes and thus an endless amounts of you..." The woman pursed her lips "me, umm us!"

"Umm...okay..." Star took a deep breath and clasped her hands together, fingers bouncing on her lips thoughtful before she pointed to the older her "So, you're me from another universe?"

"Exactly dear. I'm a witch."

"A wha?"

"I can use magic same as you." Older Star clarified "There are some versions of us that know nothing of the sort."

Star shook her head disappointed "Those poor poor princesses."

"Some aren't even princesses. Such as myself."

Star was surprised by this "But you have a wand."

"Honey! Time"

Star remembered about other her's companion and couldn't help but sneak a look.

She peered around herself and found a tall brown haired man in long black coat, his pants well pressed to perfect.

Star gasped as a beam of Toffee's magic sailed directly towards the trio, a pale green beam of pure destruction

Star reached for her wand but other her's companion had it covered.

He held his own well crafted wand and with a flick of his wrist, a translucent wall appeared before them and with a loud crash, Toffee's attack slammed against it but the protective shield held though she could see beads of sweat drip down the man's neck.

"Star, listen to me."

Star's attention refocused on her 20 something self.

"We're here to help you." other star explained "Somehow, your Toffee has ripped into the fabric of not only your universe but all universes."

"Wha?"

The green glow faded away. The man wiped the sweat off his brow and turned to face the pair of Butterfly's

Star gasped, turning a bright red as an older Marco walked over to Older Star and planted a loving, passionate kiss on her lips.

Star stood there dumbfounded as Older Marco wrapped his arm around Older Star's waist, pulling closer as she lovingly leaned against his shoulder.

"I..I..."

"Star" Older Marco told her with a firm tone she was used to "we need you to listen. The universes are colliding."

"Wha?"

"Every version of us is about to die" 20 something Star explained quickly.

"oooooh right right right. So you two are here to help me fix it?"

"yes"

Star beamed

"and no"

Star frowned.

Older Marco quickly took over explaining "We are here to help but only for a short time. We can't stay too long out of our universe."

"I can't beat him on my own" Star muttered sadly "and if you guys can't stay..."

Older Star crouched down, gently placing her hand on Star's shoulder "You are a strong, independent warrior princess. You _will_ beat him. Have faith and remember what you learned and we'll get you as far as we can."

Star nodded to herself "You're right. I'M A BUTTERFLY AND I'M GOING TO KICK SOME TOFFEE BUTT!"

Older Star and Marco nodded in agreement as they flickered in and out of existence for a moment, their forms shifting every few seconds.

"Oh no" Star whispered "already?"

"Have faith Star" 20 something her said softly, giving her cheerful wink "I know you can do it love. I am you."

Star took a deep calming breath as another beam from Toffee's wand came hurling straight for them.

Older Star and Marco stood steadfast in front of Star, wands at the ready

"We'll block the attack" Older Marco told her "Once we do, make a run for the castle."

"Right." Star prepared herself, her body tensed and ready to run as soon as the attack was block but before that, she had one final question

"hey, so you two are a thing right?"

The two shared a playful smirk with the young princess as they raised their wands as one and shouted "Protego!" just as the attack hit.

There was a deep rumbling, the harsh noise of an explosion going off filled the air as chunks of Earth disappeared into the fog below.

Toffee's grin never left as the blackish green smoke slowly dissipated to reveal Star running full speed towards the castle, her hair trailing after her like a cape.

"What?" Toffee snarled "Fine, let's see how lucky you get this time."

A glint of the pale green energy caught Star's gaze.

Star leapt sideways, avoiding the magical beam as it passed by. She glanced at the deeply etched grooves it cut into the ground but pressed forward.

Something flickered in the sky but before Star could react, several tendrils of Toffee's sickly green magic arched towards her from the sky.

Star tucked into a roll as one sunk into the ground behind her yet as she steady her footing, chunks of dirt and rock were thrown up as the spell exploded.

She skidded forward as another tendril streaked directly at her head. Star let herself drop, the spell barely missing her and erupting into a magical blast behind her.

Star sat up, eying the approaching spells. She took careful aim with her wand and let loose her own attack

The razor sharp hearts filled the air, catching and denoting several of Toffee's magical attacks harmlessly in midair but Star hadn't prevented all.

The tendrils of magic bobbed and weaved, twisting in any direction they could as they snaked ever closer to the helpless Star.

"CRYSTAL HEART ATTACK!" Star yelled "CRYSTAL HEART ATTACK!"

More explosions thundered above but still the attack drew ever closer.

5

boom

4

boom

3

boom

2

boom

Star threw one final barrage at the final tendril that lurked a foot away.

The hearts sailed true but the energy bent, corkscrewing around the hearts and dove for Star's feet.

"oh no..." Star muttered as the world around her exploded.

* * *

Death was not as quiet as Star thought it would be. In fact, it was kinda loud, a noisy metallic rumbling that reminded her a lot of Mr. Diaz's fancy horseless carriage, the same she once hitched a ride on the roof of. Such an odd and strange noise to hear as one dies.

"Got her?"

"Got me! Er yes"

Star coughed, finding herself very much alive and well. And sitting behind two other people as the trio rode ontop of that motorcycle Marco was too afraid to ride.

"Hello Star Butterfly, princess of Mewni" the blue eyed, blonde haired girl greeted politely "it is I, Star Butterfly, Princess of Mewni."

Star was facing another version of herself.

This one was dressed in elegant, beautiful reddish pink dress, her long blonde hair braided carefully into a single ponytail with a blue bow resting on her head.

"hi!" Star waved gratefully "What version of me are you?"

"You may call me princess Star" Princess Star told her gently with an air of refined grace "I am the version of you that was sent to Saint O's"

"Oh no!" Star felt a chill run down her body "Does that mean...?"

"A bit" Princess Star answered truthfully "I admit I was a bit of a stick in the mud but Marco has been teaching me..."

"Marco?" Star interrupted, looking past the annoyed princess and to her version of their best friend.

"Whoa...bad boy..." Star muttered dreamily taking sight of this Marco. He wore a black jacket over his red hoodie, purple beanie resting comfortably on his head with a lone band aid placed over one of his cheeks. He revved the motorcycle unnecessarily with his finger gloves, almost like he was showing off.

"Marco!" Princess Star scolded, hitting his back more out of playful flirtation than malice "Don't show off"

"Why Princess?" Bad Boy Marco replied with smug tone "jealous?"

"I am not jealous. A lady does not get jealous."

"Then don't be, it's you, right?"

Princess Star gasped, hitting his back once more "No, I am me and she is another version of me. We are not the same therefore stop trying to flirt with me! Er, her! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"

"Whatever you say princess" BB Marco gave a cheeky wink, turning to face the road while completely missing Princess Star's burning face.

"Whoa" Star whispered to herself "So you and Marco? Niiiiiiiiice."

"We're not dating!" Princess Star defensively answered "We are friends! As if I would go out with such a mean, jerky, arrogance, kind, handsome teen such as himself."

"Umm princess?" Star raised an eyebrow "You know you called him handsome right?"

"I DID NOT!"

"Heads up" BB Marco revved engine once more to catch their attention "Incoming, hold on tight Princess...and umm princess."

Princess Star hugged BB Marco's waist tightly, placing cheek against his back as if to hear his heartbeat.

Star looked awkwardly at Princess Star's waist. Vanilla Star had done loads of awkward, strange and baffling things but she drew the line at holding her own waist. She opted to hold onto the handle bar located at the back of the cycle.

Toffee's magical exploding tendrils filled the sky again but Star was far more maneuverable this time.

BB Marco's cycle effortlessly dodged and twisted around the assault, bring no harm to either Stars and leaving a wake of cool looking explosions behind the trio.

"So?" BB Marco smiled smugly towards his Star "Have I finally earned that kiss?"

Star stifled a laugh as Princess Star's face went from bright red to a burning inferno, her pink hearts glowing fiercely

"I-I..." Princess Star stammered

"I'm kidding princess, I wouldn't make you do anything you don't want."

Princess Star just stared at her Marco's back, conflict and longing playing out all over her face.

"You should totally kiss him." Star whispered into the stunned Princess's ear

"Wha?"

"He wants you to" Star gently told her "He's flirting with you. He wants that kiss."

Princess Star looked unsure of herself but as the palace began to tower over the group, both her and her Marco began to flicker out of existence, their speed dramatically slowing with each passing second

"Whoops" BB Marco said apologetically "This is your stop Star!"

"Thanks for the ride!" Star cheerfully beamed before whispering into her other self's ear "Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't."

With one mighty kick, Star flew off the bike as it and its riders vanished into thin air.

Star brushed her hair back into place as she looked up at the massive palace, the hole she was flung out of still smoking dangerously.

"Oh good, I though this fight was going to be a little boring" Star was annoyed at how clear Toffee's voice carried "I don't know how you pulled that little clone trick off but I assure you it won't help you this time."

"Well I'm at your door" Star mockingly pointed the gate of the fortress "I'd say it got me pretty far, so"

Star knew she was childish sticking her tongue out at her arch nemesis but he had just tried to kill her, she felt that was enough justification for the act.

A thick magical beam sunk into the ground before Star, the ground shaking and rumbling uncontrollably

"Oh Pegasus poop" Star muttered as thorny, wiggling vines rose from where Toffee struck.

The vines struck fast and hard, lashing at Star who barely manged to protect herself

"Narwhal blast!"

The enchanted mammal managed to get a grand total of a foot before the vines ensnared the helpless creature in its grip

"Ugh" Star moaned "Right, sharp things! Sharp things for plant things"

Th melodic flourish chimed as rows of sharpened hearts mowed down the vines easily but with each one cut down, another quickly replaced it. Every second the scattered vines became thicker and denser, growing higher and higher until it towered over Star, her magical attacks doing little other than chip away tiny, insignificant parts of the forest.

"If you want fight, why do you keep slowing me down?" Star yelled towards the infuriating reptile.

The vines moved and shifted subtly before lunging at Star but she was ready this time. Raising her wand high, Star shot a rainbow dead center of the encroaching foliage.

Silence.

then a small, low crackling grew louder and louder as the refracted light burst into flames and lit the evil vines ablaze.

Star stood proudly before wiping the sweat off her brow.

"aright, time for..."

The ground shook violently as a giant snake-like vine broke through the floor, curling and rising higher and higher.

"Oh come on!" Star gestured to her foe "You're a freaking lizard! WHERE IS EVERYTHING SNAKES WITH YOU?! WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SNAKES?!"

The vine let out a fierce roar, actually opening and closing like it possessed a mouth.

a terrifying idea to say that least.

The vine snake snapped at Star, slowly edging closer in case she had any more trick up her sleeves.

Star twirled the wand in her expertly, mentally sifting through her catalog of spells in her mind when an elated war cry came from nowhere

"YAAAA!

The snake stared at Star and Star shrugged in response.

The vine glanced up for the briefest moment as a blur sea green and yellow fell from the sky

The vine looked down and broke apart, sliced cleanly down the middle.

The figure rose, stretching their body at and cracking their knuckles. They wore a little green sleep cap with devil horns protruding out of it, red gloves with a metal shield slung on their back with a single star crest engraved on its surface. The ears were sleek back like an elf's and sword clutched firmly in one hand, the hilt a perfect replica of Star's wand.

It didn't take much for Star to guess who this was but the tunic _was_ a very familiar color.

"hi other me!" Star waved cheerfully.

Elfin Star turned back, giving herself a reassuring grin and thumbs up.

"I gotta say" Star told herself as she inched closer "I look good. maybe I should rock the whole forest elf outfit more often."

Elfin Star beamed happily, excitedly nodding in agreement.

"Umm, do you talk? At all?"

Elf Star opened her mouth before sheepishly closing it.

"Ah, I see. Sorry."

Elfin Star waved her off, still maintaining the same bright smile Star wore herself.

"So where's your...?"

A hiss erupted from behind and the vine snake rose once more, mouth opened wide and ready to swallow the two whole.

Star reached for her wand as Elfin Star pulled back with her sword but there was no need.

A flurry of magical energy hit the creature square in its chest, a thin layer of frost spreading from the impact point

The vine slowed, dully thrashing about as the ice began to cover every inch of the magical being, encasing it within an icy prison in mere seconds.

"I told you not run off without me Star."

Elfin Star appeared shy and nervous as another figure floated from above, a girl, it seemed, with long, brown hair tied in a single ponytail and wearing a rather nice, bell shaped purple dress.

"Oh hello! Nice to meet you!" Star walked up to the stranger "Thanks for helping when you did, umm..."

"Star" an all too familiar voice replied, completely deadpanned "It's me"

"Marco?" Star questioned, glance up and down his outfit "Aww, I forgot how good you looked in a dress."

"Thanks. Sorry I'm in hiding. They're looking for Prince Marco of Hyrule, not Princess Turdina, adopted daughter. We kinda got sucked into this portal and sent here."

"Hey" Star said with a smile "No big deal. It's all good. So, why doesn't your Star speak?"

Elfin Star stood, making slashing motions at the air and numerous grunts, noises and yells yet curiously spoke no words.

Princess Marco shrugged "I dunno, she's usually really talkative. Maybe it's your universe or something. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll talk plenty next time we show up"

Star raised an eyebrow "Next time?"

A sudden snarling broke the peace. The vines began to rise from the Earth once more.

"UGH!" Star clutched at her hair "These things are like weeds, they just keep coming back!"

"I think that's the idea!" Princess Marco shouted, his hands outstretched as a wave of flames poured out of his palms "We need to get you Toffee before we disappear!"

"yeah!" Star agreed earnestly, cutting down vines with well placed hearts to the stems "that would really great of you!"

"On it! STAR!"

Both Star's snapped to attention.

"ugh, my Star!"

Elfin Star's smile was infectious as she leapt backwards and twirled her body midair, her blade slashing and cutting down any vine that tried to reach for her. She landed on a single knee, planting her shield firmly on the ground and whistled for Star.

"What are we doing?" Star shouted throwing her hearts in a defensive circular.

"Catching you a ride!" Princess Marco replied before quickly pushing Star towards the waiting warrior as he sent a wave of icy daggers into a newly form bunch of plants.

Star stumbled for a moment before breaking into a run, trusting her other self to have excellent aim.

Star jumped as high as she could, twirling gracefully before landing directly on a waiting shield, Elfin Star giving a nod of approval before whistling once more.

Princess Marco waved with his hand and the two Stars rocketed upwards riding onto top a wall completely made of ice. Star held onto the shield as tight as she could as they rose closer to where Toffee stood and with one great push from the warrior, Star flew through the air.

Elfin Star waved goodbye as she fell back to Earth, sword drawn.

Star flailed for a moment when she sailed through the opening to resume the battle with Toffee.

Star's eyes widened for a moment as Marco lay on the floor, unmoving but breathing

"Marco!" Star took a step forward but a beam of powerful magic met her instead

Star raised her wand, catching the deadly attack before it reached her but she could feel her feet slipping as the spell threatened to push her outside once more.

Toffee gave an impressed nod, eyes narrowing suspiciously "You are not ready princess and your little boyfriend was no match either."

Star gritted her teeth, focusing on push Toffee's spell back but to no avail. She had no room to move and it took all she had just to stop him from blasting her out again.

"It's over." Toffee told her with a hint of finality "Give up. I've got the magic, I've got Marco and you are literally at the end of your rope."

Star let out a gasp as her foot slipped for a moment and she teetered over open air.

"See?" Toffee chuckled "The game is over princess. Give it up"

"NO!"

Star swung as hard as she could, pushing the spell away while steadying her footing once more.

The magical beam dug across the walls and ceiling, scaring the perfect interior and marring its appearance.

Star flick her wrist towards Toffee, a beam of blue energy covered with hearts directly towards the distracted monster

Toffee turned around to see the attack coming. He took the brunt of it, catching it with the shard but he skidded backwards, nearly falling over from the force of Star's attack.

Star growled and rushed into the room, throwing every spell she could think of

"CRYSTAL HEART ATTACKS!"

Toffee created a barrier that easily caught the sharp hearts

"Narwhal attack!"

Toffee sidestepped the attack, glaring at the magical princess who drew closer.

"HONEY BEE TORNADO SWARM!"

Toffee grew impatient, slashing through the sticky substance with wave of his hand

Star swung her wand this way and that, hoping to overwhelm her foe through sheer force but Toffee was far more experience with magic than he let on.

"Give it up princess" he taunted, absorbing her beams of magic with shard effortlessly "I know about the wand and magic than you could ever hope to learn."

"What?!" Star cried back before letting loose a gasp of surprise. She leapt as the laser-like beam of Toffee nearly skewered her in half "how is that possible?"

"It doesn't matter" Toffee shrugged, deflecting an incoming narwhal with a flick of his wrist "What matters is you're out of your league princess"

Toffee's smirk was bone chilling as he gestured to Star. A barrage of green tendrils of energy shot out, spreading wide before closing in on Star.

"No!" Star held the wand close

* * *

The palace shook from the force of explosion, rocking violently as bits and pieces of the ancient structure broke apart and crumbled against the floor.

Star coughed weakly, struggling to reach for the wand just inches away.

She couldn't give up, she couldn't let Toffee get away with this.

Star felt her heart stop as Toffee's foot placed itself firmly on top of her only chance of stopping him

She looked up to find his hand pointed directly in her face, the shard glowing ominously with a green glimmer.

"Last words?"

"Yeah!" Star shouted "POOPY HEAD!"

Toffee frowned, his moment of glory undermined by Star's childish behavior "Really? The end of your life and those are your last words? Ugh, have some self respect princess."

"She does, she was just calling for me."

Toffee whirled around as a bright beam of magic narrowly missed him.

Toffee hissed angrily, his neck lightly charred and burnt

"WHO ARE YOU?" Toffee snarled.

The young teen gave a mischievous smile, tucking his short blonde hair further under his red colored baseball cap with devil horns and star superimposed on it. His blue t-shirt with tiny puppy was an odd choice of battle attire as was his green sweater tied around his waist. Greenish blue pants and high-top rhino sneakers were just strange but nothing made Toffee's blood boil more than the lightning bolt birthmarks on his cheeks.

"What are..."

"Marcia now!"

"Right Comet!"

Another person came into view, a pretty girl whose long brown was tied in a single ponytail, with a familiar red hoodie though the bike shorts/legging combo was strange to Star.

Marcia lunged at Toffee without warning.

Toffee snarled, rising his hand and taking aim at the teenage pip squeak.

"Nope!"

Toffee growled as a blue colored boxing glove connected with his face, sending him staggering backwards.

Comet shot him a cocky wink and Toffee's fury boiled.

Toffee rose his hand once more only for Marcia's kick to catch his stomach, knocking all the breath out of him.

"Great job mar mar!" Comet smiled brightly.

Marcia blushed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly while returning Comet's smile.

Toffee fumed, anger building quickly.

He dove for Marcia only for a narwhal to intercept him midair. He tumbled across the floor, rolling uncontrollably until he slammed against the far wall.

Toffee look carefully at the trio of troublemakers.

"ENOUGH!" Toffee scream, aiming directly for his enemies and letting loose the most powerful spell he could muster.

The sickly green beam encompassed the entire room, charring and melt away the stone tile floor as it streaked by.

Marcia instinctively shielded herself with her arm. Comet and Star stepped forward and caught the blast with their wands.

"We can't hold this! Even with two wands!" Comet shouted over the howl and crackling of the colliding magic

"I know!" Star answered "We need a way to stop him!"

Comet and Star could hear the scraping of their feet against the tile, the strain to keep their footing amongst this magical assault almost too much to bear.

Comet coughed, his entire being flickering for a moment

Comet and Star were pushed back further, their wands groaning under the pressure of Toffee's spell.

"Comet!" Star cried

"I know!" Comet replied "We're going going to disappear soon! WE NEED A PLAN!"

Star looked past the blinding illumination of the spells and smiled to herself.

"No, we need a Marco!"

Comet was confused "What's a Marco?"

Toffee grinned to himself, an insane smirk. He savored the fear on the magical brats faces. This was it. IT WAS OVER

"I WIN!"

"Wrong lizard brain!"

Toffee let out an agonized, tormented scream of pure pain as Marco wobbled uncontrollably and leaned on his sword for support.

Toffee's now severed hand sailed freely through the air as Comet cheered "so that's a Marco!"

Toffee fell to his knee, clutching as his dismembered hand tightly.

Toffee looked only to find Star, hearts glimmering in the darkness of the castle.

Toffee glared as Star stood over him, wand at the ready.

Anger turned to shock as Toffee saw the truth in a moment of clarity.

Like thousands of impossible images superimposed on top each other, Toffee saw countless Stars, wand drawn, righteous fury in their eyes.

But they weren't the same.

No they were all different.

There was a small kitty Star, An Elfish Star with a blade, an older Star with elegant clothing holding rather gearlike gun.

There was Star dressed an ancient Greek, Star weairng a blue hoodie and glasses. Star with a simple wand, Star in a strange school unicorn. Star carrying some sort of strange light sword weapon

Star with a hat, Star fully armored, Star in her princess attire, Star in regular clothing.

STAR, STAR, STAR!

But the one he could see clearly, the one that frightened him the most was Queen Star. A regal yet curious version of Star he'd seen once before...in an impossible dream filled with shadows and darkness...when he went by another name...

"Felix" Toffee muttered for no reason.

Marco took his place Star's side and like the princess, countless versions of him superimposed themselves but like Star, the one that stood out was an older, more stern looking Marco who held a sliver blade that glowed like sun, his chest blazing with a strange and powerful light.

"We told you" Star and Marco spoke together, wand and sword raised together "never again."

Toffee chuckled to himself. They didn't even know what they spoke of.

There was a flash and before the swirling magical beams of blue and yellow overtook him, Toffee muttered to himself.

"Do your own dirty work Nox. Ugh, I hate Butterfly's"

* * *

I hope you enjoyed all the little nods and winks and if you didn't get them, don't worry about it.

a special thanks to guest sort: no i won't stop thanking you

Blue Neonlightshow: hahah thank you so much i am so glad you liked and go for it, ship covy because lord knows so many others do haha seriously just like everyone ships them. there's lords of covy moments at nova-friends tumblr. that's the ask site where i play them

Author smimph: aww thanks you two rock! that's great! good to hear. good luck you two. haha i know. i had my duct tape ready

angryboy13: I'm fine. i fully expected all that. the fandom however *looks at the giant flames* yeeeeeah

finn: i hoped you enjoyed it. it was loads of fun to write

Fanficoverlord: Thank you im glad you liked it. there is one planned but my next few weeks are busy cuz i have a covy birthday gift to give then requests, starco weeks coming up, shipping war, pirates 3, overwatch3. a lot of stuff but yes hero to zero has another few parts planned for it. (those were the right words)

Marcorndiaz: I am so happy to hear that and we really need just all the fluffy in the world right all . i shall do my best! Married starco is so much fun to write and so natural too thanks for the review

captain jar; maybe, got a lot planned but it's on the list

captainpiper: you're very welcome, we all needed this

shadowgem: What can i say, go big or go home haha i'm glad river and moon came out so good because i was having trouble getting a feel for their teenage selves since you know we only see them once. haha i know but i need to keep everyone alive right now with tape and necromancy. loooots of tape

Starfireteen: it's a great song and a great movie and i'm resisting the au i want to do of it. thank you so much and i hope you enjoy the rest.

Sir starcoshipper: I had the rare chance to have 3 generations of friendship Thursdays so i took it and yeah that's how Star refers to it as STARCO WILL LIVE!

Hiatus queen: Hello my good friend, glad to hear from you *HUGS!* I am so glad you enjoyed the trio and you are better now. be strong starco will rise and we have 4th season with the 3rd airing during the summer. not too far away. thank you for smiling and the amazing review as always

Minthia: haha don't worry, in case you die we has starco insurance and covy insurance too. get to 99 that's where all the starco is haha YAY! BONDING!

Theragingrussian: yes, yes it was and im glad you enjoyed it. hope you enjoy the rest of the stories.

grim: hahah maybe it was maybe it wasn't, i'll never tell bwahaha i'm glad you enjoyed and here's to 100!

chigbeese: sorry, don't get it.


	101. somewhere, beyond the sea(mermaid au)

Hello everyone! Mr.E here with many, many, many many many many thank you to every SINGLE review, favorite and follow. thank you a million times over. without you, i wouldn't have ever gotten to 100 chapters. you all rule and thank you so much. seriously i can't thank you enough.

So art is teeming with it. aweirdlatina, weather-art, marionette-j2x, spatziline, findworld, hains-mae, atomicmangoes. disney-n-stuff, 55star-love, prettyrock123, starco-love. so many also sara over at idrawcartoons1314 on instagram and Izzybeedrawsfanart at paigeeworld.

on FF. wands and nachos by blue neonlightshow, disharmony in symphina by stranger in the mist, red hoodie, blue eyes, purple wand from heavybond56, know from jennylovejordon, the princess and the safe kid by pftones3482, anything from hiatus queen and axis25 (who might be 26 now)

 **story prompt of the day:** *throws confetti* happy birthday H. Mae! WOOOO I mean it's not now, it's been like a week but still and of course i need to give her a birthday gift. and marionette. oh man where does the time go. anyway. this prompt is from her mermaid au idea.

So Marco is the crowned prince of Mewni, a land founded by his ancestors thousands of years ago. Rumor is a massive and dangerous pirate fleet is on the way to destroy his world and Marco is desperate to save his home that he decides to pray to the old gods of mewni for a way to save everyone though it isn't the old gods that hear him..

That's it for me, thank you so much for everything once again. seriously, we made it to 100! and we did it together! i hope you enjoy this chapter as i work on nova vs. it's a big fight and you know i have to go all out. have a great week and enjoy! i own nothing

* * *

"Father, please..." Marco began but the only response the agitated flutter of his father's cape.

"Marco this is not the time." Rafael replied, his hands anxiously tapping against each other "You do not understand Mijo"

"I don't understand?" Marco shot back with a harsh edge, eyes flaring in disbelief "I understand father. I am not the simple schoolboy you believe me to be. I am prince of..."

"You are the prince of Mewni" Rafael boomed over him "And I am its king. I am trying to protect you but you do not seem to realize..."

"What?" Marco snapped, arms crossed against his white elegant military tunic and crisp black dress pants, his blade hanging lazily at his side "What don't I understand? That there is a massive pirate fleet on the way? Ready to steal our food, precious goods and raze our kingdom to the ground? Is that what I don't understand, _dad_?"

Rafael frowned at the Marco's chose of informal terminology. He let out a mighty sigh, slumping into the simple yet refined throne tiredly, his crown sliding off to one side of his head.

"Marco, it is too dangerous...Your mother and I...if something were to happen..."

Marco huffed in disagreement "I am the crowned prince of Mewni. I cannot simply stand by and let my people, our people die! You said it yourself: Every able bodied man must answer the call..."

"Marco, I..."

"And I" Marco said with an edge of finality "Am an able bodied man. With or _without_ your permission, I will fight."

Rafael sighed in defeated "Marco...how could we possibly hope to hold them off? Ocean surrounds our palace on far too many sides."

Marco paused uneasily, unsure how to solve a problem that had persisted through his entire lifetime and that of his father's. When Marco's great, great, great (many greats) ancestors found the rotting shell that was once the kingdom of Mewni over thousands of years ago, raiders and pirates were small bands, troublesome but hardly a threat. By the time such groups became a formidable size, the kingdom had grown far too large to be consider a target. Any attempts to take or pillage the oceanic palace were a Pyrrhic victory at best and a devastating loss at worst.

Something, however, changed.

The once orderless, aimless wanderers of the sea became focused, determined and worst of all, powerful. Someone or something across the waves in far off land was gathering the most vile, cutthroat and savage of those who roamed the sea and marshal them into a deadly force that spread like a plague, threatening to claim all who call the ocean home.

The reports had been around for decades of course: Written accounts of the forces brutality first hand, recounted with horrifying details. But back then it had been an unfathomable distance away, a problem that was over there, harmless to Mewni. Mewni would survive. Mewni would be safe.

Mewni was on the verge of being wiped off the face of the map now. Another forgotten land lost to tragedy and time. The reports were no longer of far, inconceivable distances but mere miles away from the palace. The kingdom swelled in size as survivors poured in with every passing breeze, each bringing a renewed sense of dread and fear that infected the populous with terror.

"Father..." Marco murmured softly "There must be a way...something we haven't thought of. Perhaps if we ask for aid..."

"None of our neighbors can spare anything more."

"Umm...perhaps we can train our men to..."

"The attack" Rafael muttered quietly "is fast approaching. We do not have enough time to ensure all able bodied men will be able to use a sword properly let alone cannons and rifles."

Marco froze, his mind whirling a million miles per hour. He hated how useless he felt, he hated how each plan he came up with would only end with failure. Mewni had face innumerable, impossible odds before and survived but it seems this time the gods favor...

"Wait!" Marco cried out "Wait, I have an idea."

Rafael turned wearily to his son "Marco?"

"The gods. T-the old gods! From before. Let's pray to them..."

Silence filled the room, unsure and concerned eyes fell upon Marco as the once hushed, invisible gathering of people who remained quiet during exchange now murmured with barely contain whispers.

"Marco, we've been over this" Rafael firmly replied, rising to his feet angrily "The old gods are just a myth, a remnant from a civilization long past as we will be if we don't figure out a _real_ plan"

"But dad, the texts! They speak of..."

"I KNOW WHAT THEY SPEAK OF MARCO!" Rafael roared, slamming his fist against his throne.

Silence fell once more, even Marco was unable to respond to his father's outbust. He had never seen such a thing before and only now did it dawn to him how scared his father must've truly be.

Rafael took a deep, calming breath, his shoulders sagging once more "I know what you want to believe Marco. I know you want to believe in all powerful deities who could save us with a flick of their wrist. I knew you wished the guardians that live beneath the waves to exist but they do not. They are not real, they were never real and they're never going to be real. Marco, we need a plan, not fairy tales."

"But..." Marco weakly began but he far too tired and lost too much of his momentum to go on

"Marco, my son. Please leave us be. We have a war to plan."

Marco sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on him far too much for him to fight back.

Marco gave a polite bow and strode out of the room, defeated and dejected.

* * *

The doors creaked open then shut behind him with a deafening thud.

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly, leaning against the thick wooden throne room door "Oh man...what I am going to do?"

"How about pray?"

Marco flailed wildly, grasping his sword though struggled to free it of its sheath.

"Whoa, honey, honey calm down!"

Marco felt tense as a pair of hands grip his shoulders gently. He turned only to find himself staring into the face of his mother, worry etched into every inch of her face.

"Moooom!" Marco spoke with a childish whine "How many times did I tell you not to sneak up on me? You almost gave me a heart attack."

Angie giggled, patting her son's cheek lovingly "No, if I told the ladies of the court how much you love singing you'd die of a heart attack."

Marco pulled away from his mother though he did not break her hold on him "You joke far too much."

"And you" Angie countered "far too little. You're a young man, not a cranky geezer. You need to relax"

"How can I relax when our entire kingdom is threatened? How can I be at ease when our family, our people could wiped out of existence. Father needs me..."

Angie pursed her lips as she held Marco tightly.

"Marco, we'll be fine."

Marco sighed "I want to make sure. Even if it's pointless, I want to do something...anything. I can't just sit here and just pretend"

"Well" Angie asked quizzically "What did you have in mind?"

Marco shifted uncomfortably "It's stupid."

"No, running down the hall in your undergarments is stupid, your idea is not."

Marco chuckled, giving his mother a small grin "I _do_ want to pray."

"Umm...didn't I just..."

Marco shook his head vigorously "No, I mean...to the old Mewni gods..."

"oh... _oh"_

"I know it's stupid..." Marco whispered "but...I...

Marco stopped as he felt his mother pat his head, rubbing away his well kept hair.

"I understand. I mean as long as you know nothing is probably going to happen, I can't see the harm in it."

"Really? But dad said..."

"Dad" Angie replied firmly "is under a lot of stress. He's not exactly in the right state of mind. Here, I'll show you how to properly pray to a non-existent god."

"Gee, when you say it like that, I sound a little crazy."

"All those with faith are a bit crazy dear."

* * *

Marco shivered as a harsh, chilled wind swept against him, howling furiously as his boots crunched against the sandy shore, the waves that crashed against the land soothing yet thunderous.

Marco was at the base of the cliff that held the palace aloft, its surface gray and roughly carved by the countless centuries the wind had thrown itself against it.

He glanced about under his riding cloak, a small container wrapped gingerly in his hands as he made his way to the location his mother told him about.

"34...35...36" Marco told himself "37 paces from the dirt road."

Marco looked about, unsure what he was looking for. There was nothing here but rocks that washed ashore, patches of random grass and weeds that managed to survive the salty air and an uneven cliff face. There was no tunnel, no cavern to the reflective pool that his mother said existed.

"Mom" Marco rolled his eyes irritated "ugh, you just told me this to keep me busy, didn't you?"

Marco scoffed, taking his frustration on a nearby rock, kicking it as hard and watching it as it lazily sailed through a nearby bush.

What Marco expected to hear was the sound of solid Earth ricocheting off a larger piece of rock. What Marco heard was the far off echo of rustling and the thud, thud, thud disappearing into the void.

Marco pulled away the obstructing bush to find the mouth of a cavernous tunnel that sloped downward, deep into the ground.

"Okay." Marco nodded to himself, carefully taking a slow step forward "Either ancient Mewmans were paranoid or I'm about to find some really creepy cultist crap. Please don't be a cultist crap, pleeeeease don't be cultist crap."

The shadows grew around Marco the further he ventured, the illumination brought by the mid-day sun swallowed whole by the emptiness of the dark, the only sounds of life were his own footsteps and the moaning of the breeze.

Marco coughed though refused to remove his grasp on the container.

The tunnels deepened, curving slightly ever downward in subtle and confusing ways. Marco lost track how long he'd been blanketed in shadows and he began to fidget anxiously.

"This was the stupidest idea I've had" Marco told himself "and I once thought putting roast beef between two slices of bread was a good idea. I mean how am I supposed to use a fork with that? Sigh, I should just go back. I don't know why I'm even doing this, it won't even ah!"

Marco flinched as, without warning, a warm light basked him in its glow. Marco's strained against the sudden shift before focusing once more.

"ugh, I...whoa..."

All about him were multicolored crystals, large, thick towering pieces spreading through in every direction, splashes and hues blending together and covered the enclosed cove in every possible color Marco could've ever had imagined and many more he wouldn't never dream of.

Far beyond the sandy, cold sand under his feet was the ocean, the cool sea breeze chilling him to the bone while it raced throughout the hidden cavern.

There wasn't much left in here: broken, discarded pieces of items once used for worship, weapons that have long rusted and dissolved away, papers and books that seemed complete but would crumble into dust once Marco attempted to move them.

The only thing that remained of the ancient Mewmans that once lived here was a smooth, carefully carved stone altar that was sunk halfway where the ocean and land met.

"Okay" Marco muttered to himself, slowly edging closer to the stone monument "Mom did not mention an altar but it's okay. just because it's here doesn't mean it has to do anything with a cult."

* * *

The soft, wet crunch of Marco's boots mixed with the natural ambiance of the ocean, a harmony of peace as Marco gently placed his offering upon the stone.

He carefully unwrapped his gift, his stomach rumbling loudly as the mouth watering smell of melted cheese wafted into the empty cavern, triangular chips held in an elegant royal bowl.

Marco's signature dish: Super Awesome Nachos.

"Hey" Marco started, his voice awkward and constrained from lack of use. He coughed loudly, feeling more and more embarrassed with each passing moment "Man, only I can get humiliated in an empty room."

Marco closed his eyes, his breath calm and relaxed.

"I...I know you're not real." Marco spoke "I know you're not probably didn't exist...I...I don't know what else to do...I...I'm scared...I need a way to save my family, my people...but I don't have anything else...please...help."

The only response Marco received was the howling of the ocean breeze and the washing of the water against the sand.

Marco shook his head. Why was he even here? Why did he even bother? He should be with his father, attempting to figure out some sort of way to save their home, not in some sort of creepy cave from a time that no longer existed.

Marco's steps faded away as the young prince made his way through the darkness, disappointed in himself for such a childish endeavor.

* * *

The waves crashed carelessly against the shore of the cove as they did for countless years and would do so for countless more but something else lurked beneath the surface.

A dark humanoid shape shifted anxiously in the darkness of the water, inching closer and closer to the nachos left on the stone altar.

A pair of sky blue eyes peered from the water, looking back and forth for any signs of life but finding none.

The figure approached carefully, eying the treat with great wonder.

The head of a young woman rose from the water, her long bright blonde hair wet and clung to her back. She took a large whiff of the strange food before letting out a content sigh

"hee, that smells amazing!" the girl cooed to herself, approaching the altar carefully "I didn't think anyone left any food here any more."

she lay there, her upper half free of the watery grip of the ocean while her lower half remained below

She reached for it, nearly taking hold of the treat before stopping

"Whoa Star" She scolded herself "You can't just eat weird food, randomly placed an offering altar no one has used in your lifetime. Psst, wait! Sure I can"

Star took a chip from the bowl, marveling at the orange substance that lay across. She took a little nibble.

Her eyes widened as her taste buds exploded with an amazing sensational taste she never experienced.

She let out a content moan before rapidly digging into the food, shoving as much as she could into her mouth, her hands dripping in the cheesy, gooey sauce as she ate like a ravenous animal.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Star stopped at once, her eyes darting back and forth wildly as someone approached.

"Oh crud" she tossed the bowl back onto the altar haphazardly before diving back into the water, her pink fish tail displacing water about before disappearing into the inky dark.

Marco trudged back, aggravated and annoyed.

"I can't believe I forgot the bowl" Marco scolded himself as he came into back the hidden cove.

Star watched as the strange creature came into view, walking on two stumpy, strange looking fins.

Star glanced at her tail, her fingers over her smooth pink scales in awe and wonder

"Could my fin be like that? Ooooh two fins? I could swim twice as fast!"

There was a muted thud. Star's attention snapped back to the surface and the stranger that came closer to the water's edge.

Star let out a gasp of surprise, leaning forward as she caught a proper view of the beautiful stranger

He was about old as she was. He wore some sort of cloth that covered his body with varying colors. His hair was well kept, slicked back and as brown as some of the algae she found near her home when she went looking for treasure or caught with general wanderlust. He bent over, picking up the bowl from the sand, glancing about curiously.

Star caught her breath as his gaze fell onto her. Well not onto her since she was hiding within the depths of the ocean but she felt like he was. Like he was seeing her and only her. His dark brown caramel eyes were hypnotizing and Star found himself reaching towards him.

"Hello?" Marco called out but there was nothing here. No signs of life, no footsteps. In fact, other than the fact the bowl fell off the altar on its own.

Marco frowned, suspicious of what could've caused the bowl to tip over...and emptied.

"Hello?" he shouted again "I mean you know no harm...but admittedly you're freaking me the hell out."

Star swished back and forth anxiously, nervously biting at her lips.

The soft crunch, crunch, crunch of the stranger's funny looking land fins dully echoed throughout the water, keeping Star fixated upon the handsome man.

"Hello?"

Star waved under the waves.

"I'll come back tomorrow" Marco told no one "Maybe you'd like to talk then?"

Silence.

"Yeah...and I'm talking to myself..."

Star watched eagerly as the handsome man glanced about the empty cove uneasily before being swallowed whole by the darkness.

"HI!" Star leapt out from the beneath the water, waving frantically to catch the attention of the stranger "I'm Star!"

No response.

"Shoot" she pouted, smacking the aquatic substance that surrounded her "Right, I got be faster. Tomorrow, tomorrow for sure!"

* * *

The next few days were interesting to say the least and not because Star had yet to talk to the beautiful stranger that graced the cove but because she found him fascinating

He was a creature of habit, always arriving at the same time with the same outfit and the same wondrous snack that made Star's stomach rumble hungrily.

He was timid in his movements almost he was afraid of being ridiculed and mocked despite the fact he was 'alone' in the cove.

The first day or so, he placed the snack back on the altar and waited a respectful distance away. Star wanted to greet the man but she found herself nervous and her throat dry. How does one exactly talk to someone who didn't look exactly like you?

The man would stay for an hour before sighing in defeat and taking the treat back to wherever he came from which always caused Star to whimper sadly.

The next he came, he was far less formal, opting to dress in a simple white tunic and dress pants. Instead of laying the amazing food at the altar, he gently placed it where the ocean met the land and laid beside it.

This time he spoke and Star couldn't help but listen.

His name was Marco Ubaldo Diaz, he was the crowned prince of Mewni and he was feeling a bit trapped about a situation that threatened his kingdom though he never clarified what was the problem

He would stay there for hours, just talking and with each word out of his mouth, Star's fascination with him only grew.

He talked about how lonely it was being the crowned prince, the constant need to pretend, how he longed to do what was right and just.

He described the world he belonged to: The green grassy knolls, the beautiful flowers that grew in the spring, the nachos he made by hand.

Star listened, eager to learn more and more about Marco and his world though she could've done without him teasing her about the nachos. He chewed on them happily and Star could do nothing but fume.

Today was the 7th day and this was the day Star was going to introduce herself, hell or high water.

* * *

Marco approached as usual, nachos slung under his arm.

He planted the bowl in the middle again and took a calming breath.

He had long since given up expecting some sort of mystical entity to appear from the sea. He convinced himself some creature smelled his food and ate it. He must've scared it off when he returned for the bowl. 2 plus 2 equals math.

Still, Marco came every day, finding peace and solace in this isolated, hidden place. There was something therapeutic about sitting here and talking about his problems to the world, to nature without no one to judge him.

" You know..." Marco began, looking lovingly to the ocean far in the distance "Non-existent person who I kept referring to so I have some sort of focal point for my thoughts. I always wondered what lay beneath ocean? So much of it covers our world...yet no one knows what is under the sea...I wonder often and..."

"I can answer that!"

Marco jumped, tumbling backwards against the uneven sand as an unexpected splash echoed through the small cove.

Marco eyes widened as a beautiful woman appeared from out of nowhere, her hair damp and wrapping over her shoulder, the only thing covering her bare skin and...

Marco felt his cheeks reddened, averting his eyes at once "I-I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"Umm, why aren't you looking at me? Do I have something on my face?"

"N-no" Marco stammered "I mean no disrespect miss but you're...you're...umm..."

"Did my shells come off? Oh that's embarrassing"

Marco snuck a peek despite how horrible of an idea that could've been and true to her word, the girl was not naked as he feared but was wearing two strategically placed shells as some sort of makeshift outfit.

"...oh good" Marco let out a tense sigh "Wait, how did you get here?"

The woman laid on the beach, propped on her elbows and looking at him as if he was the most interesting thing in the world "Oh I swam here."

"How...? Marco questioned, taking a step forward to the enchanting beauty.

"Duh, my fin."

Marco jolted awake, his eyes blurry and his head spinning

"are you okay?"

Marco moaned groggily, something bright and yellow leaning over him.

"I..."

"I didn't mean to freak you out."

"I...?"

His vision cleared and there lay the girl from before, her sky blue eyes brimming with joy and relief, her sunshine blonde hair hanging loosely over her shoulder, held back only by a hand brushing it behind her ear.

"...I...! Fish!"

"Fish?" Star perked, looking around excitedly "Where?

"You!" Marco backed away "You're a fish!"

Star pouted, her tail fin smacking the retreating tide "psst, I'm a mermaid, not a fish."

"...W-wait, mermaid?"

Star peered curiously at Marco's stunned face

"Yeah? Never seen a mermaid before?"

"No!" Marco cried outloud

"Well, just because you've never seen a mermaid doesn't mean we don't exist."

Marco ran his hand through his hair "I can't believe this...h-how long have you been watching me?"

Star happily chewed on Marco's cheesy snack, letting out a contented moan

"all week'

"All week?!" Marco's voice cracked "Wait, you heard everything?!"

"Yep!"

Marco clutched at his hair, feeling faint at the idea someone witnessed how exposed he allowed himself be.

"Could you tell me more?"

Marco stared at the...girl? Who leaned further on her elbows, eyes shimmering with wonder and awe.

"What?"

"Your world" Star beamed "It sounds amazing...could you tell me some more?

"you're not going to make fun of me?"

"Make fun of you?" Star raised an eyebrow "Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm a loser?"

"Loser? You're amazing!"

Marco flushed at her kind, genuine words, her bright smile bringing one onto his own lips

"I..."

"please?" Star pleaded as her hand snuck into the bowl for more nachos.

Marco sat before the mermaid, trying to prevent himself from passing out again.

"Umm...sure. I'm Marco" he offered his hand politely "and I'm talking to a mermaid..."

Star glanced at his hand and gingerly took it in her own, giving it a small shake

Marco marveled at how soft her skin felt against his

"I'm Star. Now share these nachos with me and tell everything. Don't leave anything out."

* * *

a special thanks to princeheilos: thank you so much for your review, i hope you keep enjoying the stories as we hopefully get 150!

Marcondiaz; aww thank you so much, it means alot to me and wow 30? I still can't believe we got to 100 honestly. thanks though even i admit i add way too many details to a story thanks! here's to 100 more!

guest sorta, i know right?

finn: thanks, i had a lot of fun with it!

Captain Jar; wooo Party! and what a great way to start a party than a mermaid au :)

angry boy13: he said Felix because that was one of the characters from my first story If i say i miss you. it was an inside wink to my very first readers. but i'm glad you still enjoyed it

Fanficoverload: thanks! it keeps getting pushed back because i'm trying to figure out how many parts is it going to be because i don't want to be too long

anoymoose: not previous chapters, they're characters from my first story if i say i miss you.

fereality: awesome! Im happy you liked it. Honestly, was tempted but i figured for the 100th chapter it be more special if other versions of Marco and Star came to the rescue

CLM88: It's been many moons since i've last seen you. I hope you are well my friend haha all the stars, i wanted to add more stars but i was getting tied and it already it 5,000. 150 is the next stretch goal

bomberguy789: You know when i first started, i was like how weird could i make it? turns out, canon beat me in every way haha. thanks! i hope you like the other chapters

author smimph: I had so much fun writing this. too much honestly because there were a few more aus planned to show up but...yeah i had to control myself. im glad, Link Star will have her own story soon. I couldn't resist calling back to what started it all. aww thanks *HUGS BOTH OF YOU!* of course i love writing. 101 101 101!

guest; It has been on my mind but...yeah i am going to be so sad. but fear not, it is actually on the list. i don't want to kill the fandom so soon after the season 2 finale.

thatsadpanda: I know right?

car213: possibly

starfireteen: I will probably add another chapter because i love psychonauts so much and im so happy for 2! i actually helped fund it.

Hiatus Queen: *takes a modest bow* I am so glad you liked it my dear friend. haha i wanted to make it a little game. Which star do you remember? and which i haven't wrote yet? haha i needed an older star to comfort younger star, gotta have jedi star! You're going to love it, i am doing a Legend of Marco story (and i am having so much fun on it might move it up. seriously i could write a solo series of Star as link. I laughed too when i made the most talkative character of a show a silent protagonist. there's a preview in my tumblr, search legend of zelda or my story.) into the unknown! thank you for all your support and here's to 100 more!

Thundermist; there's a lot of them to be fair hahah gotta love that felix don't apologize. school is important and there's stories aren't going anywhere. okay i'll help and soon, your pirate captain will be back soonishly

grim: yay! thanks and thank you for all your support.

Starswand: that sounds like a really fun story umm it'll be on the list but *looks at request list8 yeeeeeah I'm a bit behind but i'll let you know when i do thanks! and thank you for your review

jt6742: I think you are. umm, you should pace yourself.

sir starcoshipper* of course! STAR WITH GLASSES IS TOO CUTE! yeah i do, good ship SEASON 4!


	102. Gentlemanly bad (starco week, Bad boy 3)

Hello everyone! I am back! Mr.E here wishing everyone an amazing week and sorry for being gone so long. thank you for every follow, favorite and review despite the fact i wasn't updating.

So to briefly explain myself, i didn't mean to be gone so long but i realized that I had been writing for nearly 2 years (in june) and despite those random patches of time i couldn't write anything because life threw stuff at me to deal with, i hadn't actually ever taken a break from writing. so i decided maybe it was time to take a break. which ended up being a month which meant i missed Starco week and...yea. but I am refreshed, i am back AND I AM READY TO WRITE!

Honestly, tumblr everything. So much starco right now everywhere. Nova-friends at tumblr has gotten so much amazing fanart that i feel soooo spoiled. I mean i really appreciate the love you show my little ocs and i am deeply honored you think so highly of them. I can't express my deepest thanks.

for reading, honestly I've been only keeping up with axis2600's the mask charro which is an excellent read and i highly recommend.

 **Story prompt of the day:** hey hey hey guessed who missed starco week? this guy! and i am so late with the bad boy prompt but hey better later than never and this is part 3. This prompt was suggested to me by someone who left a review detailing this concept to me. I tried to find the review but i couldn't but thank you! this was a great idea and the moment i find it, i'll update the story.

so story. Star's parents are wondering if earth and the bad boy are a good influence on their little princess. Now River is coming to visit Earth and Marco has to decide how far he's willing to go to keep the princess on Earth.

So that's it for me. have an amazing week. I am going to work on nova, legend of zelda au, maybe ladybug au and phantom thief covy au because I've been playing persona 5 and it's amazing and I'm addicted to it and i remembered my favorite anime character of all time katio kid. So until next time, stay awesome!

* * *

"MARCO PLEASE!"

"NO WAY PRINCESS, NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!"

Star pouted, tucking her bottom lip under the upper reflexively. Marco crossed his arms defensively, glaring at the princess though conflict bubbled over onto his face.

The two not friends gaze never left the other as they remained silent.

It had been nearly a year since the magical princess from another dimension bounced into his life and while the two hated to each other at first, they grew to be surprisingly close to one another after Marco beat Lars into a pulp with a rather stunning display of kindness.

It's a long story.

The point remained the duo would never admit to being friends. "She's just an uptight princess" Marco replied while Star answered with the more neutral "He's just a roommate in a house I live in."

No one was fooled of course. Everyone saw what the pair tried to hide.

The once barbed and purposely hurtful jabs were more lighthearted, even flirtatious nowadays. Where once upon a time Marco would attempt to avoid any contact with the princess, he now walked alongside her wherever she felt inclined to roam. Rumor had it (and by rumor, it was really Janna watching them through the window with a pair of binoculars) they even stayed up watching movies together after Marco finished his homework and Star completed a level of a video game.

The bad boy and the princess became close friends. Some would even go as far to say the best of friends.

"I'm not doing that princess."

but an unlikely friendship was still bound to have some friction.

"Marco, you don't understand" Star pleaded, taking her braided ponytail into her hands and began tugging anxiously

Marco scoffed, his brown hair messy and ruffled from being under his beanie all day "What don't I understand princess? That you want me to dress up..."

"Marco, it's not..."

"or the fact you want me to pretend to all prim and proper? Something I am _not_ and I _hate_ " Marco went on

"Please, if you just..."

"I thought we had an understanding **princess**."

Star stopped, the pain that underlined Marco's tone all too clear to her ears.

Star may have been a forcibly refined princess but she knew people as well as she knew her princess protocols (which were drilled into her head from the moment she arrived in Saint Olga's) and she knew Marco was really hurt.

This really bothered him, far more than it should've but that was only proof how far Marco had let his guard down around her.

Marco was protective about anything that clashed with his bad boy aesthetic, an image that he held in higher regard than his own happiness but despite his best efforts of hiding his true self from her, she had seen the real Marco underneath.

And what was more surprising than the real Marco was how much Star liked him.

Marco was naturally gifted cook, incredibly smart and exceedingly kind despite how aloof he acted.

Whenever Star would ask for nachos, he would give theatrical sigh, resist for a minute or so before caving in. Sometimes she would approach him for an explanation for one of the many devices that littered the dimension or some help on a homework assignment only for him to reply he was in the mood for his tasty snack. He would cook with some assistance from Star and the two would spend hours in each others presence.

It was nice and intoxicating. So much so Star forgot there was a wall between them. A wall that seemed to hardly existed anymore.

Until now that is.

"...I'm sorry" Star muttered softly, resisting the urge to cry. She knew it was too much to ask for and truthfully it was unfair of her to ask such a thing of him. Despite Skeeve's words and the fact she was practically shoved into his life, he held no responsibility over her or for her.

She would accept her fate with grace and poise that was forcibly a part of her now.

"Do not worry Marco" Marco's head snapped back towards Star, her voice low and forlorn "I apologize. It was rude of me to ask such a thing."

Marco could feel the guilt clawing at his resolve, bubbling and churning with a sickening wave that spread through his being.

He didn't mean to blow up at her, to lash out unnecessarily but old habits died hard and he was caught unaware by Star's sudden request for him to make some mild clothing adjustments for some unknown reason.

Truthfully Marco hadn't the slightest idea why he had taken Star's request so personally: Whether he publicly admitted it or not, there was no doubt that the magical princess had dug herself a nice, cozy place in his heart and that brought the emotional baggage that he was currently lugging around which he had to conclude was probably leading to irrational decisions. After all...

"I'm afraid I have other matters to attention. Good night Marco."

Marco blinked but before he could realize what happened while lost in his train of thought, Star pivoted on the balls of her feet with an unearthly grace and strode out of the room without another word.

Marco was torn between chasing after her and sulking in his room. Both options were not very appealing and more than likely neither would end in a result that was acceptable.

Marco frowned, the guilt intensifying with each silent moment that passed.

Marco sighed. He needed to apologize or at least try at a poor attempt of one.

Marco was slow in his steps, his halfhearted attempts to justify his actions failing to halt his motions.

He rose his fist to knock on his roommate's door only to notice it was slightly ajar.

Marco was instantly worried: Star was an intensely private person and never once during her entire stay here did she ever leave her door remotely open. It was always closed no matter what.

Marco pressed against the wood gently, cringing upon hearing creaky door.

"Yes mother."

Marco released a sigh he didn't know he was holding. It sounded like Star was too wrapped up in one of her mother's weekly calls. It used to be daily but enough time had passed that Moon felt Star didn't need her mother badgering her ever day.

Marco pulled back slowly. The last thing he wanted to do was eavesdrop on Star's private conversations. He had done enough damage today and being caught listening would deteriorate their friendship further.

"Yes I remember. Father will be visiting tomorrow."

Marco paused. Her father? The king? Here? Why?

Curiosity bit at Marco's resolve. Star hadn't informed him of this visit from her dad and she would've told him to ensure he wasn't intruding on any of their...umm...hang out days...

"Your father" Moon's refined yet distant voice cut through the still silence "will be there at 8 in the morning. Do you remember why he is coming?"

"Yes mother" Star's voice was neutral though Marco swore he heard the dull edge of defeat laced within "Father is here to see if the Diaz's are a more suitable place for my training than Saint Olga's."

"and have you told them?"

"No. Like you asked, I...I hadn't told them of his visit"

Marco inhaled sharply, a moment of clarity overwhelming his emotions. Everything made sense the more he thought about it and made him sick to his stomach the longer he went on.

Moon was trying to see if Earth and more importantly the Diaz's were having a positive influence on Star. She did send her to Earth under their care after all but Marco knew his parents weren't the ones Moon was concerned with.

He was the one she was afraid would corrupt her daughter.

Marco knew Moon disliked him though he couldn't fault her given how the two treated each other early in their relationship.

Er friendship.

Though the two buried the hatchet and began a much more healthy, positive...friendship, he was well aware Moon still held reservations about him despite Star's constant praises.

Marco backed away from Star's room, making a mad yet silent dash for his own.

Now he understood Star's request.

She loved Earth with all her heart. Here she was free to do whatever she wished. Here she was popular and loved. Well mostly but Brittney never counted for anything. And with her here, Marco had found his best friend.

Alongside Ferguson and Alfonso of course.

Marco threw open his closet, coughing as the layers of dust trapped within flooded around him.

He recklessly pushed through the untouched corner of his room, the screeching of metal hangers against the bar filling the room until he found what he was looking for.

Gingerly, he pulled the bag covered clothing, trying to ignore how dusty the surface was.

"Okay" he spoke softly, jabbing at the covered item with his finger "You don't expect this to be a thing and I'll behave, deal?"

The article of clothing did not respond.

"Deal" Marco muttered ominously

* * *

Star let out a sigh, tucking her braided ponytail over her shoulder with her gloved hands, her blue princess dress perfectly pressed as always.

She didn't know what her father would say of Earth or how Marco would be this morning. Neither thought would bring her comfort and she was far too anxious for the day to begin to care.

Star stared forlornly at the photo her and Marco had taken the week before. The two not friends had gone into something called a photo booth to take their first photo together (Star insisted and Marco barely put up a fight)

she traced her fingers over the still image of Marco sticking his tongue at her while she gave a cheeky grin and peace sign, his stolen beanie sitting on top of her head.

She took a deep breath. If this was her last day on Earth, she was going to enjoy it to the best of her ability.

A swirling portal appeared without warning and Star scrambled to her feet, taking a soothing breath as she straightened her posture and resumed the well know Butterfly poise.

River strode out of the swirling magical gateway and with a pop, the link between dimensions faded out of existence.

"Star!" River beamed cheerfully, opening his arms for a hug.

Star gave a timid smile, wrapping both arms her father tightly and giving him the biggest squeeze she could.

"ooomphf!" River groaned, surprised at Star's firm embrace.

Star let go at once, rubbing the back of her head embarrassingly "S-sorry dad. I mean Father, I didn't mean to squeeze so hard"

"That's alright my dear! Say where is this Marco fellow that is supposed to help guide you around this... _dimension_ "

Star chuckled nervously, her smile strained as she tried to think of an excuse why Marco wasn't up yet. Or going to see them at all today...

"Well..."

"Oh, I am terribly sorry" Marco's voice called from the hallway "I didn't realize where the time had gone. I was downstairs fixing up breakfast for Star and I. I hadn't the slightest idea you were coming King Butterfly."

Star pivoted on her feet at the sound of Marco's voice.

"Marco!" she squeaked "I...I..aye...aye...aye..."

Star fell into a hypnotic daze as she lay her eyes on Marco for the first time that morning and found an unexpected surprise.

Marco was dressed well! Actually, not just well but amazingly well. Incredibly well, did she mention amazingly already? Because he was.

His hair was combed to one side instead of the usual tangled mess it was. He wore a jet black suit that was in pristine condition, a red collared shirt underneath though no tie (the top button of his shirt was undone) elegant, well polished loafers that reflected light itself and the most surprising accessory, a pair of thick rimmed square glasses that gave him a sophisticated look.

Star blushed wildly at the sight of Marco. Thank god she possessed self control or she feared she would've gone slack jawed.

"Star, your jaw is hanging a little loose."

Star carefully touched her face to discover her jaw in fact dangling openly.

Star coughed loudly in an attempt to regain her composure.

"Ah, you must be this Marco figure I've heard so much about" River spoke low, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Marco confirmed with a nod "That's me. I'm afraid my reputation has preceded me."

"Not at all my boy. May I join you for breakfast? I left the castle in a hurry to get here in time."

"of course!" Marco gave the most charming smile he could muster. He could physically feel his muscles ache at the gesture "Shall we?"

Star stared dumbfounded as Marco offered his arm towards her with a subtle hint.

Star shook her head, coming out of her stupor and taking his arm with her own.

"Lead the way my boy!" River said with a smug grin.

Marco and Star headed towards the kitchen with the straightest faces they could muster.

* * *

"This is amazing my dear boy!" River beamed cheerfully, wolfing down his food with reckless abandon.

Marco chuckled, unsure what to make of Star's father behavior.

Star sat nervously between her father and her hus...er best friend, eyes darting back and forth with utter confusion about what was going on.

Did Marco know what was going on?

Did her dad know that Marco knew?

Did Marco do all this for her or just to mess with her?

What did her dad think of Marco?

Were either of them going to let it slip what was going on?

River eyed Marco carefully, knowing full well what the young man as up to. He had discovered what was River's real purpose here.

Based on what his wife told him about Marco, this was all an act to ensure Star stayed here on Earth.

Marco was good. River had to give him that and if he had been any other man, he would've been fooled too but River knew full well what it was like to hide your true nature for someone you cared about.

Or loved.

River gave a mischievous grin neither of the teens noticed.

"So Star?" River called out suddenly

Star eeped, flushing a bright red as she dropped her fork onto her plate.

"Y-yes Dad? I mean father..."

"You are aware why I am here, correct?"

Marco's face was calm though he could feel the anxiety threaten to wrestle all control away from him.

Star shifted guiltily under her father's knowing gaze.

"I..."

"I've decided it is time to take you back to Mewni. I feel it's best to further your education at Saint Olga's."

Star could feel her heart drop, a cold numbing feeling overtaking her.

Marco clenched his fork, his mouth tight with barely held restraint.

River eyed the two carefully " I feel while Earth was a nice break for your studies, I don't know if it is really best for your training with the wand. After all, there is no magic on Earth."

"I...I see...I...very well, if that is what you wish..." Star's face was smooth and still as stone, only the dim look of lost in her eyes cluing anyone in about her true feelings about the situation.

River leaned back in his seat expectantly, watching Marco carefully "Very well. It's settled then."

Thud

River held back his grin as Marco rose out of his seat, fist slammed against the table

"LIKE HELL IT IS!"

"Marco!" Star cried out, appalled at his choice of language.

"Don't Marco me Star! This is bullshit and you know it."

"MARCO!" Star's voice cracked.

River smugly smiled towards the angry teen "and why is it wrong of me my lad?"

"Star likes it here" Marco began "She likes being _here_. She likes using magic _here._ She likes the fact there's no one hovering over her, telling her what to do. She likes the fact she's free to act like the lady she was forced to train be or not be that person. She likes being Star, not princess Butterfly and people like that she's here! She deserves to be her!"

The anger flushed out of Marco's system, his voice soft and gentle, barely a whisper

"I like her being here..."

"I see, Star?"

Star jumped once again at the sound of her named being called.

"Y-yes father?"

"What do _you_ think?"

Star paused, pulled between the truth and her training.

"I..."

She took a deep breath, calming herself as she drew on her princess training.

"I hate Saint Olga's." Star admitted, her eyes downcast and avoiding her father "I hate how restrictive it is. I hate how they demand everyone to be cookie cutter princesses, one among many and switched out easily without a second though. I...I do not..."

Star cleared her throat, her voice rising with each passing moment.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE PRINCESS BUTTERFLY, I WANT TO BE STAR AND I'M SORRY IF THAT DISAPPOINTS YOU!"

Star let loose her held breath.

River's laughter was not what Marco and Star were expecting, the joyful shout with a wide smile that was infectious.

"Well, if that's what my little girl wishes, that is what my little girl gets."

"Wha?" Star stared at Marco who shrugged in response.

"We only want what's best for you dear" River explained calmly "We thought you were happy at Saint Olga's but evidently we were wrong. If you wish to stay here on Earth, then stay on Earth you shall"

"YES!" Star jumped to her feet, rising her hands high into the air before leaping at Marco, holding him tightly as she nuzzled his chest.

"and Marco?"

Marco looked at River's deadly serious face

"Take care of my little girl or else I will have to hurt you. She may be your girlfriend but she's my daughter."

"of course!" Marco quickly agreed "I ...wait, what?

River gave a cheerful wave "Goodbye dear!"

"Daddy!" Star cried out "Wait, he's not my..." but River was gone. With a might swipe of his arm, the portal reformed and he vanished into Mewni.

A thick awkward silence filled the air .

"Oh man" Star covered her eyes embarrassingly "He's totally got the wrong idea."

Marco gave a noncommittal shrug, slapping a fresh band-aid onto his cheek "Whatever, people will think whatever they want. What is more important is that you're staying!"

"YAY!" Star cheered, her bright wide smile infecting Marco with one of his own "Nice touch with the glasses."

"Thanks, it was easier than putting my contacts in."

"Contacts? Wait you mean...?"

"Yep, these are my actual glasses. Thought they made me look more gentlemanly"

"Thanks Marco...I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you yesterday...I.."

"Blah blah blah" Marco falsely mocked "princess keeps her promises which is ironically paradoxical with the whole princess never lies rule"

Marco gave a cheeky grin as Star smacked his arm playfully

"oh shut it Diaz and make me nachos!"

Marco bowed respectfully "as you wish princess."

and as Marco made his way into the kitchen, the goofiest grin dancing on his lips, Star took one last look at the bad boy who dressed up for her and muttered to herself.

"I'm in trouble"

* * *

a special thanks to finn: thanks to you and all the reviewers and readers. seriously I never would've gotten this far without your amazing support.

the eternal winter: thanks! i wanted to change up the usual mermaid story.

minthia: chapter 98: i know right? chapter 99: haha thanks! once i heard one of the prompts was going to be friendship thursday, i really couldn't resist doing it mutli-generational haha you know marco's parents are somewhere nearby whispering ship it. chapter 100 there's always next time. hey! don't crumble that paper, the world could always use more aus. agreed though multiverse is canon now in star chapter 101: probably someday. Mae might ask for it for her birthday or christmas haha

hiatus queen: I fully believe Jackie is based on a mermaid or is a mermaid. and honestly, i felt Star fits the mermaid more. gives a very classic Ariel vibe you know? *hugs* hope you're doing good!

guest sorta I know right!

jt6742: thanks I am so glad you enjoy them all and i hope you keep enjoying them! i am currently working on them.

captain Jar: not a mermaid a merstar!

shadow gem: thank you for all your support! haha go big or go home :)

Don Donatek: haha i hope you have fun reading them. thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for your support. You readers always help me strive to get more creative and go all out with these stories *hugs!

the wookie; I know right! and i'm doing a legend of zelda au.

mdmpinkie9088: haha yeah, i love my references. too much fun to write. 101: probably at some point. mae will probably ask for it next year. chapter 58: look i don't mess with nugget. he's got too much stuff on me. if he wants a plot hole, he gets a plot hole.

grim 13: hahah there will be. one day and yes 99 to go woo!

author smimph: haha of course. where else would legends and myths come from? hahah hey! stop looking the vault. you're giving away plot! haha hope you two been great! *HUGS*

7demigods; yep! WORK! *ignoring the hamiliton au i have to do*

godlegend; FAIRY TALES FOR THE WIN! hahah there'll be part 2. someday

thatSadpanda: sorry, I keep getting new ideas and i just love writing. some of them will keep going on though and this will have a part 2 at some point

blue neonlight: haha just a few. that's okay as long as you enjoy them i'm happy. well my friend mae wanted this to be a birthday gift and her bday was before the prompts were revealed so...yeah haha.

pr0xy twin: i really like two different worlds meeting and working together too. as for the nachos, ancient diaz secret :)

camilapia: im glad! there were going to be more but given what this entire series is about, i think the story might never have ended. 101: haha i dunno about you but if i met a mythical person or creature i never thought existed, i'd be very Hiccup too.

fantazy fangirl 101: i know right? haha yeah don't worry maybe i'll explain that in the next part i have a nasty habit of writing stories that could stand alone. and yes, dem greek gods always stealing wives. aww awesome HAPPY SUPER LATE BIRTHDAY!

Rocierra: thanks, i'm glad you enjoyed it. covy is always crazy!

broken svtfoelover: I'm glad you enjoy them! sorry about the nightmares. always face the music.

DalonestarRanger: haha aww thanks! Im going to stay in town though

ElCoso: thanks, i try!

guest; umm *hands you mermaid au*

Rider5001: the best thing to me is hearing how much people enjoy my work. without all of you i wouldn't be here so thank you so much. haha sorry but if it makes you feel better there's a lot of story that are under heavy maybes for continuing but it doesn't help i keep getting more ideas. luckily I am back from my vacation and i have more stories! haha the fake marriage one was so much fun to write. can't stop won't stop *salutes*


	103. The Return (Legend of zelda au)

Hello everyone, Mr.E here hoping you all have an amazing, great week. thank you for every review, favorite and follow, they mean the world to me.

So im going to make this quick because it is late but for amazing stuff go to tumblr because its got so much great artwork especially nova art work i have been very blessed to get over at nova-friends seriously you all rule.

second check out my good friend axis26's story the masked Charro if you want some amazing drama and stranger in the mist's disharmony in symphonia. sorry i haven't been able to read much lately.

 **Story prompt of the day:** here it is one of my projects i've been working on for a while for starcoweek 3's au of choice: the legend of zelda au which i lovingly refer to as legend of Marco complete with winks, nods and general jokes about the series including a famous disguise. This is heavily inspired by breath of the wild, the newest game but i tried to add a little bit of everything.

So this is more serious than usual (there still is humor and fluff) but I wanted to write something to remind us that we must keep head high and keep moving, keep trying to make the world a better place even in trying, difficult times.

Star has been asleep and when she awakes, she finds her world is not the same as when she left and now as she searches for Marco, she can't help feel loss and disconnection and wondering if she really wants to know the truth of what happened.

 _This means flashback_

I hope you enjoy this story, have an amazing week. hopefully i'll be back soon with a kaito kid persona 5 crossover with our favorite inventor because If i don't write it, it won't leave me alone. stay amazing you wonderful great people!

* * *

The forest was empty, soulless and still amidst the cool night. The only source of illumination were the pale rays from the moon that hung lazily above. Shadows shifted menacingly beyond the canopy, silent and waiting for unsuspecting, helpless prey to wander too far from home and too close to their fangs.

The dirt road was mottled with patches of rough, untamed grass that grew more and more wild each year. Broken pillars and columns, dirtied and marred from the passage of time, littered either side of the path though only the foolish and the lost found themselves this far into the wilds.

A solitary tower loomed in the distance, a remnant from an age long since past.

Those that lurked in the shadows snarled and winced as, without warning, the warm gentle glow of torchlight pushed away their shady forms, revealing their monstrous and grotesque images for the world to see.

The creatures growled angrily before retreating deeper into the forest.

The figure chuckled, their blue eyes twinkling happily in light of the crackling flames. They wore a blue tunic and white leggings under a long red riding cloak, their hood drawn over their face though traces of bright blonde hair could be seen peaking out. Their black riding boots crunched nosily in the dead silence of the night.

Snap.

The figure stopped, glancing about cautiously.

The wind howled softly, rustling the leaves and grass, catching the edges of the figure's cloak and whipping it about furiously.

The figure's eyes narrowed, hand hovering over their blade in preparation

The silence was broken by a loud, inhuman squeal that caused the figure to flinch in surprise.

Leaves scattered as a rather strange piggish goblin leapt from their hiding spot, club raised high and ready for attack.

The creature brought down their weapon with all its strength, ready to clobber the unsuspecting traveler into unconsciousness.

The club met empty space and, confused, the goblin skidded across the dirt, thrashing wildly in astonishment.

The goblin jumped to its feet, snorting and growling before realizing it lost its grip on their club.

It glanced about, looking this way and that for their missing weapon when the figure smashed it against the piggish goblin's cheek.

The club cracked and so did the bone of the goblin.

The creature fell to the ground dead before disappearing in a puff of purplish black smoke.

The figure held the hilt of the now destroyed club tightly in their grip.

"RRRREEEKT!" another hidden pig goblin screamed, popping out of a nearby bush and opening fire with their bow and arrow.

The figure pivoted on their heels, ducking low as the arrow flew by.

With a mighty swing, the figure tossed the hilt towards the creature as it prepared a second volley.

The wooden stick crashed against snout of the goblin causing it to cringe in pain and release its arrow.

"REEEKT" The goblin cried out, its own arrow having pierced its foot. It hopped around hopelessly, dropping its bow onto the floor and falling out of its cover.

"REEEKT" it cried once last time before falling silent, the figure's blade piercing the soft spot between its eyes.

The figure pulled the sword back only to hear the metallic snap of metal breaking. The figure sighed as they glanced at the now bladeless hilt of their rusty sword.

The figure tossed the useless item away, pulling away their hood. long braided blonde hair tumbled freed as she narrowed her ocean blue eyes towards the dying creature who vanished in a proof of smoke.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly as the moon shined upon her pink triangular shapes that rested on her cheek.

Star Butterfly was not happy about this. Not one bit.

These were no longer the woods she used to roam as a child. The familiarity and comfort she found here gone, forever altered by the passage of time and her absence from this world.

Star closed her eyes, allowing the cool breeze to playfully sway her hair back and forth.

So much had change. So much was different and even though many things remained the same, far too much did not.

She knew this world...once. But it was painfully obvious that was no longer the case.

How long had she been gone that the forests became distance and dangerous? How many years must've passed for monsters to wander the lands freely, unrestrained and an ever present threat to travelers.

What happened to M...?

Star stopped herself.

No, she wasn't ready to think of him. She didn't know how long she had been asleep and she was far too afraid to ask. While there was a faint glimmer of hope that it hadn't that long given so many people recognized her as the Prince's champion, she still did not want to know.

It was easier that way.

Star donned her hood once more, tucking her hair away as she continued forward towards the tower that basked her in its shadow.

It wasn't long before the path widened and became a large circular opening. What lay before the base of the tower was remnants of a battle.

The overgrown dirt path was littered ancient objects: Broken and scattered debris of cracked stone that were once buildings, rust covered and chipped weapons half buried in the ground and sleek, motionless machines, their polished metallic and rune covered bodies faded and overcame by growth.

Star's hand trembled slightly at the sight that lay before her. She closed her eyes, steeling her nerves.

" _Star!"_

Star glanced again, the echoes of the past playing in her mind.

 _Soldiers shouted in the darkness of the night, streaks of blue energy flying in all directions as the machines glowed menacingly in the shadows, their runes bright with a purplish hue._

 _Star looked down as a solider fell at her feet, grasping for her to help. She reached out, her hand holding his tightly._

Star held the hilt of the sword firmly as she pulled it out of the ground, the blade breaking free with soft thunk.

She inspected the sword carefully before placing it on her back. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

Star plucked an embedded spear from the soft earth and dusted off a nearby bent but still viable shield.

She breathed a sigh of comfort and relief: She was once more an adventurer well prepared.

Star made her way across the empty, forgotten battlefield, ignoring silence that surrounded her as she approached the solitary tower.

" _Star!"_

 _Star pulled her blade back as the monster vanished in a puff of smoke, eyes darting back and forth amidst the chaos._

" _STAR, WE NEED TO PULL BACK!"_

 _Star caught a moblin by the scuff of its neck and slammed it against the ground viciously. It moaned weekly under her grasp but that did little to cool her rage._

 _Betrayed, defeated, hunted to the ends of the earth. Nothing had gone according to plan and Star's fury knew no end._

 _Star rose the blade, the intent to kill singing in her eyes when she noticed something she had missed before._

 _Something that would cost her dearly._

 _The machine loomed over her silently, its singular eye focused on the warrior and nothing else and as the whine of its beam filled her ears, her instincts took over._

 _She raised her shield just as the machine unleashed its attack._

 _Star held in a scream. Smoke engulfed her for a moment before she was flung violently backwards, skidding and bouncing across the ground like a pebble against water._

 _Her body dug deeply into the dirt before she came to a stop, her arm throbbing dully with no sign that the object that saved her life ever existed. All that remained was the smoking curling off her fist and a loud ringing in her ears._

 _Star winced, trying to get to her feet before the machine or guardian as they once were called decided to finish off the job._

 _The guardian paused for a moment before scurrying forward like a spider, its legs propelling it with a frantic and hypnotic abandon._

 _A poor solider leap at the charging machine in hopes of stopping it but a single flick stopped any hopes of preventing it from reaching Star._

 _The guardian towered above her, its gaze unflinching and unwavering._

 _Star growled furiously. Toffee must've been controlling this one himself just to rub in the fact he had won. He had defeated the champions, the heroine of legend and the prince in one fell swoop._

 _A tiny blue speck appeared in the center of monocle lens of the machine, the low hum of energy filling the air._

 _Star weakly reached for her blade, the sword of evil's bane but her body was slow in reacting._

 _The speck of blue grew. Larger and larger until it felt like she was staring the sun itself. A harsh glow basked her entire being but she refused to look away, to shut her eyes._

 _She did not want to give Toffee the satisfaction._

 _The hum crescendo to its peak but no attack came._

 _Instead the purplish red runes glowed a bright white and before Star could react, the guardian turned around and released its attack upon its fellow machines and the forces of Toffee, cutting many of them down in one attack._

" _Star!"_

 _Star felt someone's careful grasp hold her body for a moment before lifting her to her feet._

 _She turned to find the grimy, tired face of prince Marco waiting for her, a weary smile on his face but relief in his brown eyes._

" _You shouldn't be so reckless Star." he gently scolded._

 _Star shrugged casually, ignoring the burning sensation in her cheeks._

 _Marco brushed some of her hair out of her face._

" _I'm glad you're okay..." he whispered quietly._

 _Star reached to cup his face when she saw it, a subtle movement hidden in the forest._

 _Star pushed Marco away with one hand, grabbing the master sword in the other as unseen attacker leapt at the unsuspecting prince._

 _It was a hideous thing: humanoid with red, purplish swirls, two pale sliver eyes and long, needle-like fingernails._

 _Star lunged forward, the only thought in her mind was ensuring Marco's safety._

 _She dove her blade as deeply as she could into the monster's chest but the needle-like fingers did the same to Star._

 _The creature began to dissolve into an inky black puddle but it was far too late. The sword slipped out of Star's grasp and she fell, her body feeling sick and out of her control._

 _Her vision blurred, coming in and out of focus as she looked upon a crying, panic stricken Marco silently calling her name over and over while he cradled her. She reached out, cupping his warm cheek in her cold hand and then darkness came._

Star stared blankly at the inky black puddle that lay in front of her. It was still, motionless, dead.

Star shift her gaze to the tower that scraped the bottom of the sky.

How long had it been since she was taken to the Chamber of goddess? How long did she slept, recovering and slowly coming back to life while Marco fought against Toffee?

What happened to Marco? The royal family? Mewni hadn't been destroyed yet but it remained trapped in Toffee's iron grip.

Star sighed. Someone told her the answer she sought would be here within the Skyward tower but she was afraid her Marco was no longer.

"Psst" a soft voice called out.

Star drew her sword at once.

"Psst, you don't wanna go there girl"

Star glanced about in hopes to find the person with the peculiar speech but she was unable to see anyone

"Girl, seriously. It is like bad news to go in there."

Star was startled, sword at the ready as a small glowing orb of light raced out of the forest, tiny bits of magic gently falling to the floor like snow trailing after the source of illumination.

The orb hovered lazily in front of Star who noticed that the tiny creature was a disembodied unicorn head. A child of the forest if she recalled correctly.

"Girl, you lost or something?" The pony head asked, her voice dripping with sass.

Star opened her mouth to reply

"Seriously, what's with the outfit? I mean the blue looks good on you but I was expecting like a green tunic or, I dunno, something traditional for the prince's chosen heroine."

Star let out a small gasp.

"mhm, I know who you are. Don't know why you here though. This part of town has been dead forever. No parties out here girl."

Star frowned.

She didn't know why she was disappointed or surprised at the news the skyward Tower had been forgotten. Perhaps she was hoping Marco managed to seek refugee here among the scars of the past...

Star pushed past the floating pony head and approached the sealed doorway of the tower.

"Girl I know what you're thinking" Pony head followed quickly behind "but it's not going to work. Tower hasn't been opened since you fell. Many have tried but all have failed"

silence.

"hey, listen!" Pony head shrieked annoyingly "HEY LISTEN! Girl I was all using fancy vocab and everything and you aren't even listening. Psst, rude."

Star brushed her fingers over the door, scraping off the dust that had gathered upon the door's surface.

"I said listen B-fly. It isn't going to..."

The ground rumbled violently, its tremors rocking Star back and forth. The door opened, sliding downwards into the earth and allowing passage for the duo.

The empty torches blazed to life on their own as Star took a step within the ancient, forgotten temple.

The entrance was smooth and circular. A column of light basked a mirror in the center of the room in its glimmer within a field of polished reflective surfaces.

The door to the stairs were on the far side, sealed and locked off by iron bars that held fast.

"See?" Pony Head clicked her tongue disappointingly, looking longingly towards the outside world "Nothing here but some mirror, a random hole in the roof and a locked door. No way we getting through. Let's go back to town! I'm sure we can find info on whatsit or whoever there, what do you say B-fly?"

Pony Head turned around to find Star walking towards the now unsealed door, the mirror angled in a way to position rays from the moon to bounce off the various surfaces in a rather complex formation and shine upon a diamond over the archway of the exit.

Pony Head scoffed, floating to catch up to the warrior "Pssyeah I knew it was like some complex puzzle. I was just testing you B-fly. Congrats you pass! Can we go now?"

Star disappeared into the room beyond.

Pony Head huffed "I guess not."

* * *

Star's footsteps echoed dully against the walls for the last 20 minutes and in that time, Pony head was trying her hardest not to die of boredom. Waiting for Star to climb this enormously annoying staircase was driving her insane!

"Girl, what are you expecting find at the top of this tower?" Pony Head asked lazily floating several feet above Star.

Star remained silent as she rose higher and higher.

"Like seriously, Marco hasn't been seen since you slept"

Her face remained indifferent though Pony head could see the glint of guilt in those sky blue eyes of hers.

Pony Head shifted uneasily "Look, I'm not like trying to be a downer but this is just a waste of time. Why would he come back here? This is where you fell, where he lost you. It seems a little cruel to be waiting here all this time."

Star soldiered on.

"Sigh, girl you are annoying. Fine, I'mma going to look ahead. Don't want nothing surprising you and causing you to fall down. Even if you survived, I don't want to wait for you to climb all these steps again."

Star shook head, a playful smile on her lips.

"girl" Pony Head eyed the surrounding room carefully "This is creepy."

Star mutely nodded in agreement: At the top of the stairs was an already opened door and within was another circular room. The room looked cleaned, polished, well kept in fact despite not a single living soul had step foot within for the last two years.

Star aimlessly wandered first, marveling at the bright glow of stars and constellations that covered every inch of the room's surface in a stunning display of craftsmanship.

It was exactly how she remembered it. Down to the smallest detail.

Pony Head was in awe as well though unlike Star, she was not so eager to show it.

"umm, yah. I guess this place is like alright." Pony Head muttered unconvincingly.

Star shook her head, rolling her eyes at the magical creature's response.

Click, click, click.

Star paused, the light scraping of metal against stone catching her ear. It was faint, nearly lost in the ambiance of the room but it was there and she had heard it.

Star drew her sword and shield slowly, dropping into a defense stance.

Pony Head, on the other hand, still rambled on about how unimpressed she was with the whole mystical feel of her surroundings.

"I dunno. I know this glade in forest, waaaay cuter. More lights too and satyrs and centaurs play some rocking music every Friday. Oooo you got to come B-Fly! I think they call it a rave. It'll be sweeeet...why do you have your sword out?"

Star raised a finger to her lips indicting to the unicorn to remain silent.

"What's with the finger? You got something on your lips? I don't understand what that means, I don't have hands girl!"

Star opened her mouth when she heard a soft whirl of energy hum to life just behind her. Star glanced out of the corner of her eye and found one of the constellations was no longer a gentle glimmer but rather a harsh, sinister red.

Star dove into a roll in time to avoid a short, fat red beam that flew through the air.

"WHOA!" Pony Head neighed, narrowly avoiding the sudden attack "Watch it!"

Star tumbled to her feet, at ready as her foe swayed forward.

It was a short, squat machine with 3 pincer-like legs, runic markings all over its body. It looked at her with a familiar singular eye though unlike its towering brethren, it was closer to Star's height but that didn't bring her much comfort: a guardian was dangerous no matter the size.

It took a tentative foot forward almost like it knew it was facing the heroine of legend.

"Analyzing subject. Target data found. One Marco, heroine of legend."

"Umm her name is Star not Marco" Pony Head shot back "Seriously how could anyone get that confused? Like for real it's like calling I dunno Link Zelda."

"Termination protocols engaged."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Pony Head hurriedly shouted "Fine, call her Marco. Whatever! Don't be all kill kill kill over here" but the guardian had ceased listening. Two spindly mechanical arms appeared from the its body.

"Gee, no need to get mad over a name. We all make mistakes you know"

The previously empty arms of the guardian flailed to light as a large, bluish blade and rectangular shield formed into existence.

"UGH" Pony Head scoffed "how is that fair?"

The machine made no reply, instead opting to charge directly towards Star.

The guardian lunged at her, trying to break through her defense with its large circular body but Star wasn't the heroine of legend for nothing. She dropped to the floor, pressing herself as flat as she could against the ground.

The guardian scurried above her and almost clocked her in the head as it passed by.

Star rolled to her feet and quickly pursued the distracted foe.

The machine hum and whistled in confusion, unsure where its target had gone. It turned to the left. Nothing. It turned to the right. Just the annoying floating unicorn head.

There was a loud crack as the guardian twisted its head 180 degrees backwards in time to see the warrior jab her blade into its eye.

It let out an ear splitting screech, its limbs flailing painfully as the blade melted clean off the hilt. Star stared disappointingly at the useless hunk of junk and spared no thought tossing it backwards. She held her shield high as she reached for the spear on her back but while she closed her grip over the shaft of the weapon, something struck the shield with a heavy force sending the unprepared Star tumbling to the floor.

The shield skidded out of her hands but she had little time to chase after it as the low hum of energy gathering filled the room, a sound she knew all too well.

Star bolted forward, stumbling onto her feet as the guardian released its attack: A bolt of red energy directly at Star.

Star was nearly knocked off her feet as the bolt whizzed by within inches of her boots. The attack collided with the ground before bursting with a powerful explosion that rocked the tower.

Star kept running as the guardian fired bolt after bolt towards her, circling opposite of her in hopes of destroying her.

Star screeched to a sudden stop, bending low as quickly as possible. The bolt sailed over her head (Singing some of her trademark blonde hair) and exploded violently against the wall but it was the opening she needed.

She lifted her arm and pulled back, putting all her weight into her throw. She took a step forward and threw the spear with all her might.

The guardian was preparing another shot when it noticed the flying projectile heading straight for its eye.

It raised the shield, protecting its weak spot and deflecting the spear easily. It whistled a mechanized sigh, lowering the shield only to find its opponent heading right for it, shield clutched tightly in both hands.

It took a step back, twisting its arm to prepare to attack as Star approached. It lunged forward, its blade swinging wide towards the unprotected side of the warrior.

Star pivoted and planted her feet solidly the ground, catching the brunt of the attack in just in time.

Star slid against the floor once more, bumping against the spear as the guardian shuddered uncontrollably from the redirected momentum.

Star scrambled to her feet, spear held tightly.

The guardian swayed uneasily, instinctively charging its beam attack once more.

It heard the pat, pat, pat of Star's boots against the tile floor and whirled its shield to block the attack.

Star sidestepped the swipe of the shield and dug the spear as far as she could into the eye of the guardian.

It struggled briefly, unable to prevent the discharge of its weapon.

Star covered her face with her arm, protecting herself as the guardian blew its body clean off, spraying gears and metallic bits throughout the room.

Star pulled back, tossing the now remaining smoking half of her weapon to the side.

"Who goes there?" A voice called out from above.

Star braced herself as a clear, spiraling staircase appeared in the center, the soft almost muted footsteps oddly calming despite her misgivings.

"Oh for the love...who is..." Pony Head stopped mid-rant and dropped into a bow at once "Princess Turdina, I'm like sorry your majesty, I didn't know it was you."

Star let out a gasp upon hearing Marco's adoptive sister's name and followed Pony Head's gesture.

Personally, Star thought the princess was a myth given no one in the royal family ever discussed her save the odd comment here and there. Even Marco, who was very loving and warm to his mother and father, never spoke a single word about her. From what Star gathered, Turdina was sent away after an attempt on her life was made but the question remained why was she hiding in the Skyward Tower and more importantly, did she have news on Marco?

It was eerie how much princess Turdina looked just like Marco despite being the adoptive sibling. She had Marco's shade of brown eyes and hair though her's was much longer and wrapped in a single ponytail. She wore a bell shaped pink dress with puffy shoulder pads and a bow tied around her waist.

The indifference face of Turdina lit up at the sight of Star and Pony Head.

"Star!" She cried, far too excited to see someone she had never met.

Star was confused by the familiarity of the princess's tone but she took it as a cue to stand.

"It is so good to see you again!" Turdina muttered breathlessly, wrapping Star in a tight embrace.

Star awkwardly patted the princess's back, struggling in vain to remembering when she might've met Turdina before.

Turdina pulled away and noticed the confused, lost look on the champion's face

"Oh right...sorry Star, I totally forgot."

"Forgot?" Pony Head questioned "Umm, forgot what?"

Turdina gave a mischievous smile as she backed away from them, raised a glove hand high into the air.

There was a blinding flash of light that shone for a moment but when the moment had passed the princess completely vanished and in her place was...

"Marco!" Star cried out, tears filling her eyes as she rushed forward to hug her prince, his military tunic worn and faded but still looking majestic as ever.

"Umm excuse me?! Wait what?" Pony Head shrieked, still completely lost "Wait, wait wait, you're the turd? And you can talk?! This whole time you can talk and you just let me carry on like I was a crazy person. Mmm, okay. I see how it is."

"Sorry" Star sheepish apologized while refusing to break her hold on Marco "Sorry. I mean I spent most of my time alone, trying to figure out what happened when I was gone I...just wasn't used to actually talking to someone else."

"Psst whatever."

"Marco" Star whispered, turning her focus back to him, tears spilling over "You're alive. You're okay...I...I..."

Star tensed in surprise as Marco cupped her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. Star sighed lovingly and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the moment between them.

They pulled apart reluctantly, Marco giving the stunned Star a small smile.

"I never thought I'd see you again" he admitted softly "I was so scared the chamber wouldn't be able to save you...I..."

Star shook his head, clasping his hand to her cheek, holding tightly

"I'm okay! I'm perfectly okay...I was so scared when I woke...I mean how many years has it been?"

Marco shifted uneasily "Well..."

"Marco Diaz, tell me now!"

"2...it's been 2 years..."

"2 years" Star repeated, feeling numb and lost "I...I've been asleep two years...and you..."

"Have been in hiding" Marco admitted "pretending to be my adoptive sister that doesn't exist."

"Why did...?"

"My parents knew I may have to go into hiding should Toffee somehow prove troublesome to defeat so when I was still young, we began spreading rumors about my parents adopting daughter so I wouldn't be so lonely."

Star shook her head "Safe kid plans for everything huh?"

Marco fumed "Don't call me that...Anyway, what matters is that you are here and we can finally take the fight to Toffee and end his reign."

Star began to nod before realizing something was missing "My sword. I need the master sword."

Marco held her shoulders reassuringly "Don't worry Star, I hid the sword in the safest place I could: the Forest of Certain Death"

"The Ghost mire" Star said at the same time "oh...not the...?"

"What? No!" Marco raised an eyebrow "are you crazy? I am not dealing with ghosts."

"Come on" Star waved off his comment "They can't even touch you! It's the perfect place."

"They're all spooky and undead Star."

"Psst, you have the Triforce of Wisdom and you're scared of ghosts?"

"Says the girl who was afraid of those boots hiding under her rug."

"hey!" Star poked his chest defensively "That was freaky and I didn't know what it was. I still don't know."

The two glared at each other before breaking into a fit of laughter, smiling while their snorts echoed through the tower.

"...I missed you so much Star..."

Star reached out to take his hand again...

"Oww!" Star flinched, pull back her hand from the sudden pain she felt "What the...?"

Marco was trapped within strange reddish sort of cage that glowed with a dangerous hue.

"Marco!" Star reached for him again only for Marco to gesture for her to stop.

"Star don't! You need to get out of here" Marco's muffled voice told her.

"I can't, I won't leave without you!" She cried back, instinctively reaching for a weapon only to find empty air.

"Well, well, well" a cool, calm voice called out from empty space "Prince Marco and his champion, back from the dead."

"Toffee" Star snarled under her breath "LET HIM GO AND SHOW YOURSELF!"

"No I don't think so" Toffee smugly answered "After 2 long years, I finally found the failed prince."

Marco shot a ray of light at the cage but it held fast.

"With two pieces, I finally rid this land of unwanted scum."

"Why you..." Star clenched her fist angrily

"Temper temper. Or don't, what do I care? I finally won."

Star's rage left her as Marco's prison began to rise into the air

"Marco!"

Star clutched at the outer shell but winced when she touched the scorching surface. "oww, MARCO!"

"Star!" Marco called to her as he began to float away "STAR YOU NEED TO FIND THE SWORD! FIND IT AND DEFEAT TOFFEE!"

Star fell to her knees, reaching out for her prince but the cage broke through the wall and slowly but surely drifted further and further away from her, their reunion cut short.

Star sobbed loudly, hating how useless and helpless she felt at the moment. Why? After all this time...why...

Pony Head hovered silently, unsure how to comfort the champion when suddenly Star shot to her feet, her hands clenched angrily "Umm...B-fly?"

"If he thinks I'm just going to sit and let him take away everything I love" She muttered under her breath, a righteous fury building inside her "That he just gets to destroy the world I fought and died to protect he's got another thing coming. I'm not going to give up. I'm not ever going to give in and I will kill him. I will kill Toffee and bring peace back to Mewni."

Star made her way to the gaping hole left behind, the dark swirling energy of Toffee's magic surrounding the once beautiful, serene place

"YOU HEAR ME TOFFEE!" Star screamed into the night "I'M COMING FOR MY MARCO AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME!"

Star turned on her heel and approached Pony Head "we need to get to the Forest of Certain Death. I have a sword to reclaim."

Pony Head stared slack jawed: She had never seen someone so determined in her life and it was a little scary.

"umm...yeah, whatever you say B-fly."

* * *

a special thanks to fiorellarity: Im glad you liked chapter 64. it was a fun request to have star right starco.

rose: me too, the bad boy au is too much fun to write and there will be at least 1 more part to it.

Fanficoverlord; thank you so much for the review i hope you enjoy my rather dramatic story haha

i-proxy-I: well i will probably end up doing another steampunk with more steampunk this time.

gokan123: Im glad you liked it and thank you for being so understanding. I know all my readers want me to watch for my health and sanity and i really appreciate you all looking out for me like that and im glad to say it feels good to be back.

thundermist; i am really happy you enjoyed it! haha nice spanish no worries there is one more bad boy au for sure.

broken svtfoelover: haha i love that line. one of my favorites to write.

fantazyfangirl: haha thanks, it seems to be a fan favorite and i'm sure theres suit and glasses wearing marco somewhere in the world. River loves star, no matter the au.

grim: haha sorry to keep you waiting *insert big boss picture here* hahah 2 weeks isnt too bad

cartoonlover; only a little she didn't mean to and she had no intention of actually guilt tripping Marco. oooo chocolate! noms

guest sorta; haha such chaos really

Hiatus Queen: *HUGS!* Yep! I'm back and ready to write more stories bwahaha STARCO FOREVER! they are great to help the brain get back to writing shape. aww thank you so much for your kind words. I try my best but i always get nervous because i never assume people will like my work. keeps me focused on making the best content i can. ooo i wonder what your au ranking chart i've been writing aus a long time so im pretty good with keeping the characters with their core personality traits that make them..well them haha practice makes perfect after all. Im glad you enjoyed it *Summer is too far away* aww and i give you another hug *HUGS!

advati2003: thank you so much and yes i do plan to keep going, i just need to work out a scheduling system so i get content out consistently

Asian-simba: honestly, i love that ship and couldn't resist putting a reference.


	104. I'm going to be a hero (My hero academia

Hello everyone, Mr.E here with the newest au I am working on but first a special thanks for everyone who favorites, follows and reviews. you make writing so much fun and really encourage me to do my best. Sorry i was gone so long, i got busy then i went on vacation and then i got lazy cuz its hot but im back! yay! so the au today? Boku no academia or My hero academia. I absolutely love this show and when I love something, i need to write about it. If you have not seen the show I highly recommend it as it's basically anime sky high. I've been really busy so reading hasn't been much of a thing except for my good friend axis26's stories which you should all read. and there's just too much good artwork online.

 **Story prompt of the day** : So in this story, 80% of people have a quirk or super power that is formed naturally. Marco is not one of those people and while he longs to be a hero, his quirkless nature is problematic. one day, our 14 year old hero meets his idol and number 1 hero in the world All Might, symbol of peace and justice. He discovers All might's secret and his act of heroism impresses the hero so much All Might agrees to give him a special gift if Marco trains and reaches his goal. 10 months have passed and Marco is ready to inherit the gift from his trainer and take the entrance exams which determines if he can be in the UA hero class and start his path to become a true hero.

So this chapter takes place in the UA entrance exam episode. It honestly largely follows the same plot as the chapter/episode but i set things up and change stuff around so its not exactly a one to one and if i come back to it in the future, i can tell my own story about it. still i hope you enjoy it because i had way too much fun writing this

so this means **Marco's narration** (to fit with the opening and closing narration that the anime likes to do) and this means _flashback._ I hope you enjoy the chapter and have a great week! this one is long, sorry not sorry haha.

* * *

 _ **I remember the first time I laid eyes upon the U.A school building.**_

 _ **I had seen it before, of course, towering there, shining brilliantly as a symbol peace and justice for all to see, where all heroes past, present and future trained.**_

 _ **But that was the first time I saw it with hope, with eagerness..with fear.**_

 _ **It was the first time I had seen that majestic building not with a hopeless, childish sense of longing but with fierce drive and determination. What was once an impossible dream forever out of my grasp was now my destination that morning.**_

 _ **After 10 months of hard work, sacrifice. Of pushing my body far beyond its limits, of aching with pain and stiff joints, going further than I ever hoped, Quirkless Diaz no longer existed that morning. The morning All Might shared with me his secret to his power.**_

Marco stood on the sandy shores of the beach, eye twitching subtly as he stared at his idol/trainer for the last 10 months.

All Might was the best hero of all time. It was a universally known fact, a truth which could not be denied. The fastest, strongest and undefeated champion of justice and peace, he was as impressive as his reputation made him out to be.

The hero was tall with a large, imposing build that made bodybuilders look scrawny. He had short, spiky hair that was combed back to perfection and matched his long split blonde mustache and beard, his eyes were a piercing blue that gave the impression he was looking into your very soul but the most notable feature was the smile that seemed just permanently etched onto his lips, a smile that never faltered or vanished for it was a hero's duty to always reassure the public they were safe as long as he was around. The invincible All Might

At least that's what the world knew and believed. Marco, on the other hand, had discovered the sobering truth behind his idol.

All Might let a mighty chuckle, eying the beach carefully to ensure there were no witnesses before he vanished in a pop and puff of smoke, his frame drastically shrinking until he stood shorter than Marco.

"Sorry my boy" River Butterfly, the true identity of All Might, said with with a sheepish grin "I was just so excited! You did it Marco, you cleaned up the beach and prepared yourself for the hero entrance exams."

Marco gave a small smile as he looked at the enormous pile of assorted junk he had finished stacking that very morning, a rather strange tribute to his achievement.

"Thanks All..." Marco paused and corrected himself "Mr. Butterfly, I couldn't have done it without your help"

"Pish Posh!" River scoffed "All I did was give you instruction, you made it come true."

Marco tried to steady himself as River trapped him in a bone breaking hug.

He let him go and held the teen by his shoulders, eyes tearing up with pride and joy.

"After my injury" River began, his voice low and soft "I was worried about the future about One for All..."

Marco nodded. The secret behind River's power: One For all, a quirk that did not develop naturally but rather was passed down from person to person. From one hero to the next to continue their legacy.

River had told him the truth about why he was not as active as he used to be: Five years ago, he fought a devastating and fierce secret battle, one that nearly claimed his life. Though he was victorious, it was not without a heavy cost: the left side of his body was indented with an injury that would never heal. He could only use his power for 3 hours a day before reverting back to normal.

"No matter" River shook his head, the cheer returning to his voice "What is important is that you are ready for the exam"

"..."

River peered carefully at Marco's frozen face, realizing the cogs of his brain were turning, slowly at first but rapidly gaining speed as a sudden realization washed over him.

"CRAP THE EXAM!" Marco gripped his hair tightly "I totally forgot it was today! I've been out here since 4 moving all this junk around. What time is it?"

"Well..." River glanced at his watch before filching in preparation.

"It's 7:30?! THE EXAM STARTS IN HALF AN HOUR!"

Marco ran past River, a deep sense of dread feeling his body. How could he lose track of time so easily?! Even if he ran there, he'd be 10 minutes late to the exam! Also dead tired.

"Marco" A deep, calming voice called out to the fleeing teen.

Marco turned back to find River in his All Might form, posing against the rising sun.

River smiled brightly, giving an encouraging thumbs up towards his ward.

"Do not worry young ward" River said dramatically, bellowing out a cheerful laugh "I will give you a ride to the UA exams! After all the hard work you did, it is the least I can do for my protege!"

Marco couldn't help but return the grin "Thanks All Might...I..."

A gentle breeze ruffled River's spiky, slicked back hair playfully.

"..." Marco couldn't stop staring

"Umm, my boy? Why are you...?" River questioned curiously

"Your hair"

"What about it?"

"Y-you have it!" Marco cried out loud before dropping into a hushed whisper "Interesting. So One for All not only alters one's appearance but also potentially enhances one's natural regenerative properties though it doesn't explain why his bald spot remains after he turns into All Might. Maybe it only works when it is active.."

River's eye twitched though his smiling demeanor never faltered

"Marco" River spoke with a controlled edge "This really isn't the time."

"Huh? Oh right! The exam."

River gave a powerful nod "Indeed but before we go, there's something I need to about One for All and your current state. This is important, so you need to listen carefully."

* * *

Marco clutched at his stomach pitifully with a hand covering his mouth as River sailed through air, off to respond to trouble in progress.

Marco stared blankly after his idol, trying to keep his breakfast in as River's words weighed heavily on his mind.

Marco clutched his fist tightly

"This is happening...this is really happening...I'm here!"

Marco glanced upwards to the towering building in the distance. A few short minutes from now the real challenge began: Either he'll be on the road to be the hero he's always dreamed of, the one only his parents believed he could ever be or he'll sit in the corner of his room and manly brawl his eyes out for the rest of the afternoon.

Maybe week, depends.

"Alright U.A here I come! Time to be a hero!"

"YEAH! WE'RE GOING TO BE HEROES!" a voice agreed out of nowhere

Marco flailed in surprise, hands windmilling wildly as he tried to steady his step.

He rocked back and forth uncontrollably, just one weak shove away from giving the ground a lovely face first kiss.

A warm hand reached for his shoulder, a firm grip steadied him and allowed him to recover his balance with their support.

Marco took a calming breath "T-thanks, sorry I was pretty excited to be here and just got caught up in my own thoughts."

He gave a nervous chuckle before turning to properly greet his savior.

"That's okay" a cheerful blonde waved off his apology, her blue eyes staring at him like he was the most interesting person in the world "I can understand completely! I still can't believe it's time for us to take the hero entrance exams! I AM SO READY FOR THIS!"

Marco couldn't help but smile at the energetic blonde's warcry, her arms outstretched skyward as her pink circular pads on either cheek puffed out.

The blonde stared back at him, eyes widening expectantly "Liked my battlecry?"

Marco gave a short nod, feeling oddly comfortable with this strange girl. He felt a deep, familiar bond with her. It was almost like he knew her his entire life, an old and dear friend.

"I'm Star" The teen offered a hand politely "Star Butterfly, future heroine and bad guy butt kicker"

"I'm Marco" he took her hand carefully and gave it a friendly shake "Marco Diaz."

"Marco?" Star rose an eyebrow quizzically "I heard that name before..."

Marco's gaze was one filled with confusion, she had heard of him? How? Wait, why did her name sound so...

Marco's eyes widened as he recalled the first training session he had with River.

* * *

 _Flashback, 10 months_

 _Marco laid tiredly on the beach, his body sore and defeated after only an hour of training with River. Even with his karate background, All Might's regiment turned out to be more intense than he had originally expected._

" _My boy" River spoke, helping Marco to his feet with a mighty tug "Are you alright?"_

" _Y-yeah" Marco responded, eying the pile of trash he spent the last hour moving "I didn't realizehow tough moving junk into a pile would be."_

" _No one does" River said matter of fact as he looked up to Marco's exhausted face "Which is why it makes the perfect training! Nothing builds character and strength like cleaning the environment!"_

" _I-I can't argue with you there..." Marco huffed "But is this really the way for me to become a hero?"_

" _patience my boy" River placed a hand on his shoulder "I understand how you must feel but we don't have much time if you hope to be ready to take the entrance exams in 10 months. I need to bring you up to speed if you wish to use my power."_

 _River shook his head jokingly "What is it with young people being so impatient these days?"_

" _Young people? Are you training someone else?"_

 _River scoffed at the idea "Don't be jealous my boy. You are my pupil. I was simply referring to my daughter."_

" _Daughter?" Marco repeated "You have a daughter?"_

" _Indeed, her name is Star."_

" _Star...wait" Marco's mind began to race wildly "Your name is River Butterfly... Moon Butterfly?" WAIT! YOUR WIFE IS THE QUEEN? MOON BUTTERFLY IS YOUR WIFE?! Most feared Spec ops hero ever?!"_

 _River gave a hearty chuckle "Of course!"_

 _Marco felt weak as the stunning revelation washed over him "All Might is married to The Queen...I...I thought you hated each other?"_

" _Psst, of course not! It was an act. We decided this long ago though ever since my injury, I have became a liability to my family. If anyone were to discover the true face behind All Might..." River trailed off "we decided it was better if we hid our relationship which was honestly for the best. My wife is a black ops heroine. Her work requires more subtlety and I've always been a bit of a showoff."_

" _Wait if that's the case" Marco muttered uneasily "Why don't you give your power to Star? Wouldn't she be a better candidate for One for All than me?"_

 _River's face was stony, stoic as he stroked his beard thoughtfully_

" _I love my daughter" he began quietly "She's fierce and tough yet caring and joyful but she longs to be free of her mother's shadow. She wishes to be her own person and carve out her own path. If she was to discover I was All Might..."_

" _She doesn't know?"_

 _River shook his head "For her safety. Her mom has many enemies and I have many more. I don't want her living looking over her shoulder or worse, chasing after trouble. Besides, she'd never take the power. She wants to be herself, not anyone else."_

" _I understand."_

 _River stood to full height and looked at Marco directly_

" _Do not twist my words my boy. I chose you as my successor because you have the heart of the hero, the drive. You, Marco Diaz, have the markings of a true hero. Never let anyone tell you otherwise"_

* * *

"What are you doing here Diaz?"

Marco and Star whirled around in time to see Tom stroll up to the pair, a mixture of cockiness and swagger in his step

"This is a place for real heroes" Tom gestured to himself "Not quirkless kids like you. Should probably go home before you get hurt."

Star frowned and took a step forward when Marco pulled ahead of her.

"Don't worry Tom" Marco answered with a smirk "I'll make sure to save you a front row seat when I prove you wrong."

Star barely held in a chuckle trying to escape her lips as Tom growled angrily

"Whatever"

Star and Marco watched Tom disappear past the entrance way before bursting out loud.

"haha oh man, that was great. I have never seen my ex more angry" Star paused thoughtfully "Well actually, there was that one time when I broke up with him"

"Wait" Marco's laughter died at once "You dated him? Why!?"

Star gave a non-committal shrug "Young. Made a poor choice. It's whatever now. Well good luck Marco!"

Marco felt his body stiffen when Star embraced him tightly without warning

"We got this!" She gave an encouraging smile, pulling away from the stunned teen "and I'll see you in hero class!"

and just like, with a hop and a skip, Star had disappeared into the waiting maw of the UA building.

"...what...just happened?" Marco asked himself as he stood there, dumbfounded at what just occurred.

* * *

Marco could feel how frayed his nerves were, a sickening numb feeling mixing with the unsettling emptiness deep inside his stomach.

The protractor of the exam stood at the podium in the center of the stage, her piercing light blue eyes scanning over the auditorium carefully, studying and taking in each of the heroic hopefuls that filled the room.

She brushed her braided periwinkle blue hair behind her shoulder, coughing lightly into the microphone in hopes of getting everyone's attention.

"I will not waste time with what we already know" she spoke softly yet firmly into the microphone "The exam will be conducted in 2 phases: The written and the practical exam. I hope you did well to study. The test will now begin. If anyone is caught cheating, you will be removed from the premises and automatically disqualified. I will also be very crossed and I rather not be today. You may now begin."

Marco gulped, taking his pencil into his shaky grip.

* * *

Marco could feel the relief slide out of his bones as a group of students followed behind the periwinkle haired protractor while exciting murmurs and worrisome chatting filled the air.

Marco was sure he did well but at the same time there was some post test nagging biting at his resolve: Was it more important to fill out the UA report first or the police one? Running blindly into a burning house was a poorly thought plan, right? Right. Right? Right! Umm maybe.

"Sooooo how'd you do?"

Marco jumped, dropping into a fighting position only to notice Star's beaming face

"S-Star!" he coughed, straightening up and scratching at his cheek "Sorry, I..."

"So, did you pass, did you pass, did you pass?" Star cheerfully asked, wrapping an arm around Marco's neck.

"I think so..." Marco willed his blush away to prevent further embarrassment "How about you?"

Star gave a shrug "I probably didn't get them all right but that's okay, the practical exam is where I'm going to shine! HI YAH!"

Star gave a theoretical karate chop and threw in a kick for good measure.

"Man, I wish I had your confidence."

Star tilted her head cutely "Well, why not?"

Marco blinked in confusion "Umm...well..."

"You just need to believe in yourself buddy and I believe in you, go Marco!"

"Aww thanks Star, I'll bet you'll do great!"

"Aww Marco, hugs!"

and just like, without a second thought or pause in her step, Star wrapped her arms around Marco tightly.

"am I interrupting anything Star?"

Marco could feel his heart crawl to a stop as dozens of eyes landed on him and Star, an awkward tense silence as the blue haired protractor gaze focused squarely on his face.

Marco motioned to pull free of Star's grip but she refused to let go.

"Nope, I'm listening mom!"

Moon rolled her eyes at her daughter's antics but kept leading everyone to the next location.

"Mom? Wait! That's your mom?!"

Star shrugged "Yeah, so what?"

"Wow" Ferguson eyed the couple carefully "You got a girlfriend Marco?"

Marco sighed "No Ferguson, she's not my girlfriend."

"ooooh" Stars eyes widen with curiosity "Who's that?"

"Hey, I'm the Ferg" Ferguson clicked his tongue and pointed at Star "coolest guy around and soon to be hero extraordinaire"

"She knows your name is Ferguson, I just said it" Marco answered as deadpanned as he could "He's one of my classmates and friends. He doesn't think quite...realistically"

"Don't be jelly Marco"

"I'm not."

"oooo hi Ferguson!" Star gave a cheery wave "Nice to meet you"

"Star, focus?" Moon called outstretched

"Sorry mom!"

Moon gave a tired sigh as she gestured behind her.

The group stood in the shadow of two massive gates towering high above and wedged in between two ends of a circular concrete wall.

"This is our training ground" Moon explained "It is a recreation of Echo city. Our students learn how to deal with urban environments in various combat, pursuit and other varying situations and scenarios. This is where you will be taking the practical examination."

The hushed murmurs and excited whispers broke out at once.

"The examination will be a test of your quirks and general heroic abilities" Moon continued over the chatter "Set loose within these walls are three types of enemies, all robotic so you need not worry about hurting anyone. Each robot has a point value attached to them worth 1, 2 or 3 points depending on the difficulty. Simply put, your job is to destroy as many as these foes as you can as these points, alongside your written score, will determine if you will be accepted into the U.A. Oh and as a side note, there is a fourth enemy but it's more of a distraction than anything. It's worth 0 points and isn't worth your time. We will begin in a moment, please prepare yourself. You will have 10 minutes to gain as many points as you can."

Marco felt a cold wave of dread overtake him, his concern drowned out by the more eager teens.

Could he do this? He literally just got his power this morning and while River explained how it theoretically worked, he had no chance to actually test out the application or even how to active it. And he had to take on various enemies while competing against people who've had years to master and learn their quirks. Every second Marco thought about it, the more dire it became. There's no way he could do this, his dream of being a hero was about end right here, right...

"Marco"

Marco snapped out of his thought and turned to find Star staring at him, determination burning in her eyes.

"We can do this."

"Star, I..."

" **We** can do **this"**

Marco could feel Star's conviction and belief in her words. He could feel the faith she had in him. that they would both make the hero class. that they would both save the world one day.

Pride and hope swelled in Marco's chest and for a brief moment he could see how Star was River's daughter. Their unbound happiness and faith in people was incredibly infectious.

"Right, I got this!" Marco nodded to himself.

* * *

"I don't got this" Marco muttered in a defeated tone, his face sagging at the chaotic sight of the mass combat that took place.

The robots did in fact come in three different sizes, from tiny bots that were hardly bigger than a scooter to a 6 foot tall, vaguely humanoid shape with spindly arms and legs. For things determining if they were going to be a hero or not, they were pretty underwhelming.

What was _over_ whelming was the ferocity the other potential heroes fought with. He had never seen his classmates (and strangers) fight with such reckless and frightening abandon.

Tom the jerk was calmly walking through the hordes of robotic opponents, the bright orange flames burning with an intensity greater than the sun. Any robot foolish enough to try to engage him head on quickly turned into a liquid, metal slop on the pavement. Robots that stayed away didn't fair much better as he lobbed fireballs recklessly into as many of them as he could, burning a fist sized hole in their centers as they crumbled.

Janna was being Janna, cockily gesturing to any and all helpless prey she found. A black rune would form onto the surface of the enemy then fade quickly. The robots glanced quizzically at the beanie wearing girl who clicked her tongue mischievously. Sparks covered their metallic bodies but before they could react, their limbs would loosen from their sockets, their optics popped and broke and without warning, they would simply shut down with Janna's cackling the last sound each robotic foe heard.

As expected from The Queen's and All Might's daughter, Star was a naturally gifted combatant. When she wasn't smashing bots faces against the floor, she was sweeping them off their feet with a well placed kick and for the studier metallic foes, she would karate throw them over her shoulder, releasing a bloodthirsty warcry before moving onto the next unfortunate enemy on her list.

Jackie (Marco let out a dreamy sigh) slid around on her skateboard, a laidback smile on her face as she lazily sailed through the battlefield, lightly tapping any target she came across. A thin layer of frost would spread from the point of contact, enveloping the hapless robotic foe until they were completely encased in ice.

"Hey Marco!" Jackie called out to the petrified teen"You gotta move if you want to stay in the game"

Marco gave a shy nod as she made her way past before shaking himself out of his stupor. He couldn't just sit here and let his chance slip away!

But it was hard. Every time he found a perfect target, they would flattened, shredded, crushed, snapped, blown up or just ripped apart without warning. The points were being snatched up and the enemies were dwindling quickly. At this rate, he'd never get even a single point! All his hard work would be for nothing.

Marco blinked as the world began shake in a strange pattern: A boom followed by a shake followed by another boom, repeating over and over again almost like they were...

The sound of battle was quickly drowned out by the shattering of glass, the crunching thuds of concrete and the bending of metal girders under some heavy weight.

A plume of smoked rose as one of the 20 story buildings fell without warning and in its place stood an impossibly gigantic robot that made the remaining buildings look tiny.

Marco stood there slack-jawed at mechanical marvel that towered over all of them "I-is that the...?"

"The distraction mom mentioned?" Star finished while standing next to Marco "It has to be, it's the only thing we haven't seen."

"She did mention it was distracting. I guess I'm surprised how much so"

"Why is something like that worth zero points?" Star wondered outloud.

"Maybe..." Marco began

"HELP! LIKE DUDES HELP!"

Marco and Star were pulled from their thoughts. Someone was in trouble.

The pair searched the surrounding area but aside from the now still test takers and scattered debris of what were formerly training bots, no one seemed to be in any sort of danger.

"Wait" Marco gently patted Star's shoulder "there!"

Star squinted where Marco pointed and the circular object she saw earlier wasn't an object at all, it was Ferguson!

"What? Ferguson?"

"HELP DUDES!" Ferguson waved his arms frantically "I can't change back!"

"What's he talking about?"

Marco thought back to his notebook of quirks he studied, pulling up the information he observed from all his years of school with the orange haired teen "Ferg's quirk lets him expand parts of his body, adding more weight and mass to whatever he does. However, when he gets nervous or scared, his whole body puffs up like a puffer fish as a defense mechanism. Until he calms down, he won't be able to return to normal"

"Why would he freak out?"

The ground shook once more as the giant mech took a step closer, easily clearing the half of mile between it and the testers. What was once a massive shape in the distance now basked them in its shadow.

It's amazing that with how diverse and varied humanity was as a whole, only one thought filled the minds of the hopeful students which was to run as fast as they could away from the metal tower.

Everyone scattered, putting as much distance as they could between them and the 0 point giant robot.

Star turned to leave only for her to notice Marco hadn't moved from his spot, his body trembling out of fear. For a moment she thought he was too afraid to escape, that a deep sense of despair overtook him and held him in rooted to the spot. Then she realized while he was shaking due to fear, his face was set in a grim determination.

"HELP!" Ferguson cried out once more.

Star gasped upon realizing Ferguson was still frightened and helpless. Not that she could blame him, the massive bot was just behind him and Star's heart fell when she saw it raise its foot once more to take another step with Ferguson still trapped underneath.

Star desperately looked for her mother. She had to find her and stop this test before Ferguson was seriously injured.

She had to find a way to stop this tragedy from happening.

"Mom!" Star yelled, eyes darting back and forth "MOM! MOM STOP THE TEST! STOP THE TEST! Marco, have you seen...?"

Star turned back to her new friend only to find a crater dug deeply into the ground, the once smooth surface of the asphalt cracked and broken with Marco nowhere in sight.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH"

The fierce scream caught Star's ears and her gaze shifted to the source of the sound, the one place she would've never thought to look: skyward.

Her blue pupils widened as she saw Marco rising through the air quickly: 10, 15, 20, 50 feet into the air. Rising and rising with his fist pulled back almost like he was planning on striking the robot down.

Marco sailed through the air, the howling of the wind nearly muted as blood thundered in his ears. He couldn't let Ferguson get hurt. Even if he didn't get any points, even if he came all this way for nothing, he couldn't sit there and watch as one of his closest friends was crushed under the foot of some idiotic, mindless robot! He wouldn't let that happen.

Ever

The robot grew in size rapidly as Marco closed the distance, fully intending to smash his fist as hard as he could into its stupid face.

Marco was too caught up in his rage to realize a flaw in his plan. The fact he was now 50 feet in the air was lost on him. The idea that he was about to try and punch out a several ton robot that toppled a building by leaning on it didn't seem to register. All he felt was a desire to save his friend.

Marco could see the wide, human sized optic condense and narrow its focus on him. The robot cutely tilted its head sideways, almost like it was silently asking him "What are you planning silly human?"

Marco's response was the punch.

There was a tense moment of silence as Marco's fist connected directly in the center of the robot's face, unmoving and still while a reverberating thrum echoed deep inside the metallic body of his enemy.

Then Marco was shoved backwards from the force of the attack and for one picturesque moment, he floated there, weightless and still.

A groaning ripple began to spread out from where Marco landed his blow, racing throughout the giant machine's body like a wave, lifting and lowering the armor plates into a disorganized mess. The sound of crunching and broken metal filled the silence as the ripple made its way through every inch of the robotic body.

Then Marco fell, gravity finally solidifying its hold on him and pulling him straight down.

Back of the bot's head exploded, spraying coils of wires, gears, random chunks of metal across the empty street as it leaned forward and fell backwards, crashing against the ground with an earth rumbling thud.

Marco clutched his right arm, eyes watering as sharp pains began to ache through his body. His arm and legs were badly broken and flailed loosely against the raging air current.

* * *

" _Indeed but before we go, there's something I need to tell you about One for All and your current state. This is important, so you need to listen carefully."_

 _Marco turned back to River, his face serious and full of concern._

" _Just because you have One for All does not mean you cannot use it freely" River explained "Even after all your training and getting you ready to inherit the power was to only prevent you from dying when you use it."_

 _Marco's face paled "Dying?! What, I could die using it?"_

" _Not anymore" River chuckled "However I must warn you. In your current state, using One for All will have serious consequences. At very least you will dislocate, if not break your bones. Think carefully Marco when you decide to use it."_

* * *

Marco mentally scolded himself. Everything had happen so suddenly, he hadn't even thought about what he was doing. He just reacted and apparently used One for All without realizing it.

And now he was going to die. Zero points and with 3 broken limbs. What a way to go.

The ground was quickly approaching but no matter how hard he tried, Marco couldn't find a way to stop himself without becoming a splat on the ground.

Marco shut his eyes, too scared to see what would happen next.

The howling of the wind stopped and slowed as bopped up and down for a moment. what was a harsh gale was now a gentle if uneasy breeze. The fluttering of wings could be heard and for a moment, he wondered if he had died and gone to heaven.

He opened his eyes and realized while he hadn't died, he _was_ looking at an angel.

Star Butterfly was carrying him bridal style, a relived smile on her lips though she couldn't keep the worry out of those bright big blue orbs of hers.

"S-Star?" Marco stuttered "you're flying? You're flying! How?"

"My quirk silly" She motioned to her back "I can fly!"

Marco glanced backwards and found two pinkish purple butterfly wings sticking out of Star's back, beating back and forth rapidly as the duo made their descent.

"That..." Marco muttered tiredly "is so...cool..."

"Marco?"

Star looked at Marco only to find him fast asleep, his breath slow and steady.

"Hee, I knew you were special."

* * *

"He's as heroically reckless as you dear" Moon spoke, watching the medical team's arrival on the monitor. Luckily for Marco, the UA had some of the best medical heroes in the world. His broken limbs would be fixed soon enough.

"A little. But he's got heart and the spirit of a true hero" River commented, stroking his beard thoughtfully

Moon sighed "Well he's lucky he is. Thanks to that heroic action, he's the only participant who will receive full rescue points. He'll be admitted into the school for sure."

River gave a good nature laugh "Rescue points. I love them so. It's easy to get caught up in the glory of combat and heroing but true heroes never forget."

The monitor focused on the sleeping Diaz, his face relaxed as the medical team carried him away on a stretcher.

"It's not just about fighting evil, it's about saving people."

"Well spoken" Moon concurred "you may tell him whenever you feel like but please don't let the poor boy go too long without knowing he's been accepted. He will no doubt feel terrible that he didn't score any points."

"Psst, who do you think I am dear?" River scoffed "I will be sure to tell him when he returns home tonight."

 **I remember nearly killing River for waiting 5 whole days to tell me I made it into the academy. Seriously, who does that? But it was the happiest day of my life. My first real step on my journey in becoming the greatest hero that's ever lived.**

* * *

a special thanks to finn; thank you so much!

guest sorta: that's okay, i try to write things so you don't need to be an expert on au to enjoy the story. haha there's a joke about this fairy character in legend of zelda that basically is super annoying, saying hey listen all the time to get give you obvious hints about how to solve puzzles or where to go. its pony head, i couldn't resist.

johnny512: chapter 30 (I assume because sometimes ff's system is weird) haha im glad you liked it! it was a pretty fun chapter for me to write.

h mae You know she's gonna go get him! You go star!

fanficoverlord: awesome! im glad you still enjoyed the story despite not knowing the source! given how i like to grossly overestimate my ability to keep it short, this might be broken up into 3 chapters.

grim: haha sorry, this time must've been like a year. im glad you liked it and you're getting 2 more parts.

broken SVTFOElover chapter 43: feel free to drown here, we got starco insurance. chapter 50: you did? awesome! chapter 103:..umm...here's a new story? *nervous smile*

samThekingOfhell: thank you so much for the review! I have several songfics planned to be honest and yes one of them is smooth because it fits Marco very well and 2 i love me my Santana. that being said, i have no idea when i'll get to it because songfics take longer than the average story which is weird but hey maybe i can do it soon! and it totally is an adult/late teen starco song.

thundermist: umm not part 2 but still a story, will that work for you? dem feels in backstory, all the feels. haha i remember bolt. and now i feel old. oh well. it was a good movie tbh. SUMMER and thanks for the review, im glad you liked it!

thdorkmagent: hi! and welcome! that's okay, there are lot of stories and i don't mind if you leave a review or not. aww thank you so much it means a lot to me and makes me strive to give the best stories i can! haha yeah i noticed how many people thought silent protagonist star was pretty cute in the big 100th chapter and i was like well let's give the people more of her! thank you for your kind words and i hope you keep enjoying the stories!

guest chapter 103: thank you so much (bows humbly) I do my best

fester drummond chapter 46: i love that episode. I thought it was such a great take on the classic batman episode and gave us a really awesome view into what villains do and how they think and such. i am pretty surprised how smooth the transfer was but also very happy! thanks for the review and im glad you enjoyed my twist on it.

thatguest chapter 103: haha get rekted? says the monster, arrow to the face says star.

warmy shan chapter 25: i know right? im not usually a fan at the love at first sight cliche but i decided to try it...once...or twice...three times i think?

guest chapter 30; aww thank you so much. I got the idea when i was walking and listen to queen then i thought of the Ella enchanted version and how much it fit with star. i loved writing that chapter.

CrOxx: haha i know right? i never thought i'd even get to 50 when i first started. my how time flies huh? well thank you so much for leaving a review. it means the world to me i love it when people tell me their favorite lines or scenes or even which out of all my stories they loved the most. best feeling in the world. Honestly, i love writing and i would do it all day if i could. I learned early on when i was in band that you have to do what you love regardless if you're good at it or not. that's why i just write. if you liked my story cool, if you didn't also cool. i can't please everyone and that's alright. I love writing and that's all that matters. I honestly think if you love my writing too, thank you so much if you don't, thank you for reading anyway. I always try and will try to act in a mature regard and write because i love it. that's why i say i'm just a writer. because i am. I'm just a guy that loves to write. thank you so much for your kind words. they mean the world to me and really pushes me to do my best for everyone who reads these stories. I hope you keep enjoying the stories and who knows, maybe i'll make it to 200? go big or go home after all.

guest chapter 78: I know right? and i loved how it came out so much im going to write a part 2.


	105. New on the job (Spiderman Homecoming au)

Hello everyone Mr.E here from one hero universe to another and yes I am finally done with this because this has been haunting me to write it these last few weeks and it is done. IT IS DONE AND I AM VERY MUCH TEMPTED TO MAKE THIS A STORY BECAUSE ME AND MY GOOD FRIEND hains-mae collaborated on it. thank you for every favorite, follow and review. you all rock so much! thank you.

Yes I've gone off the deep end. I have been literally writing drabbles of this which maybe I'll post on here but we'll see.

Haven't been reading much but go check out the mask charro from my good friend axis26 and I'm going to check out this spiderman cross over with star vs called spidey vs the forces of evil from CMR rosa, so if you're interested, check it out.

so a few notes on this story. Yes back to notes. been a while. this is loosely based off the spiderman homecoming movie but not completely. Spiderman and Iron man exist in this universe. As of this moment, those are the only two MCUs really in this universe because there's just not a lot to work with without making this a giant cross over and honestly, i rather keep it smaller and not add every avenger ever.

Second, for the identity of Iron man, it's a secret. I'm going back to the original comics where no one knows who Iron Man is and as far as anyone can tell he's Tony Stark's bodyguard using a suit tony made for him after being captured and all that jazz. So in this universe, Tony Stark is played by canon Tom (who is human in this version) and Iron Man is his bodyguard.

Star is MJ from the homecoming because I love her attitude in the movie and it's really a nice change of pace for writing the magical princess. Seriously it was too much fun in the drabbles and it is too much fun here. also Ferguson is Ned but not ned because hidden plot reason. He's basically ned the friend and not ned guy in the chair.

the last thing thing i really need to talk about is the villain in this story. Honestly, I've been playing overwatch, I love playing the new character doomfist and I honestly just wanted my own villain with a giant robotic arm so i do what i do best: poorly design my own. It's not anyone from Star vs, completely original so there's no secret identity to figure out there.

finally the story. This takes place early on in Marco's career, a few months after being bitten by the spider and he's trying to prove to the city he is an actual hero like his idol Iron man *Who has some renown at this point*

That's it for me. Have an amazing week, i hope you enjoy the story. there is a lot more to it that me and mae came up with and if you like it, let me know. check her tumblr hains-mae out for some awesome sketches of this au. I might do more because I had a blast writing this. take care everyone!

* * *

Marco couldn't keep the smile off his face as the video played, a muted spectacular of self reflective glory that he felt immense pride in.

"Man" Marco murmured disappointingly, squinting to get a better view of the multicolored blur that darted in and out of frame "I wish this dude had a better camera phone, I can't see..."

"The board, Mr. Diaz?"

Marco gulped, slowly closing his laptop while Miss Skullnick threw the harshest glare she could muster his way.

"Umm, I'm sorry Miss Skullnick" Marco uneasily replied "I was...a little distracted."

"I would've never guessed" she answered sarcastically

Marco could feel his ears burn as the class snickered.

"If you're done daydreaming about you crush.."

"Hey!"

"...whatever" Miss Skullnick completely ignored his outburst "Could you please solve the problem on the board?"

Marco studied the problem carefully, making sure to factor everything in and double check his work to ensure he didn't suffer another embarrassment so soon after being called out by the teacher.

"It's 9." Marco said confidently.

Miss Skullnick grimaced unhappily as she grumbled "Correct Mr. Diaz but next time pay attention or I might decide to send you detention because you're annoying me."

"Yes Miss Skullnick" Marco muttered as the bell rang, freeing the students for lunch.

* * *

"Dude, bro! I have never seen you more distracted" Marco's orange topped best friend Ferguson teased as the pair made their way to their usual spot in the cafeteria "Except maybe when Jackie's within line of sight. Checking out her page again?"

"What? No" Marco scoffed "I was just checking out that new hero on the block, you know Spiderman?"

"Ooooo" Ferguson nodded before giving an indifferent shrug "yeah, I still think that's some sort of media stunt. Hollywood's gonna probably drop the trailer next week or something."

"Media stunt?" Marco questioned incredulously as they took their seats "The dude was climbing up walls."

"Blue screen."

"Blue screen?! He was climbing _up real walls_. LIKE A SPIDER."

Ferguson rolled his eyes "Oh poor gullible Marco, you'd believe anything, will you? Get real man all that footage was obviously faked. Some random videos of him saving cats or helping old ladies cross the street and you're ready to believe in anything. Besides, no one wants to see a movie about some dork who got bitten by spider and somehow got super human powers. It'd never sell. Now a man dressed like bat, that I 'd watch."

Marco gave Ferguson a deadpanned look as third person joined their table.

The boys shared a concerned look while Star Butterfly began to make herself comfortable.

The resident quiet loner with a snarky attitude was dressed in her usual attire: Most of her blond hair done up in ponytail while a small curtain of it covered a part of her face with a red devil hairband sitting on her head. A simple ribbon tied around her neck and a single spiked wristband. She was wearing a black and white striped shirt covered by a black blazer jacket. Her skirt was a seafoam green sporting a koala wearing an eyepatch stitched into the fabric. And the look was completed with her black as night combat boots for extra badness.

"Umm...can we help you?" Ferguson asked slowly.

"Nope" Star replied, quietly digging into her school mandated lunch.

"...So are we like friends now?" Marco carefully questioned.

"Psst, I don't I have friends." Star said with a casual tone.

"Then why are you hanging out with us?" Marco rose an eyebrow.

"Seriously Star" Ferguson chimed in "What's your deal?"

Star smugly stared their way "You two are like the perfect anti-social haven. No one would even come near you two."

"hey!" Marco cried out indignantly before noticing the wide berth the entire room had given them, a perfectly circular boundary between their table and everyone else "...hey..."

"oh lighten up" Star leaned in closer, gesturing with her fork playfully "You got me, that's something."

Marco let out a tired sigh "You are seriously confusing me with your statements right now."

"Good" Star beamed "Get used to it."

"Wait, I'm confused" Ferguson motioned with a hand to stop everything "...are we friends?"

"No Ferguson" Marco answered "we're not friends, we're just some sort of barrier between Star and any sort of social interaction she might be forced to deal with."

"hey" Star shot back with a serious tone "Don't call me Star. Only my friends call me Star."

"...then what do we call you?"

Star pursed her lips for a moment, face scrunching up deep in thought

"Bfly" she finally decided on "Call me Bfly."

"Bfly?" Marco repeated "What are we in second grade? That is the lamest thing I ever heard."

"YEAH!" Ferguson agreed before a thought suddenly came to him "Oh Marco, my lego Red 5 X-wing is coming into today. 1,559 of pure space combat. Wanna help me build it?"

"Psstyeah" Marco giving a content head nod in response "you know it."

Star stared blankly at the two beginning to excitedly chatter about what was the most efficient way to form the legos and how fast they think they could manage it.

"Nerds" Star scoffed

"You know it" Ferguson gave a cocky nod.

"Yeah! Oh shoot" Marco snapped his fingers "I can't right after school."

"You can't?" Ferguson parroted

"Yeah, I'm..." Marco paused as excuses began to churn in his head "I'm working on getting an internship. You know, for college credit. But hey" he quickly added "I should be able to work on it after dinner. Swing by around 8 and we'll start on it then. "

"After?" Ferguson shook his head "No, no, no senor Diaz. It is Taco Tuesday and there is no way I am missing authentic Mexican food from your parents. I'm coming before and joining you for dinner."

"Fine" Marco hung his head in defeat "But you're cleaning dishes."

"I am a guest, you are cleaning dishes my friend."

Marco shook his head in mock annoyance when he caught Star staring at him, a flicker of worry in her oceanic blue eyes.

"Yes St...Bfly, what are you staring at?"

The concern vanished in an instant and was replaced with her usual uncaring gaze.

"Trying to figure out where you got an internship" Star answered "Last I checked, the school didn't get any offers from any of the major companies and I doubt you have any connections on the inside to land an internship."

"How would you know _Star_?"

"I just do Marco. Unlike you, I do my research."

"I'm looking into it" Marco said with a hint of finality as he rose to his feet, lunch tray firmly in his hands "and I'm sure I'll get one in no time. I am funny..."

"Debatable" Star chimed in.

Marco frowned and looked to Ferguson for support only to find his best friend nodding in agreement.

"Yeah sorry muchaco, you're not that funny."

"Ferguson!"

"What?" the orange haired teen threw his hands up defensively "it's not my fault it's true."

Marco rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore Star's smug smirk.

"I _think_ I'm funny" Marco went on "I'm smart, I have good grades and have a clean record. I, Marco Diaz, am...am...am..."

"Ammmm?" Star gestured for Marco to get on with it.

"Uh oh" Ferguson scratched his cheek nervously as he stood next to Marco "Yeah he's stuck."

"Stuck?" Star couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice "What do you mean stuck?"'

"Jackie" Ferguson answered simply, motioning to the far side of the room.

Star turned around and sure enough, there was the only thing existence that could ever stop Marco Ubaldo Diaz in his tracks: Jackie Lynn Thomas dressed in the usual skater girl attire.

"So how long is lover boy gonna be like...?" Star pointed Marco's dazed, goofy face.

"Until she leaves. Always gets a little brain dead around her."

Star glanced at the frozen teen "A little?"

Ferguson shrugged "Okay, a lot."

"I'm going to go" Star got to her feet "Tell loverboy he needs to stop staring. It's creepy."

"Will do" Ferguson gave a mock salute.

Star couldn't decide if a weirded out stare or simply walking away was a more appropriate response.

She opted for the walk away.

* * *

Marco let out a relived sigh as he ducked and weaved through the sea of students that poured out of the classrooms like an uncontrolled torrent.

"Excuse me" Marco called out "Coming through. Oh come on! I know you saw me. We both know"

"Marco!" Ferguson called out, pulling his best friend into a smaller, less occupied hallway "Dude, what's the rush?"

"I told you."

Ferguson stared at him blankly.

"The internship? Trying to find one? My whole entire future on the line. Come on Ferg, weren't you paying attention?"

"Honestly? No, not really." Ferguson said with a straight face.

Marco resisted the urge to throttle his friend "You know what, just be at my house around 7, stay for dinner then we'll work on the X-wing, okay?"

"Gotcha Marco" Ferguson clicked his tongue and gestured with a finger gun "7 it is.'

"Cool, thanks!" Marco shouted before taking off at full speed down the hall.

Ferguson stood there, completely confused to why Marco had just thanked him.

Oh well, if it was important, he would've remembered.

* * *

Marco frowned and grimaced under his costume as the city went on with its usual business: Cars were honking, the overlapping chatter of millions of people filled the air as the clack clack clack of trains rumbled nearby. A normal day in the big city

and it sucked.

"Well this was a waste of an afternoon." Marco grumbled to himself "Seriously 4 hours on duty and not a single major incident. Some stolen bikes, lost grannys but nothing! NOTHHING! How am I supposed to be a hero if there aren't heroic things to do?"

Marco glanced down at his makeshift hero outfit: His red hoodie tucked under an equally red sweater vest with messy and uneven black lines threaded into the center and vaguely shaped in a form of a spider. A red ski mask under his hood and pair of goggles from his parents last ski trip to protect his eyes (and let him see through the harsh glare of the afternoon light). Completing the look were his old black dress pants, his regular everyday sneakers and a pair of mismatched blue gloves. He really wasn't feeling the gloves but he felt like he needed some sort of blue on him.

He really had to work on his costume.

"It's the costume right?" Marco spoke out loud apprehensively "It's got to be the costume. What do you think?"

The bird stared confusingly at the young teen before taking flight, leaving Marco without a response.

"Gee, thanks" Marco muttered sarcastically "Some help you turned out to be!"

"HELP!" A panicked voice cried from the street below "SOMEBODY HELP!"

Marco snapped out of his stupor and peered downward only to find people scattering in all directions while cars violently overturned and tossed about.

"How did I miss that?" Marco scolded himself as he leapt into a dive, the rush of air and blood thundering in his ears.

He shot his web shooter towards the next building over and pulled himself into a swing, rapidly gaining speed as the ground drew closer.

With a flick of his wrist, Marco snapped his hand free and launched himself into a forward flip, gracefully sailing through the air and nearly tumbling off balance when his feet sunk into the roof of a car.

"Man!" An older voice shouted at him from the street "That's my car!"

Marco glanced about and found himself staring a very angry old man gesturing wildly to the teenage hero.

"Oh man" Marco replied , twisting and turning anxiously as he tried to figure out a way to solve this problem "Dude I'm sorry, I-I didn't..."

"What?" The old man yelled "Think this car belonged to somebody. Man, whatcha you think you doing falling off roofs and swinging around recklessly."

More screams filled the air alongside the sound of groaning metal and cracked glass.

Marco motioned to the source of the commotion "Dude, I got to go."

"Man, you got to get better at this part of the job. Landings are important."

Marco quickly got off the now cratered car and onto the street, hands still raised defensively "I'm still kinda new to this."

"It shows." The man shot back "Now go deal with that."

Marco broke into a run, eager to get away from the trouble he accidentally created.

"Well" Marco murmured to himself, stopping at the sight of a single man who just stood in the middle of the road "Out of the frying pan and into the fire. HEY BIG GUY!"

The person's head perked up upon hearing the teen's shout and glanced backwards to find a costumed guy waving at him, gesturing for them to come over.

The person turned around and Marco suddenly wish they hadn't

Normally he would've made a snide remark about how funny their choice of outfit had been, even for New York standards: Several stop signs bent and welded together forming some sort of chest armor, half of a car door wore as some sort of shoulder guard, arm and knee pads comprised of metal sheets, a pair of shades and scarf obscuring the person's face from view with a long trench coat that obviously was added for dramatic effect and two air compressor tanks strapped to their back with tubes connecting to their legs and...other arm.

Speaking of the other arm, that's what made Marco paused. The other arm that had been blocked from view but it wasn't now: It was massive in scope, comically huge. It wasn't a singular color but rather varying hues of colors and shades of rust covered metal that gave it a very Frankenstein monster vibe. He could hear the clicking of joints, pistons and various other metallic working under the surface as the thick, metal fingers flexed threateningly.

"Did you call me?" The person's voice was muffled by the scarf.

"Umm...Umm yeah." Marco replied timidly "I...I noticed wave of destruction and you my man seem to be at the center of it."

"I'm a girl."

"Oh" Marco nodded "Sorry I couldn't tell with the...umm whole Mad Max thing you got going on there..."

"Awesome" she replied, a hint of happiness in her voice "I'm really glad. I wanted to keep my identity a secret so..."

"Yeah, yeah it totally work. So...umm...what's with...?" Marco motioned to the cracked pavement and flipped over cars.

"They were in my way." The girl pointed behind her "I'm about to go rob a bank actually."

"Umm cool. Could you not maybe? It's kinda of a crime."

The girl used her normal hand to mockingly scratch her covered chin "I dunno. I really like money and I kinda need it."

"Hey I totally get it" Marco agreed "but I really need you to just not do that so..."

Thwoosh.

The girl blinked in surprised as she found her regular hand constricted and wrapped tightly in some sort of webbing.

She glanced back at Marco

"Do you really want to do this the hard way?"

"Not really but that tone tells me that's what is going to happen anyway."

"Smart."

A harmonious clacking of gears and pistons rumbled as she pulled back her massive metal arm, almost like she was preparing to jab at Marco from 10 feet away.

"Look" Marco took a step forward "It's a nice arm but there's no way..."

There was loud woosh of pressurized air being released and the girl rocketed forward towards Marco without warning.

Marco stumbled backwards, caught off guard as the girl drew closer, a sudden rush of air current propelling her fist directly at his face.

Marco regained his balance and dove out of the way just in time to avoid the hurtling chunk of metal that narrowly knocked his head off.

The girl dug her boots into the ground, digging deeply into the asphalt and cracking the pavement as she slowed to a stop, almost falling face forward to the floor from the sudden shift of momentum.

She whirled around in time to see Marco lunge at her, arm outstretched outward as a string of that webbing came sailing for her.

She rose her arm quickly and the webbing caught harmlessly on the metallic surface.

"You're really fast with that" Marco groaned, pulling at the string as hard as he could "Harness with a joints?"

"Among other stuff" The girl answered, straining to pull herself free of his grip. This scrawny guy and this web-like substance were stronger than they looked.

Marco looked about, trying to figure some sort of way to gain leverage when he felt a sharp tug on his web.

"Uh oh" Marco muttered as he was thrust violently through the air.

The girl pulled her arm back, dragging the unsuspecting hero towards her. With a grunt of effort, she clawed forward, swiping at her hapless that came her way.

Marco let go of his webbing and released another at a streetlight, pulling himself upwards and just barely avoiding the melee attack.

"Geesh" Marco hung upside, watching the girl steady her footing and glance his way "That can't be street legal."

"What gave it away?" The girl replied jokingly "The fact it's made out random scrap."

"So you're kinda of my first real villain and I feel really jerky if I just called you girl or something. Got a name?"

She pursed her lips "I was thinking going with Junkhead. Cuz..." she motioned to her arm.

"It's got some promise but I would've called you Junker" Marco pulled himself onto of the post "Or Gauntlet. You know...because the armor."

The girl nodded in approval "Gauntlet. I like it. And what do I call you?"

"Spiderman" Marco replied

"That's a Spider?" Gauntlet leaned forward "I thought that was...actually I don't know what I thought that was. It looks like a bug splat."

"Hey!"

"Like you're gonna be Spider Dork."

Marco eyes popped out of his sockets as Gauntlet roughly ripped the streetlight from the concrete and tossed it away with Marco still ontop.

Marco leapt off the flying piece of New York City Property and landed gracefully onto the sidewalk below. Instinct screamed danger but by the time he regained his bearings, a massive row of metallic fingers connected with his stomach, knocking all the air out of him and sending him scraping the sidewalk viciously 20 feet away.

Marco coughed violently as he tried to refill his depleted lungs. He wearily grasped at a nearby car and struggled to lift himself to his feet.

He faintly hear the sound of metal being crunched and torn but he couldn't make heads or tails of what it could mean. He was too busy trying to catch his breath.

"Catch Spidey" Gauntlet called out, giving a sloppy pitcher's throw in his direction.

His instincts screamed at him, alarms went off in his head as he glanced towards Gauntlet's way only to notice the violently spinning car door coming his way.

Marco bent backwards, planting one hand firmly on the ground to steady himself as the projectile passed overhead, showering Marco in chunks of metal and glass debris before slamming into the side of a building with a mighty thud.

Marco pushed himself up and flipped backwards as Gauntlet closed the distance, swiping at him once more hoping to catch him off guard.

Marco landed on his feet, crouching low as the villain stood there, flexing her fingers.

"Getting tired Spidey?" Gauntlet asked.

"Not at all" Marco stood "But I think you might be running a little low on air."

"Me?" Gauntlet gestured to herself, trying to keep her breathing steady "Not on your life."

Marco smirked under his mask as he quickly flicked his wrist and shot another web towards his foe.

Gauntlet was quick in reacting but her arm wasn't. It sluggishly rose, trying to block the attack but this time it hadn't been fast enough. The web sailed past and approached Gauntlet's scarf, ready to pry it off

She reacted the only way she could: She twisted her body and cut downward with her arm, intercepting the web midair but leaving her back completely exposed to Spiderman.

Marco saw his chance. With another quick flick, he shot at one of the compressor's on her back. The web latched on with a satisfying thunk and Marco pulled with all his strength.

Gauntlet swore under her breath as she felt herself being pulled backwards but there was no time to complain about her mistake. She fought against the webbing as she placed her metal arm on the floor and pushed back. She gave herself a smug grin as she felt the tension of the string snap while she flew backwards.

She unsteadily landed on her feet but dropped into a fighting stance. Something felt off. Something had change. She felt lighter, almost like...

She could feel the blood drain out of her face as she saw Spiderman cockily wave her air compressor at her, gesturing if he should give it back.

Gauntlet weighed her options: with only one air compressor, her speed would be dramatically slowed and eventually fail all together. Even if she did beat the pest, she doubt she could take on the police or even continue onto the bank. No matter how this played out there was no way she could come out on top."

"Surrender" Marco called out, causally tossing the near full container over his shoulder "There's no way you can win."

Marco could practically feel her glare from behind her goggles, the cogs turning in her head as she weighed her options.

Gauntlet opened her mouth to speak when something glinted in the distance. Smoke trailing behind a red and gold blur. She squinted against the harsh sun when a chill formed in the pit of her stomach.

Spiderman watched a Gauntlet furiously fixed her fingers, her face still behind the scarf and goggles.

"You win this round Spider but next time, I will splat you."

Marco blinked in surprise as she bent her knees, looking skyward as if about to fly. He run forward with a dull, tight ache filled his back and paralyzed him for a moment.

A moment was all she needed as Gauntlet's arm hissed and with a single punch, flung herself high into the air. She disappeared from view as she hopped over an entire building and the sound of broken cement could be heard 2 blocks over.

Marco could feel the adrenaline of battle end and his body ache wearily. Even if he wanted to go after her, he would've just been too tired to try.

Marco plopped onto the floor, resting his body when something shiny approached him, the sun glinting off its surface brightly.

Marco's eyes widen when he realized he was staring at the one, the only Iron Man, the tech hero and bodyguard to Tom Lucitor, heir to Lucitor Industries and creator of the suit.

Marco scampered to his feet, trying to keep his nerves calm but how could he?! He was meeting his hero. HIS HERO. Not in a dream, here in real life! FOR REAL.

Iron Man looked over the battered Marco, eying him carefully "Are you Spiderman?"

"Yes" Marco said a little too quickly "I mean...Yeah that's me. I'm the Spiderman. Well it's just Spiderman."

Iron Man nodded "Good work kid" he told him in his heavily robotic voice "Go home. I'll clean up the mess here."

Marco opened his mouth to argue when he felt a wince of pain course through his body.

"Trust me" Iron Man told him with a hint of pride in his voice "You did good. Go home kid."

"Thanks Iron Man." Marco eagerly waved goodbye "it means a lot coming from you. If you ever need me, just let me know."

Iron Man said nothing as Marco made his way around the corner.

* * *

Marco let out a sleepy yawn as his phone shrilled at that he gotten a new text. It was 11 o'clock at night according to the time stamp. He swore if Ferguson was going to complain about how much lego Luke Skywalker did not look like Mark Hamil again, Marco was going to shave his head bald.

Marco groggily rubbed at his eyes, trying to read the message through blurry eyes but he didn't recognize the number. Nothing rang familiar about the area code or the following seven digits and the message contained within was even more confusing.

'Meet me on roofs'

Another shrill, another message

'*Roof, sorry autocorrect.'

Who could that be?

Marco stood, yawning loudly while slipping on his sneakers.

Normally this would've been a bad idea but he was Spiderman and he just took on his first real villain and WON! He was feeling pretty bad ass right if he did say so himself.

Marco softly opened his bedroom window and climbed onto the fire escape that hung off the side of the apartment. Marco shook the sleep out of his eyes as he climbed higher, the icy cold New York night freezing him awake.

Marco made onto the roof only to find a familiar metallic figure waiting for him.

"Marco Diaz?" Iron Man asked carefully, making his way over to the now awestruck teen.

Marco nodded dumbly

"The real identity of Spiderman?"

Marco froze, his heart stopping mid-beat

"I-I...what? Who?" Marco began "Whose that? Is that that costume freak that goes around, thinking he's a hero? Because that's...that's not..."

"I followed you home. You should really think about changing somewhere more private. This rooftop is pretty low."

Marco hung his head in shame "I should've thought of that. Wait" Marco stared curiously at the armored hero "Why are you here?"

"To recruit you" Iron Man stated matter of fact "You saw. More villains are on the rise and we heroes need to stick together. And your suit isn't exactly battle approved."

"Me? A hero?" Marco whispered breathlessly

"You are one, right?"

Marco could hear the prodding tone underneath the layers of distortion almost like he was trying to goad him.

"Yes, I am" Marco gave a confident nod.

"Good" Iron Man's chest opened, splitting apart as the figure within took a step outside, stretching their arms high towards the sky "because I've been thinking I might need partner sometimes."

Marco's face fell as he recognized the true identity of Iron Man, his all time favorite hero and idol.

"Tom Lucitor?! The rich jerkbag teen?! You're Iron Man?!"

Tom wiped nonexistent dirt from his suit "Duh, who else would it be?"

* * *

a special thanks to guest: I love the genderbent au. that was a lot of fun

the sassy syvleon: I'm really glad you liked it! thank you so much for your review. when i do these sorts of aus, i try to change the plot and things around so i have more original ideas and story ideas to work with. plus I love creating things *looks at villain for this story* Star's wings are about in between: Bigger than her current canon wings but not as large full on Mewberty. Just enough to carry herself and 14 year old teenager boy. There's a lot more to the au *Including this world's version of the wand in the form of a quirk* so hopefully you'll find out later. Including if its all of mewberty :)

finn: Agreed, this was too much fun to write especially River as all Might. It just fits and honestly I'd love to see a drawing of River turning into All Might haha.

SamTheKingofHell: yeah there's a lot that fits so well with those choices and thanks! I'm glad you did.

SVTFOEkitten: right? I'm surprised it took so long but what are you going to do? make it yourself i guess haha. It's great i'm all caught up with the anime and tempted to read the manga cuz impatient. haha Marco is just a slightly less nervous Deku *Me too, i just call him deku*

thundermist: haha of course! Star Butterfly loves making new friends in all aus. thats what heroes do, save lives. Haha imagine me? now I'm old. I think that's why i love the idea of quirks and how they aren't call powers. each one person has their own little quirk and it defines them, it makes them who they are and it really works well in the my hero academia world. Even if you're power is similar to someone else, it's still your power and honestly, i think that's why the creator named them quirks and not powers. haha i remember, i'm slowly working on it and overwatch. its more like how many parts do i want/need it to be to give it a proper ending.

guest sorta; thank! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

fanficoverlord: haha talk about timing. honestly go watch it. Smartly written, the dub is pretty good, great story, character and backgrounds and honestly, really inspiring. just a great anime.

Gokan123: haha take all the time you need. hopefully you'll be ready for part 2 of the story haha. thank you so much for your review and I'm so glad you liked it! PLUS ULTRA!

katarinacyber200: gotta pay respect to the creator

thewookie1: Always save the prince Star, even if he's in another castle.

That weird guy: haha yeah i wanted to tell you it was way in the back. thanks Im glad you liked it!

Artofbreaking429: Mewberty au. i'll put it on the list but we'll see when i get to it. I remember hearing about that au. I'll see what i can do! thank you for all your reviews and I'm really glad you enjoyed them all even if there were mistakes and things of the sort. I've been writing this series for 2 years and I think I've just gotten better which each new story. I know i made mistakes, typos and things of the sort but I left them as is because I feel it's important to look back sometimes and see how far you've come especially the earlier chapters which were written 2 years ago. I'm not always going to be perfect and sometimes my stories aren't always going to be great but that's fine. They are my hard work and i want to show them off and if you get enjoyment from them, mistakes and all, then I'd say i did my job as a writer. thank you so much for all your reviews. I read them all and I'm so glad you liked the stories and you offered well thought out and reasoned criticism with very good points. thank you, it will only help me grow. and thanks for answering the questions. FLY ON!

callmeMira; Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the stories, mistakes and all. and thank you for your review, it means a lot to me :)

grim: hahah 16 years I WAITED! WAITED! haha maybe I'll do star as one punch man next (seriously watch my hero academia. it feels like one punch man sometimes. 16 years!


	106. First Day (my hero academia AU prequel)

Hello everyone! Mr.E here after finally deciding why not, i'll post it here. Sorry this story is a bit different than others simply because whose involved. but more on that later. Thank you for every review, follow and favorite. they mean the world to me and I greatly appreciate the fact you took the time to read my stories. thank you!

Seriously i need to get back to reading and checking out art again. I've been checking out the mask charro from my good friend axis26 and slowly reading spidey vs the forces of evil from CMR Rosa.

 **Story Prompt of the day:** We're going back to my hero academia au but not the way you thought. This here is a prequel story i wrote for my friend's birthday and i was debating if i should post it here because well it's River and Moon. I mean i dunno If i will post another story where it's all my other ships in a single place because let's face it i have too many stories but we'll see. for now this River/moon story goes here.

So this takes place when the two attended UA high when they were teenagers. It's their freshman year and River is excited to pursing his dream despite the setbacks he endured (it will be explained in the story) Still if he wants to be a true hero, he's going to have to act like it and keep a secret but he isn't the only one with a secret.

So at this point River and Moon are about 14 years old on their first day of school. This is a completely made up background I did so no manga spoilers here. River does not have One for All at this point of the timeline and this explains what is basically the wand's equivalent in this universe.

Well, that's it for me! I'm seriously resisting the temptation of making this and the spiderman homecoming story full stories because...Yeah i went crazy with the backgrounds. Like full on story arcs and characters and all that jazz for these two aus but we know my track record with stories soooo yeah trying to resist But the next time I will be posting a nova prequel story so I hope you enjoy that and this. The main antagonist is someone i came up with but two other are old foes have little cameos here. I didn't describe them cuz I was lazy. have an amazing week! and i'll see you soon!

* * *

"Wow..."

The words slipped out of young 14 year old River Johansen but he couldn't help it. He couldn't contain the excitement bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Despite the setbacks, despite the nay sayers, despite being told an undeveloped quirk was paramount to being quirkless, he was here. He was ready to follow his dreams and become a hero.

He was about to take his first steps into the giant, seemingly impractical building of U.A high.

River glanced down at his hand, a torrent of emotions running through him.

River was a rather unusual case in the world that bred heroes and villains overnight. Quirks were manifestations of great, weird and strange powers about 80% of the world possessed. A physical part of a person's identity nowadays.

River technically had a quirk, a power hidden deep within himself. The problem was it was hidden too far inside and no one could hazard a guess how to get it out. The doctors referred to it as undeveloped: A quirk that had been forming but has stopped for no apparent reason. Since the quirk gene hadn't finished developing the power, it simply did not work. It was just _there_.

River could still pass on his quirk to his children (Whatever it may be) and for all intents and purposes was registered as a quirk user with the government but the harsh reality remained: either the quirk would form one day or it wouldn't.

Normal, more sane people would've been deterred, given up and gone out to seek normal, everyday lives but not River. He was neither of those words and he refused to allow his destiny to stop there. He would be a hero even if he had to claw his way from the bottom to get there.

And claw he did.

Without access to his quirk, River decided to focus on the one thing he could control: Himself.

He trained intensely over the last few years, building his strength and stamina to peak physical condition. He could run miles without tiring, bench press double his weight and picks fights with bears and come out the victor.

Not that he _did_ fight any bears. That would silly and dangerous of course.

However, despite all his hard work and effort, no one would take him seriously whenever he declared he would be a hero. An undeveloped quirk, they reasoned, was just as bad as being quirkless. He would never be a true hero because it was simply too dangerous for someone who was basically human.

River never listened to them for a moment. He refused to believe such a thing and even if he had to lie to get into UA, he _would_ get in.

Which, coincidentally he might've actually done.

River nervously glanced over his schedule, trying to keep a calm face amidst the happy go lucky teenagers that surrounded him as he focused on the most troubling aspect of the piece of paper he held in his hand

Quirk: Super Strength.

So he panicked. It was perfectly understandable given how left field the proctor's question came from and it's not like anyone was hurt. True his hand was a little swollen and bruised after defeating so many test bots but he passed 1st place with a nice chunk of rescue points on the side. He was living proof one did not need to have a quirk to be a hero.

Too bad he couldn't actually tell anyone about that.

"It's fine" River muttered to himself, anxiously fixing his school uniform, patting down his short blonde hair "it's fine, no one will ever find out."

"Find out what?" A voice asked quizzically.

River nearly jumped out of his skin as he faced the owner of the question. He felt his cheeks burn as he lifted his gaze higher to find a pair light blue eyes staring him at curiously.

She was nearly a head taller than him with long straighten pale blue hair. Her face was set in a stony indifference but her eyes spoke with more emotion than he had ever seen in anyone.

"That...I..." River spoke slowly, trying to will his mushy brain to work "Don't know where I'm going! New campus you see and I'm lost. I'm looking for 1-A but I don't seem to..."

"1-A?" The girl repeated "That's my class. I can show you to it if you don't mind."

"T-thanks!" River beamed despite the nervous beating of his heart "I'd really appreciate...say, have we met before?"

The girl rose an eyebrow "Have we? I don't seem to recall."

River stroked his chin thoughtfully "Oh, I remember! You were in line to take the school exam! Sorry I don't usually forget a face, especially one as pretty as..."

River gulped, quickly covering his mouth

If the girl caught River's slip of the tongue, she didn't let on

"Oh, the examination. I suppose I would look familiar. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Moon Butterfly."

River took her hand eagerly "River. Umm, River Johansen!"

"Pleasure to meet you River." Moon said, gently pulling her hand away "Shall we head to class?"

"Of course, ladies first"

Out of pure instinct or perhaps more likely out of some misunderstood signal from his brain, River fell into a bow before he realized what he had done.

River's blush worsen out of embarrassment and he was at a lost how to escape this situation without further embarrassing himself.

River could feel his heart stop as Moon's cute giggles played on his ears "Alright my good sir, please follow me."

River scratched at his neck as he dutifully followed behind Moon.

* * *

The grin on River's face was priceless. His muscles ached from how wide it was but he couldn't help it! First day of school and he's already made a new friend and no one suspected he didn't actually have a quirk. He learned a lot from his teachers and he was finally taking the first true step to be the hero he always dreamed he would be.

Everything was coming up...

"Please, that's all my money! I need it."

River stopped in his tracks, ignoring the noises of the city for a moment.

"Shut up and hand it over."

River scanned the area, eyes narrowed in concentration when he picked up a tiny whimper coming from the alley ahead.

River ran as fast as he could, barely mumbling apologizes to those who were slow in moving out of his way as he pushed past.

He ducked into the narrow passage only to find a sickening sight.

There was a boy about his age in a regular school uniform huddled on the floor, crying and sniffling as three older students hovered over him menacingly.

He had never seen any of them in his life but his heart burned with a righteous fury as he noticed the very familiar attire that the three older teens wore.

"HOW DARE YOU!" River shouted, unable to contain his rage any further.

The three older students turned around, a smug sneer dancing on their lips

"Dare what?" The middle one spoke up, taking a step forward. It was clear he was the later "We're just doing some business. Nothing to get _involved_ with"

River clutched his fist tightly, trying his best to ignore the barely veiled threat.

"You are UA students" he told them through tightened teeth "You are supposed to be heroes. You are supposed to protect and serve others, not your own greedy desires."

The leader scoffed dismissively "You're a bit naive of you think that kid. Get out of here before I show you how the world really works."

"Meddling when you don't need to..." River dropped into a fighting stance

"Hmm?" The trio looked confused at the 14 year old.

River took a deep, calming breath before letting out the fiercest battle cry he could muster, his fists clenched as he raced forward with all his might

"...is the essence of being a hero!"

The leader remained unimpressed as the diminutive pipsqueak inched ever closer.

River threw himself at a lunge, ready to plant his fist firmly into the jerkbutts stomach as hard as he...

He nearly lost his balanced as the leader of the bullies vanished without a word and left him grasping at empty air and despite how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine upon seeing the goons knowing smirks.

River gasped loudly as all the air was knocked out of his lungs, the leader towering over him, his knee driven as deep as he could manage into River's stomach.

River fell backwards and landed on the cold pavement.

"Tch" The leader grimaced, rubbing his aching knee "What the hell? You're built like a wall."

"H...how did you do that?"

"Oh the whole vanishing act?" The leader waved off the seriousness of the question "I can freeze time at will. Dangerous."

"Yeah" the shorter goon chuckled dumbly "Except it only lasts as long as you can hold your breath."

"IDIOT!" The leader screamed "Ugh, whatever. It's more than a match for you pipsqueak."

River weakly rose to his feet, fists at the ready once again.

The leader shook his head "You just don't learn, do you?"

"I'm thick headed like that" River replied with a smug smile

The leader said nothing as his goons approached. The shorter of the two hands morphed into giant lobster pincers. The taller one's arm turned into a massive of unrealistic bulk of muscles.

"Monster Arm, Lobster Claws teach him a lesson." The leader grinned evilly before vanishing into thin air once again.

River braced himself as the two remaining bullies rushed towards him but before he could react to their attack, something basked him in its shadow.

River whirled around to find the leader of the scum grinning manically at him, his arm raised high.

"Hey!"

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks from the sudden outburst but while River had been expecting backup for his foes, the looks on their faces made it clear that wasn't the case.

"3 against one seems a little unfair, doesn't it?"

River frowned thoughtfully, the familiarity of the voice poking at his memories but he couldn't fathom a guess who could that be.

"Now then" Moon's voice called out "Give back whatever you took from that boy and let my friend go or else we're going to have a problem."

"Moon!" River cried out

The leader rolled his eyes as he turned to face yet another 14 year old brat that fancied themselves a hero.

"Look kid" he spoke condescendingly "Your little boyfriend made his choice and I need to teach him a lesson about sticking his nose in other people's business."

'Boyfriend?!' Despite the severity of the situation, River couldn't stop the blush from forming on his cheeks.

The leader went on "So move along blue unless you want the same lesson"

Moon's gaze was indifferent but River could see the cold, controlled fury brimming in her eyes.

"Well then" Moon said simply "I suppose I have my answer."

The leader smirked as he inhaled deeply and...

Nothing. Nothing happened and instead of everyone else locked in place, he found himself straining, willing his body to move but his muscles remained frozen, unresponsive to his brain's commands.

He glanced upwards only to find the brat had locked eyes with him, her light blue eyes a pale gray as her hair stood on end almost like it had been caught by a breeze.

"Guys" He strained to talk "She's got me locked in place"

"We're fine" Monster arm turned to his partner in crime.

"yeah we can move." Lobster claw answered.

"You idiots!" The leader scolded "That means she can only get one of us. GET HER!"

"Right boss!" The pair scurried forward, their sights set on the teenager holding their boss in place but in their rush they had forgotten one tiny, angry detail.

River lunged at Lobster Claw, smashing the 3/4ths teen, quarter lobster straight into a brick wall.

Lobster lashed out, flailing his claws out wildly but this wasn't River's first fight.

River ducked under the attack and tackled his stomach as hard as he could. Lobster claw wheezed as all the wind out was knocked out of him. he whimpered softly as he collapsed onto the floor.

River didn't bask in his victory yet. His legs were already moving but he feared it was far too late as Monster Arm rose his hand and aimed it straight for Moon's jaw.

The confidence never left Moon's face as she nimbly dove under the jab, pivoting on the balls of her feet while her hair fell back into place, her eye contact with the troublesome leader broken for a moment.

Monster Arm turned around, striking outward with his hand in a wide swing but Moon was far too quick for him: She sidestepped the attack and caught the mass of muscles by the wrist. With a strained groan, she pulled Monster Arm over her shoulder and sent him slamming into the pavement with a satisfying thud.

Moon wiped her hands cleaned of non-existent dirt while she blew a loose strain of hair back into place "I'd say that's victory for me."

The leader disagreed silently as his muscles slowly began to relax and unstiffen now that her gaze was turned from him. He flexed his fingers carefully, making sure he had free movement before attempting his quirk.

River made his way over to Moon, unable to keep the admiration out of his eyes "That was so cool Moon! I didn't know you could do that. Umm, what _was_ that exactly?"

"It's my queenly gaze" Moon explained "but most people call it Medusa's gaze. I can freeze anyone in place so long as I make eye contact with them. The side effects take a few seconds to wear off once I look...oh no!"

"That's right" The leader appeared, towering above the two 14 year old's without warning "It's game ov..."

River moved to intercept but Moon was already on it.

Her eyes did not pale this time nor did her hair rise but her hand did and with it, a giant, shimmering blue copy appeared and squished the hapless leader of the bullies against the wall before forming out of existence without warning.

"That's...not...fair" he whined as he fell onto the floor and unconsciousness.

Moon could feel anxiety building within her as she mentally cursed herself. She wasn't supposed to use that so openly, so recklessly. Her mother warned her about what would happen if the wrong people discovered the secret about her second quirk. The secret of the Butterfly family...

A moment turned into seconds and seconds became dozens but eventually Moon turned to River, wondering what was going through his mind right now.

"You have a second quirk?"

Moon blinked, surprised at the excitement in his voice. Not curiosity or fear or confusion but genuine joy and giddiness.

"Y-yes." Moon uneasily answered "but I can't really talk about it. I'm sorry River."

Moon glanced downward sadly, wondering if she lost her new friend over her most guarded...

"That's okay, I understand."

Moon blinked in astonishment "What? Y-you do?"

River gave a cheerful nod "Of course. A second quirk is an unheard of thing. It's a secret and one you need to keep. One I _will_ keep."

Moon could feel her heart skip a beat at the sight of River's toothy grin, his blue eyes filled with sincerity.

"...I..." Moon began but River added "I'll make it fair. I'll tell you the secret about my quirk"

"Your quirk? You mean super strength?" Moon gestured to the imprint of Lobster Claw molded perfectly on the wall's surface.

"Nah, that's just because I'm strong from all the training" River revealed "but the truth is my quirk is undeveloped"

"Under...developed? I...I don't quite follow"

"I have a quirk" River explained "But it hasn't actually formed yet. I don't know what it'll be...or if it'll ever actually become active..."

"River..."

"That's why I lied" River went on "They would've never let me in the school if they found out I didn't have a quirk."

"Don't be silly River" Moon shook her head "We have the support..."

"I don't want to be support."

Moon stared at River, his determination evident in his tone.

"I want to be a hero" River said "I want people to know everything will be alright. That no matter what is going on, they're safe. That they have nothing to fear. You know why?"

"Why?" Moon asked gently

River gave the brightest smile he could "Because I'm there! I will be the symbol of peace and I'll save everyone."

Moon's heart softened at River's declaration, his puffed out chest and heroic pose, the smile that never left his face.

"I believe you River." Moon told him softly.

River offered his hand "To friendship and secrets."

Moon took it and was caught off guard how soft yet firm his hand was against hers

"To friendship and secrets."

"So" River began as the two made their way to ensure the boy was alright "Have you ever considered wearing goggles?"

"No." Moon answered uneasily "Why?"

"I think it'd help with your quirk. Really freak people out if they can't tell who you're looking at. Plus I bet you look really cool."

"Thanks River. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

a special thanks to guest sorta: You have no idea how much i loved the movie. *looks at au* maybe you do haha. seriously i have like an entire background for it and everything. I'll come back to it for sure but i need to resist the urge to just write nonstop spiderman

princessxgilex: Im glad you liked it! honestly i got tired of the spiderman villains just being blah blah im evil or just too serious and wanted a change of pace. also an excuse to make my own bad guy and viola Gauntlet was born. haha *hugs

svtfoekitten: thanks! i always try to make aus more original and with more of my own ideas than one to ones *though i do that as well* and i had way too much fun with this one.

vector arrow; soon, soon you shall have more spidey-Marco

leader of shadowz; I will try!

AmItheriddleortheRiddler: aww thanks! i'm glad to hear it. i'll probably give in and write a new chapter soon. I have so much planned for the spiderman au.

advait2003: See you say that...haha

frostking21; Actually i want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. thank you for your kind words, thank you for your review and thank you for reading my stories. I don't care how many times i hear it or read it or even get told, I will always appreciate you readers and your reviews and follows and favorites. It doesn't matter how great of a writer i am, without you readers and your support, i wouldn't be much of an author. I never assume my work is great, i just write but if it brings one person some joy, it's worth it. haha thanks, I've been writing a long time and i started off with aus of popular shows so it's kinda second nature to me. haha i know that one *looks at my own development hell stories* i really need to get back to them. To be honest, I don't know if it was because i was here when the series first started or maybe i've been pretty vocal about my love for the ship but also greatly respecting others choices when it comes to their shipping but i actually haven't gotten much hate. like almost zero. I've been very lucky especially early on when that would've discouraged the hell out of me so i'm grateful for that. i am very lucky she's a great friend of mine and i know because i talk to her and she's pretty straight forward about the aus i write haha. thank you once again, all of you readers.

finn: thanks! Im glad you liked it

fereality: Im glad you enjoyed it! i had a blast writing these two and the general world building that came with them. I've heard of that but im not sure from where. I should probably look it up. thanks and i wish you good luck writing as well!

Guest: HX...


	107. Wasteland Adventures (Post Apocalypse?)

Hello everyone, Mr.E here, hoping you all had a great day! Thank you for every review, follow and favorite, they mean so much to me and I always appreciate it :)

Check out the masked Charro from my good friend axis2600 and an awesome nova picture from guest sorta over at i believe it was izzybeedrawsfanart paigeeworld, gotta search a bit but still really awesome artwork and of course idrawcartoons1314 over on instagram. Really need to go looking artwork and stories again.

Okay so it's not a nova prequel yet but I wanted to write an xcom style story but I wasn't really feeling it at the moment though I am excited for Xcom 2′s new dlc coming out soon. So excited. So I thought I'd write a sort of post apocalyptic story fusing some xcom with another source of inspiration which was some Star vs post apocalypse artwork *Very awesome* it was so good but i forgot the artist's name.

 **Story** **prompt of the day:** Advent, alien invaders from another planet, have made a begrudging peace with Earth. In exchange for signing the truce, they demanded certain areas of the planet belong exclusively to them and some human be given the choice of living in their cities. Star lives in the wastelands that formed after the Advent cities were created. However, supplies are low and Star finds herself searching inside the one place her mother told her never to venture: The forgotten ruins of an old human city.

Honestly that's all background i needed to set up and i do explain in the story. The main threat of the story and Advent are from Xcom 2 but don't serve too much of a purpose aside for the reason why everything is basically a wasteland. Everyone is about 16 years old. there's some minor darker themes (Just a little, not too bad) and some cussing but that's really about it.

Well i hope you have an amazing week. thank you for everything and i hope you enjoy this little experiment!

* * *

Star wiped the sweat off her brow as she took a deep, calming breath.

She lived in the wasteland her entire life, scavenging a meager existence that was fraught with danger and lawlessness but free of the paralyzingly, restrictive control of the Advent.

No one in living memory knew when exactly the invaders came to planet Earth but the shadow of the past had clouded Star's present for as long as she could remember.

Humanity to date has never lost an intergalactic war with another planet. They, however, didn't win either. In lieu of a true and lasting peace between the warring factions, there was a tense ceasefire that could dissolve at any moment with the slightest misstep from either side.

The Aliens, or Advent as they referred to themselves as, had only 2 demands before signing the peace treaty: a list of 7 or so oddly specific locations around the world and that humanity be given the option to live among them in what they mockingly called Community Centers.

Star frowned as she gazed upon Sector Double Zero, the largest Community Center Advent had ever created. It encompassed the horizon like an endless ocean and was constructed with cold, sleek colored metals that possessed a slight human familiarity that was buried under elegant and strange alien designs.

Community Centers were the pinnacle of technology and far suppressed anything made by human hands. Supposedly the people who decided to willingly live within these 'cities' were well taken care of and had their every whim carter to.

Star didn't trust Advent and she sure has hell didn't trust their CC's. A shiver ran down her spine every time she thought about it and her deeply honed instincts told screamed at her to avoid them at all cost. That deep within those enclosed walls and towering shimmering buildings was a terrifying secret. One Advent was willing to kill to keep unknown to the world.

Star shook her head, snapping out of her stupor and turning away from the CC.

Star wasn't desperate enough to break into Sector Double Zero.

Yet...

Star's mother once told her that the wasteland that surrounded Double Zero was once a lush, beautiful forest. Green bushes, trees, foliage once littered the hills for as far as the eye could see and even further beyond. But that was before Advent claimed the area of their own. Before they decided to redecorate.

Star crouched low, allowing the rocky reddish-brown sand slip through her gloved fingers.

That was all that remained of the forest her mother once remembered: an endless sea of sand, dunes and hills that rose and fell across every corner of her gaze. pockets of settlements scattered about remnants of a forgotten time half buried within the sandy clutches of the land. A wasteland nearly devoid of life.

Star picked herself up, throwing her coat over her frame as she wiped the sand from her hands.

Despite the harsh illumination of the sun, the heat had never been an issue in the desert during the day. Ironically, freezing to death had been the bigger problem. Even now, with the ball of gas burning in the sky, a chilling wind passed by, catching her hair in its grasp and causing her to shiver.

More of Advent's twisted influence on the planet.

Star picked up her cricket bat, carefully inspecting the coiled metal bands wrapped around the flat end of the weapon.

She took another breath, steeling her nerves as she gently placed her faded pink devil headband back on top of her head as she made her way across the cracked pavement of the empty ruins.

Star glanced about, taking in the concrete buildings that basked her in their shadows. Discarded remains of the life that once lived here were scattered about: Cars, briefcases, articles of clothing, papers. Star had never seen so many things in one place. It was rather humbling to be honest.

Star carefully parked her dirt bike against the nearest wall she could find, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest while she carefully watched for any sign of trouble.

The howling wind that raced through the empty city was the only thing she heard.

Her mother told her humans lived in these cities, giant man made settlements similar to CC's but with a slightly less malice intent. She had said that places away from any Advent Sectors were still like this. Still filled with people going about their day, still lived in.

Not like this tomb.

Star held the bat tightly in one hand, the other clasped tightly around the strap of her backpack as she moved further into the city limits.

Moon warned her the city ruins were dangerous, that only the desperate would be stupid enough to venture within but with supplies dwindling and her only mode of transportation on the verge of collapse, Star would have to be an idiot.

It was unnerving in a place so large with towering structures, with paved roads that were slowly being retaken by nature and where countless of people once lived side by side, the only noise that cut through the silence now was the steady thud of Star's boots.

Star nervously pushed herself further towards the heart of the city, barely resisting the urge to glance back at her ride as a sense of dread began to settle inside the pit of her stomach.

"It's okay Star" she muttered softly to herself "You are a fierce warrior. You've kick butt before and you'll do it again. Just aim for heads and swing" Star gave herself a reassuring nod "That's always worked before and it'll work now."

Star's heart crawled to a stop when, without warning, a voice let loose a string of rather creative curses nearby.

Star dropped behind the nearest cover she could, deeply breathing as she inched closer to the source of the noise, gripping the handle of her bat tightly.

"Son of..." One voice cried out with barely held in anger "This is why I hate cities."

"Umm Ferguson, you hate everything" The nasally second person answered.

"Well not the ladies Al. The Ferg is a lover after all."

"I'm not in the mood to deal with your disillusions. I just want to load the stuff and get out. Is the truck fixed?"

"Of course!"

An awkward pause followed.

"I mean...probably..."

"Ferguson" Star could just imagine the eye roll that person just did "We're in the middle of a city filled with Lost and you haven't even fixed our ride."

"I'm sorry I must be tired from all the HEAVY LIFTING I'VE BEEMPPH"

The outburst was quickly muffled but it was too late: Ferguson's words echoed dully into the distant, reverberating off the buildings and pushing deeper into the ruins.

There was a scraping of shoes against the road with an awkward silence that hung in the air.

"Sorry" Ferguson murmured sheepishly

"Please just fix the truck, I'll finish loading the supplies."

"Ugh" Ferguson scoffed as his steps began moving away from Star and this Al person "Why isn't Marco helping us?"

"He's.." Al replied, his voice straining with effort "He's keeping a look out. Any loud noises will attract the Lost. I'm just happy your big mouth wasn't loud enough"

Star pursed her lips, slowly sneaking a peek at the two.

Ferguson was an orange haired teen about her age and wearing the strangest armor she had ever seen: Bright orange vest, barely armored clothing with the words "Love Machine" stitched on the front of his black shirt.

Al was a curly haired teen with glasses and much more practically dressed for a dangerous area: A bulletproof vest, elbow and knee pads and unlike Ferguson, openly displayed a blade tucked into his belt.

For a moment Star wondered it was best to attack them now when they were separated but the moment passed and she noticed the rather large pile of stuff that the curly haired one was sorting through: Canned and package food, a random assortment of gears, screws and various other mechanical items and piles of different clothing.

Was it really okay for her to forcibly take these things from fellow survivors? She was no stranger to violence, you couldn't be this day and age, but they had always been raiders, bandits, crazy mindless sociopaths and the occasional Advent grunt that wandered to far from the Community Center but never other survivors.

Star twitched uneasily as Alfonzo just stared at the pile of stuff before him, uncertainty filling in his eyes.

Star slowly moved out of her hiding spot, bat hung casually at her side as not frighten a response from Al but still close enough to get a swing in if they turned out to be hostile.

She took a step forward when a series of low yet well coordinated clicks chimed from some unseen speaker.

There was a flurry of footsteps and Ferguson had reappeared, dropping into a fighting stance though his breathing was heavy.

"you!" He called out, pointing directly to Star "S-stop right there! Oh man I hate when he does that."

Star rose her hands in the air, silently impressed by the orange haired teen's situational awareness.

"Ah, who are you?" Al asked, his hands anxiously fidgeting over the hilt of his weapon.

"Hi!" Star beamed cheerfully "I'm Star, fellow survivor in this hellish landscape we call home. I came in looking for some supplies when I noticed you two."

"How long have you been watching us?" Alfonzo questioned timidly

"Not long, about 5 minutes or so. You must be really sharp to see me coming while working on the ...umm truck was it?"

Al opened his mouth but Ferguson quickly shoved his way between his friend and the girl.

"Hey, I'm Ferg." he said with the smoothest voice he could muster "Hero of the wasteland, engineer and mechanic extro..."

The trio jumped as, without warning, the series of complex clicks came out of the tiny black box that hung on Ferguson's belt.

"...umm..." Ferguson glanced downwards sheepishly.

"What's that?" Star gestured to the strange device.

"That's Marco..." Alfonzo muttered guiltily.

"Oooo" Star cooed while she leaned closer to the device "Hi Marco!"

A moment of silence followed by a wave of frantic clicking noises.

"Talkative little guy?" Star gave a goofy grin.

"Umm...this is a walkie-talkie...it's used to talk over long distances?"

Star stared at the little black box "That's talking?"

"That's a code so he doesn't give away his position. You know, Marco's somewhere nearby..."

Star nodded "Ah huh..."

"...Watching us..."

"Ah Huh."

"...With a rifle."

"..."

Ferguson and Alfonzo looked at each other curiously

"...Umm...Star?"

"Mhm?"

"You know what it..."

"Oh yeah" Star waved off the boy's question "It means he's probably got the scope right here" She patted the center of her forehead playfully "Ready to take me out if I try anything. Duh"

"Right..." Al murmured softly "Umm..."

Another clicking sequence

"What's he say?" Star asked quizzically.

"He says you're trouble..." Ferguson answered slowly "he said we probably shouldn't deal with you."

Star pouted "Come on, it's perfect! You get an extra pair of hands and I get work for some much needed supplies. Everyone wins."

Ferguson rose the walkie-talkie to his mouth, whispering as low as he could "Whatcha think buddy?"

A moment passed followed by another and another. Seconds stretched a dozen times over as the invisible sharpshooter mulled over Star's business offer.

Then, finally, a long single defeated click. Even Star knew what that meant.

Begrudging agreement.

Star decided to stifle the cheer she wanted to let out.

* * *

The work was slow but Star hardly noticed. She loved meeting new people but most folks didn't care much for a bubbly yet dangerous blonde girl trying to make conversations with them while they were doing the whole 'trying to survive' thing.

Ferguson and Alfonzo were a refreshing change of pace.

Star brought her dirt bike closer and began helping Alfonzo load the various things they found into the back of van. It was much sleek and elegantly designed than the war horses and battle charioteers she was used to seeing on the wastes but it's most unique feature didn't catch her eye until the third or fourth trip when she noticed that instead of wheels, the van had strange circular plates that hummed softly.

"Yeah" Ferguson wiped the sweat off his brow "This is an Advent transport. Probably left it when they lostifed this town.

"Lostiwha?" Star raised an eyebrow.

"You know why no one comes here, right Star?" Al asked

"Psst" Star scoffed, an unconvincing chuckle escaping her lips "Of course I...don't know what that means. What _does_ that mean?"

"Check it out" Ferguson motioned to a nearby store "Just don't scream."

Star glanced at the two but given they made no moves to stop her, she figured it was alright.

Still, as she drew closer, trusty cricket bat in hand, she felt off. Her instincts there was danger here, slumbering until someone foolishly awoke it.

Star held in a gasp upon seeing what Ferguson wanted to show her: Inside there was thin, sickly pale humanoid figure with empty green eyes standing there, unmoving, unflinching, lifeless. It resembled a human but its structure was more skeletal. Long razor sharp fingers twitched uncontrollably as its arms hung limp midair.

Star backed away slowly, trying to process what she just saw.

"What was _that_?' Star asked breathlessly once she was sure she was far enough away.

"The Lost" Ferguson replied grimly "Advent's present for us humans when they moved in next door."

"What are they?"

"Some say" Al dropped to low, dramatic spooky voice "They are the remnants of humanity, their wandering spirits left behind and seeking rest for their torture soul."

Star let out a sharp gasp "Really?"

"Pfft, nah" Ferguson laughed "They were some sort of experimental weapon Advent worked on. They were supposed to be this weird guerrilla fighting force that would hide deep inside the forgotten corners of city, creating new copies of itself and just keep harassing the population until they were overwhelmed or forced to retreat. They were supposed to be smart, tactical, independent beings but in reality they're just mindless, artificial empty shells. More zombie than anything."

"Then why are they called the Lost?" Star wondered

"Because Advent 'lost' loads of effort and money on them. They were literally a waste of time."

"Oh" Star pursed her lips "That makes them lose a lot of their grandeur and spookiness."

"yeah" Ferguson took a long sip of water "But they are still dangerous. Those claws can rip through metal and they might not be the smartest bunch but there's a lot of them and they will swarm you. Luckily they rely on their hearing above all else. As long as we don't loud noises, we'll be fine"

Empty silence followed that statement.

"Yep" Ferguson posed triumphantly "No loud noises. Back to work"

Star and Alfonzo nodded in agreement.

* * *

The sky was a purplish twilight as the sun slowly sunk beyond the horizon. The cargo had long since been loaded into the van but it turns out Ferguson was having trouble reactivating the hover plates that were absolutely necessary to actually move the vehicle

Alfonzo was napping against the wall he and Star sat against, a small trail of drool escaping the corner of his mouth.

Not that Star noticed. Star was far too busy keeping a look out for the Lost that littered the city and this mysterious Marco character.

He hadn't shown up the entire day. He remained hidden in his little sniper's spot and aside from the occasional burst of clicks that occurred randomly chattered out of Ferguson's walkie-talkie, there was no indication of him or his existence.

Star voiced her worry to Ferguson, wondering if this Marco character could really remain so vigilant for so long.

"Dude" Ferguson answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world "It's Marco. If anything, he takes his job too seriously" Ferguson dropped to a low whisper "We call him safe kid."

A single angry click

Star covered her mouth, holding in her laughter as Ferguson sheepishly apologized into the tiny black box.

Star rose to her feet, stretching her tired body while giving out a sleepy yawn.

"I GOT IT!" Ferguson shouted excitedly, his fist raised in triumph, the hum growing in volume as the van quietly floated a few inches off the ground.

"Awesome" Star beamed tiredly "Looks like we're ready to head out?"

Ferguson nodded in agreement "Yeah, we just have to wait for Marco. In the meantime, get your dirt bike ready. We came here through the tunnel network a few blocks from away, we'll slowly make our way there and you can follow us back to our camp. We'll split the goods when we're nice and safe."

Despite how many words that just came out of Ferguson would normally trigger 'It's a trap!' instincts, she felt calm and relaxed. She trusted these people. She knew she could and it felt nice to actually be a part of something again...

Star teared up at the memory of her mother but she quickly wiped them away, rubbing her eyes in mock tiredness.

"Awesome, it's getting late I was starting to worry" Star admitted.

"Me too" Alfonzo added.

"Thanks for the faith guys." Ferguson rolled his eyes "Okay don't tell Marco but I was getting nervous myself."

"Nervous about what Ferg?" A muffled voice called from above.

The trio glanced upwards and Star got her first glimpsed of Marco looking at them from the roof of the building.

He was rather imposing in his long black coat with a hood covering his head. He wore a mask with two blue lens and a breathing apparatus attached with gloved hands and a rifle strapped to his back.

"Marco, hey buddy! We're all ready to go" Ferguson quickly spoke "Just come down from there and..."

The whirling hum of power stopped and the van floated there for a moment before crashing against ground with mighty thud.

"Ferguson!" Marco's voice cried out but the orange haired teen was already on it, rushing over and checking the interior of the van.

"Damn it, it's got an energy saver mode!"

"Seriously?!" Star yelled

Star felt a cold chill drip down her spine. After an entire day of peaceful quiet, a solitary inhuman shriek felt like thunder in her ears.

And another joined in. And another. More and more, a morbid crescendo of an animalistic harmony grew until it felt like the city itself was growling at them.

"Shit" Marco cursed, gesturing to Alfonzo to move "Get the truck moving now! We'll cover you"

"We?" Star asked but Alfonzo was already bolting for the passenger door, nearly tripping himself as Ferguson pulled him in.

"Sound attracts the Lost" Marco explained as he climbed onto the ledge of the roof "But they're single minded. First they hear then they spot and until we get out of dodge, that van's gonna be their target."

"Get out of..." Star repeated but was stunned into silence as Marco leapt, grabbing onto a nearby drain pipe and sliding towards the ground at break neck speeds until he landed on the pavement with a solid thud.

Star couldn't hear the van turn on but she could see the panicked motions of Ferguson starting up the vehicle as fast as he could.

The van began to float once more but their visitors had already arrived.

Star felt sick as the Lost seemed to pour from every inch of the city: crawling out of drains, shuffling out of doorways, rolling from under nearby debris and fixtures.

Within seconds the empty city streets were filled with dozens upon dozens of these creatures and more seemed to be pouring in. An endless wave that threatened to consume them all.

"Ferguson!" Marco shouted, drawing his rifle and taking aim "GO!"

Crack, pop.

The lost reaching for Ferguson stumbled and fell as its head exploded out of existence but it was more like a balloon, leaving nothing but empty air and a rapidly decaying body that turned into a puddle behind.

"Star" Marco called to her as he pulled back on his rifle's lever "We need to go."

Star walked backwards, blindly reaching for her bike as she saw the Lost swarm with frightening speed. Several of them managed to climb onto the van before it took off and while it was comical to see them tossed about back and forth while holding on for dear life, Ferguson and Al's childish screams shook Star out of her stupor.

Star climbed onto her bike and waited for Marco's pat on her shoulder before revving the engine to life.

Some of the Lost turned her way, their empty eyes looking at the pair but before any could lurch at them, the bike squealed, rising up on the back tire before surging forward at top speed.

Star managed to level out the bike as she weaved in and out of the Lost's path.

"A little warning next time" Marco groaned in her ear, barely heard over the rushing wind.

"Sorry" Star apologized "I didn't have time. It was peel out or be lunch meat.

"Fair enough. We need to catch up to them though. Those Lost will tear the van apart if they regain their footing."

"Gotcha!" Star revved the engine.

The van swerved wildly back and forth but the Lost held fast. Despite how chaotic Ferguson was driving and the added weight from the several zombies hitching a ride, Star was having trouble catching up since her bike was unable to defy gravity and had to deal with traction and such.

"Ugh, I can't get closer!" Star snarled furiously as she avoided colliding with the increasing horde of Lost that filled the streets "Stupid hover tech. Stupid crowd."

"I can't take a shot, Ferguson isn't keeping it steady and we're losing light." Marco muttered, unable to keep the concern out of his voice.

"Hold on!" Star shouted "I got an idea."

Marco felt his instincts scream at him "How bad are your ideas usually?"

"Pretty bad"

"Oh great." Marco muttered as he held onto Star's waist tightly "Well you're driving, I can't really stop you."

"Nope!"

Star made a hard turn without warning, her bike skidding sideways for a feet in a slide and knocking several Lost to the floor.

"Where are you going?" Marco asked, trying not to let worry overtake him as the van vanished from sight.

"We need a clearer path" Star explained, the wind blowing her long blonde hair about "I heard cities had this thing called a subway? Like the sandwich shops but I'm looking for..."

"There!" Marco pointed the entrance off to the side, wrapping his arms around Star's stomach as they raced towards the opening.

The Lost stumbled blindly in the darken subway station, searching and failing to find the exit to the surface. Their brethren stirred and they must follow suit.

One lucky lost looked upwards, the fading light drawing it up the staircase.

It let out a low, almost satisfied howl as it took it first steps towards fresh food when something heavy landed on it and squashed it flat.

"What was that?" Marco asked as the pair darted further into the darkness

"Doesn't matter" Star waved off the question, hopping the bike onto the train tracks below.

Marco held on firmly as the duo bounced off the uneven terrain.

Star's light was the only source of illumination as the bike rushed down the seemingly endless tunnel and for better or worse, the Lost's numbers were considerably thinner down below.

"Sharp turn ahead" Marco pointed out the obvious turn coming up.

"Thanks" Star mumbled halfheartedly, gently moving into the curve when a sudden train car appeared without warning. Star gasped in surprise as she leaned the bike away from the incoming object. The bike rumbled unhappily as it began to climb the circular walls of the tunnel.

Star struggled to keep her balance as the train car after train car whizzed by them, the bike leaning dangerously to either side the longer they went on.

Star let out a sigh of relief as she straightened herself on the now clear train tracks, the last rays of the sun slowly disappearing in the tunnel mouth ahead.

The cold, damp air of the underground became fresh as Marco and Star found themselves outside.

There was a slow building of some folksy guitar playing that crackled and suddenly became some man speaking really fast while an automatic drumbeat played mindlessly in the background.

"There!"

Star looked where Marco gestured and let out the tense breath she had been holding: o The van crossed their path a few feet ahead with fewer Lost but noticeable tears and dents in the vehicle.

Star gave chase, the steady roar of the motor bike filling the air as she trailed behind.

Ferguson and Alfonzo seemed to be arguing as the guitar and the man singing quickly popped then faded out of existence in an endless loop.

"Idiots" Marco muttered "They're actually arguing about music? Right now?"

"Yeah, when else are they going to do it?" Star chimed in.

Marco shook his head "hold it steady"

"Trying"

Marco raised his rifle, taking a deep calming breath as he slowly squeezed the trigger.

The sound of shot after shot filled the silence of the night in a rather relaxing rhythmic beat.

Shot, click, shot, click, shot, click. It brought peace to frayed nerves as the last Lost tumbled into the growing dark.

Ferguson pulled the van over, just short of the entrance to the tunnel and Star followed his lead.

"Thanks buddy" Ferguson said with the widest grin.

"No problem" Marco replied, his voice still muffled through the mask "You ready to keep going?

Ferguson and Al nodded in agreement.

Star was about congratulate everyone on a job well done when she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

She turned only to see a strange object sailing through the sky.

A whoa escaped her lips as she sat there, awestruck and inspired.

Her mother told her there used to be vehicles that used to fly through in the skies above but she never believed it. She never thought it was possible but there it was.

She felt the spark of hope ignite in her heart.

The object was small, almost as big as her bike, circular in design with two little fins that shifted angles and positions. A clear dome was fitted in the front almost like it was some sort of eye.

Marco caught Star's stare and followed her gaze to whatever was currently catching her attention.

Marco felt cold as he saw the circular flying object inch closer and closer to the city.

"Advent!" he shouted, patting Star on the shoulder "They must've seen a disturbance. We need to go"

"Wha?" Star could only stare at Marco's mask, completely dumbfounded. How could something so beautiful belong to something so evil?

There was a small hiss of air of escaping as Marco pulled the mask from his face.

Star's dumbfounded expression only grew at the sight of Marco: His brown eyes looking at her softly, his mouth set in grim determination, a tiny cute mole that graced his...

"Star we need to go."

Star nodded dumbly, turning forward and quickly following Ferguson into the tunnels below.

* * *

Marco sat away from the campfire, staring up to the countless stars above as the sounds of joyful laughter and contentment filled the normally quiet campsite.

It hadn't taken them long to navigate through the tunnels and exit the boundaries of the city.

Star was more than welcomed at their camp and that was before Ferguson proudly announced her exploits.

Star's cheerful nature was infectious and before anyone knew it, she was practically begged to stay with his fellow survivors. Any deals regarding the great service she had provided Ferguson, Marco and Al could be discussed in the morning but tonight there was cause for celebration.

Marco felt his body tense up instinctively at the crunching sound of footsteps approaching. He willed himself to calm down. He was at camp. He was finally safe.

Marco turned to face his visitor and was surprised to find Star, the life of the party, standing there, giving him a shy wave of her hand.

Marco waved back.

"Hey Marco. You doing okay?"

"Umm yeah" Marco nodded slowly "I'm fine...why?"

"Well you're over here" Star explained "By yourself and...I dunno, I guess I was worried about you?"

"Worried about me?" Marco was caught off guard "You just met me today."

"Well yeah" Star shrugged "but you seem like a nice person and we made a pretty great team."

Marco smiled at the memory of earlier

"We did, didn't we?"

"So, I mean, you should totally join us. Janna's showing me this magic trick and Jackie's teaching me how to braid my hair."

Marco wasn't expecting Jackie's name. He could feel his face blush at the sound of it and his heart skipped a beat for a moment.

A moment was all Star needed to catch Marco's shift in behavior.

"Ooooo" Star smiled mischievously "You liked Jackie, don't you?"

Marco's silence was all she needed.

Marco felt his blush worsen as Star gave a low chuckle.

"That's cute. Don't worry, I won't tell her."

Marco stared blankly at Star, unsure what her angle was. Janna would've already demanded some sort of bribe by now.

"It's cute you have a crush on someone" Star explained "I mean when I first met you, you were all super serious. You need to relax safe kid. Life isn't life if you don't have some fun even in the middle of the wasteland.

Marco blinked, confused at the wisdom that Star spoke.

"I hope you join us" Star told him with Cheshire grin "I bet Jackie would _looooove_ your company."

"Star!" Marco cried but she had already retreated, making her way back to the others sitting around the campfire.

Star could feel her cheeks threaten to turn pink, her heart racing despite herself. Marco was too cute for her to handle but she knew she needed to suppress herself. He liked Jackie. That was it, nothing more to the story.

Marco stared at Jackie, his heart racing at the sight of her laughing and smiling brightly in the glow of the campfire. Then Star took a seat next to her, impatiently pawing at Jackie to start teaching her how to braid her hair.

Marco felt his heart stop, his cheeks blaze as Star turned to him, the bright flames of the campfire fire dancing in her ocean blue eyes, giving him the softest smile she could muster.

Marco slowly made his way over, muttering quietly under his breath "Pretty girls are always trouble..."

* * *

a special thanks to sugar: No worries, i understood completely! and awesome! good luck in writing. I always try to promote healthy relationships in my main ships or main characters of my stories. i am so glad you enjoyed this chapter and this you for the review!

angryboy13: Honestly it's hard for me to say. Since I using the Star vs cast, i have a much smaller character pool to work with. I'm also not going one to one and i'm changing the plot and even powers of most of the characters. That being said there's a lot of really good stuff i want to reference or do my own version of but we'll see if i can find characters from star vs to represent them, make ocs or maybe even just bring the original over. That being said, Eclipsa is a top contender for a very special villain :)

finn: well I did my best and that's all i can really do. I hope you did enjoy it though!

fanficoverload: I was really concerned about the movie to be honest but i was extremely and very pleasantly surprised. I highly recommend you watch it and honestly aside from Marco being Peter, Star being MJ (Love this version of her) and tom being tony, Gauntlet was a completely original character I made up because I go crazy when i write and i hadn't made a super villain in a looooong time. aww thanks! im glad you liked it

guest sorta: thanks!

the sassy sylveon: haha yep! my big surprise. I knew i wanted to add the wand in the form of a quirk so i went back and forth on what was the best way to incorporate it into the actual universe. I finally decided to make it a green-lantern style power to responses to the imagination of the user and a quirk Each Butterfly has passed on to the next giving it ties to the original wand. Thanks! i try my hardest to keep in character and young river and moon were tough because i only have a few minutes and a comic to work with. you have no idea how hard it is not to give this au its own story.

guest chapter 41: thank you!

guest 45: haha so was there a sin count in use during the story? Fanfiction Sins?

guest 46: haha there's always next time

guest 50: Always cheer for science.

siren1000: as do i. I love me my cheese. haha hope you enjoy the rest!

gokan123: thank you so much! it means a lot to me :D and i love coming up with my own versions for stuff in aus and I really wanted to do a young river and moon story for a long time so im glad it came out pretty good. I shall try!


	108. My first day (My hero academia part 2)

hello everyone! Mr.E here! sorry this took so long, i kept trying to finish this and life was like hey buddy want something to deal with and I was like no please and then life grabbed in me in a headlock. Thank you so much for every review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and make me smile! like this! :D

Still not reading a whole lot but feel free to read my good friend's story the mask Charro from Axis 26

 **Story Prompt of the day** : We're going back to the my hero academia story because I really like the show. Sorry I've been in a bit of a wanderlust state in writing and kinda just going with what i feel like at the time. Honestly, don't be surprised to see a kingsman AU this week since number 2 is coming out Friday (I CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT MOVIE!)

So, it's the first official day at UA and Marco is ready to begin his hero training but moon isn't convinced that some of the students are really prepared for the hard life of a pro hero and has a little test to see if they have what it takes to rise to the challenge.

So i wanted to do my own version of the first day of school and i felt like this was the best way. Because I kept starting and stopping this story, it feels a little off to me. Probably not my best work but i Hope you get some enjoyment out of it all the same.

So some notes **Bold** mean the standard Adult Marco flashback in the vein of Adult Deku telling his story similar to the show and **_bold and italics_ ** is a new thing i tried to keep with the spirit of the anime and that is someone quickly explaining someone's quirk. I felt it was a fun nod to the anime and in case You are wondering who is present Mic in this au, it's Ruberiot because of course it is.

Sorry for the long wait everyone! that's it for me. have an amazing week and i hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

 **I remember the first day of school well. How could I forget the uncontrolled joy, the sheer exhilaration of seeing that wonderful building with the knowledge I had finally made it. My determination, my drive, my unwillingness to give up and live a mundane, boring life to be the hero I always dreamed of. The hero I always hoped I could be.**

 **Of course it was on that day I realized how far I had to go. I swear I can still feel the aches in my bones and muscles just thinking about that day...**

Marco could feel his body trembling with excitement as he passed through the school security gate.

His first day at UA high.

"How...terrifying" Marco muttered to himself, letting out a tense sigh "Okay Marco, you got this! You proved you deserve to be here! YOU ARE A HERO!"

Marco flushed as dozens upon dozens of eyes fell on him, a mixture of emotions in their gazes but all the young teen felt was embarrassment.

Marco rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as the crowd's attention shifted elsewhere.

"I really gotta learn to control myself" Marco murmured awkwardly.

"Why?" A familiar voice answered "I think it be good for you to stop overthinking and relax for once in your life."

Marco's face burned as a pair of arms fondly wrapped themselves around him though his body tiled unsteadily from the added weight.

Marco flailed, his arms reaching for anything but there was nothing within reach and he began to stumble.

"Whoa there" there was a soft fluttering of wings, a pair of gentle hands steadying him while the person backed away from the panicking Marco.

Marco let out yet another tense sigh. There was a brief thought that wondered how often did he perform the gesture but the train of thought was derailed as Star Butterfly hovered into view, a small yet soft smile gracing her face as she waved hello.

"Morning Marco!" Star beamed

"Morning Star" Marco greeted in return while the blonde haired girl planted her feet back onto the ground " you really shouldn't sneak up on people..."

"and you shouldn't stand in the middle of the road muttering to yourself" Star countered with a smirk "But we're going to do what we're going to do."

Marco scratched his cheek "Yeah...sorry...I'm not used to..."

"People sneaking up on you?" Star offered as the pair continued their trek to class

"Friends hugging me..." Marc whispered timidly

Marco blinked in surprised: Star let out an insanely cute coo before wrapping an arm around his neck and drawing him in close.

Star grinned happily at him "Get used to it buddy, I'm a hugger"

Marco chuckled softly, trying to ignore the racing of his heart "I would've never guessed."

Star gasped mockingly "What? No way! You're more wrapped up in your head than I thought."

Marco snickered "Cool it Butterfly just because you're my best friend doesn't mean you can get away with anything you want."

Marco strolled into the room unaware that Star had released her grip on him and was standing in the hallway, completely dumbfounded by his words.

"Best friend?" Star muttered before letting a joyful "YES!" and pumping a fist into the air.

Marco shook his head as he slid open the classroom door, Star was just too endearing and cute...

"Huh?"

Marco stared, uncertain if he was seeing what he thought he saw.

He pulled his head out of the doorway for a moment and glanced upwards. 1A the sign read so this was his class but why there were only a handful of students inside especially on the first day?

Star made her way over to her best friend, a quizzical look on her face

"What's up Marco?"

Marco frowned "Nothing I guess? I thought I was in the wrong class for a second since the bell's about to ring and there's almost nobody here."

"There is a reason for that Mr. Diaz." a cool voice called from behind

Startled, Marco and Star whirled around to find Moon Butterfly standing there.

"M-Mrs. B-Butterfly! Good Morning" Marco bowed quickly while Star gave a cheery "Morning mom!"

"Morning Mr. Diaz, sweetie." She gave a short nod "Please take your seats and I shall inform you where your missing classmates have gone."

Marco and Star exchanged a look but said nothing, opting to take their seats instead.

It was so strange to be in class that nearly devoid of life but Moon quickly answered the question the 8 students were thinking of.

"The rest of your classmates are with my fellow teacher All Might" Moon told them

"All Might?! He's a teacher?! AT UA?!" Marco burst out loud.

Marco felt his ears burn when Moon's eyes narrowed on his face, the quiet snickering of his classmates echoing in his ears.

"Yes..." Moon began slowly "After many years, he finally decided to take up a position at UA since his personal affairs have... _recently_ taken care of."

Marco's throat felt dry as Moon's knowing gaze finally left him and scanned the rest of the room.

'She knows' Marco thought to himself 'She knows I have One for All...'

"You are probably wondering why you are not with the rest of your class."

Tom scoffed, waving their teacher's statement off "It's clear you wanted to talk to the top students of the entrance exam personally. Oh and Marco too"

Marco growled under his breath, clutching at the edges of his table angrily.

"Yes Mr. Lucitor, you are correct..."

Tom smirked proudly

"...well, partially correct."

Tom's face fell as the room broke into hushed whispers.

Moon sat at the edge of her desk, her face stony and indifferent.

"As Mr. Lucitor was so kind to arrogantly point out, you eight scored the highest of all the applicants."

Marco gazed about the room: Tom (because of course he did), Janna, Jackie (his heart skipped a beat), Ferguson, Alfonzo, Sabrina and Star.

Wait, where was the 8th...?

Marco mentally smacked himself upon realizing he failed to count himself out of habit.

"So naturally" Moon went on without missing a beat "Expectations are high for you 8."

"Naturally" Janna smugly replied.

"Which is why you will be taking a special test today. One that determines if you stay at UA or not."

A nauseous feeling formed in the pit of Marco's stomach as the classroom fell deathly silent.

"Hey!" Tom shot to his feet furiously "That's not fair! We passed the test fair and square, why are we being punished for that?"

"Fair?" Moon repeated with a steely edge to her voice "You seem to have a rather skewed perception of fair Mr. Lucitor."

"Why you..." Tom began but Moon ignored him

"You all did exceedingly well in the examination but simply put, just because the others are convinced you will go on to do great things does not mean I share their sentiments."

Moon pushed off her desk and stood at full height, making eye contact with every single person in the room

"And before you can complain that I can't do this" Tom openly glared but Moon paid no mind "I have expelled entire classes before and it's well within my power to do so. I do not sugarcoat anything. My fellow faculty members expect you to thrive here. I'm here to ensure their faith is not misplaced. As a hero, the world will place you on a pedestal whether you like it or not and they will not hesitate expect your success or remind you of your failure. "

Marco gulped. Despite the general, almost conversational tone Moon took, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was speaking directly to him. He was River's successor and it was his duty to live up to his idol's expectations. If Marco was to be the next symbol of peace, failure could not be an option yet it would always linger.

Always...

"Please gather your things and follow me."

Marco's sense of dread only grew as the class quietly shuffled after their teacher.

* * *

20 minutes and one change of clothes later, the eight found themselves in a rather strange location: It was a well kept grassy plain surround by a loose ring of trees. The now dark blue and white track suit wearing students stood to one side of the groove as their teacher stoically remained in the center.

Moon had changed too though her attire was far more menacing: She wore a long black riding cloak over with her simple yet elegant chain-mail, thick bandages wrapped around her forearms with her long periwinkle blue hair braided into a single ponytail while a pair of strange goggles with multiple slits rested over her eyes.

Marco's body tensed upon the realization that she must've changed into her hero costume. The Queen was not holding anything back.

Moon turned her attention to the group of teens or at least that's what Marco thought. It was very hard to tell where or who she was exactly looking at with those strange goggles of hers.

"This is your final warning" Moon cracked her knuckles threateningly "This is UA. You will be bruised, you will get hurt and while your life will not be in danger, that doesn't mean we're going to go easy on you. If you want to back out, now is the time to do so."

Her question was met with silence and determined gazes.

"Very well" Moon smirked as she fished out a dark blue cloth from her pocket "Let's get straight to the point: This is a UA flag, nothing special aside being used to show your school spirit."

She wrapped it tightly around her forehead.

"Whoever helps get this off my head will stay at UA. Everyone else will be expelled at once and do not worry, I won't be using my quirk. It wouldn't be very sporting of me."

"Wait!" Marco shouted alongside the choir of outraged students "Are you saying only one of us gets to pass?!"

Moon said nothing. She remained still and lifeless as a breeze swayed the folds of her cloak.

Tom snarled furiously, his hands bursting into flames "Fine! I'll just have to rip that stupid thing off your head!"

"Tom wait!" Marco reached for the hot headed teen but found empty air as the angry teen rocketed away, two bright orange flames burst forth from his palms and propelling him towards his opponent.

"I'm the best" Tom growled, his eyes brimming with a righteous fury "And I'm going to prove it to you right here! RIGHT NOW!"

 _ **Tom Lucitor-Quirk: Hellfire. Using his internal body heat, Tom can produce flames for various purposes though prolonged use will lead to dehydration and heat exhaustion. The flames become hotter and more powerful the angrier he is. Shocking.**_

Moon barely flinched when Tom reached out for the headband.

"Foolish boy"

Tom let out a surprised gasp when Moon sidestepped him effortlessly, his palm sailing inches past her face as she just watched.

"What the hell?!" Tom cussed as Moon reached for his wrist and locked her fingers around it in an iron grip.

Moon shifted her foot sideways as she vaulted the attacking teen over her shoulder and slammed him into the ground. His back tensed from the sudden pain while the air emptied out of his lungs.

Marco stood there dumbfounded and unable to process what just happened: One second Tom was just one swipe away from staying at UA and the next he was face up on the floor, almost completely subdued.

"CHAAAAARGE!" Janna shouted, fist raised in defiance

The others rushed forward, hoping their individual strength would be enough to overwhelm the pro hero. Only Marco remained behind. He knew it would be pointless. The Queen was a spec ops heroine. She was used to being alone and being self sufficient. Even without her quirk, her general knowledge of quirks and their functions made her dangerous. Couple that with her hand to hand skills and there was no way a bunch of new students were going to defeat her...

Marco let out a disappointed sigh. Everything he had gone through, pushing himself further than he'd ever pushed only to have it snatched it away right at the starting line...

It wasn't fair...it wasn't...

"I'm sorry..."

Marco snapped out of his spiral of depression to find Star next to him, hands clutched tightly behind her back as she hovered anxiously, her blue eyes focused on the battle ahead.

"Star?" Marco asked, unable to keep concern out of his voice.

"This is my fault..." Star answered sorrowfully "I caused this..."

"Star" Marco reached for her but she pulled away

"She's always pushing me, always giving me some new challenge. I thought she'd calm down now that I was actually in UA but it seems like it's only gotten worse...and because of me, everyone's going to lose their chance at their dream..."

"No"

Star turned to Marco.

"We're not giving up" Marco told Star "We're going to get that headband."

"how?" Star asked, her voice full of frustration "No one here can beat my mom"

To emphasize her point, Star gestured the completely one sided battle taking place before them.

* * *

Moon stood still as Jackie rushed ahead of the pack, a thin layer of frost covering her palms. She grinned happily as she skidded to a stop, brushing her hand lightly over the grassy floor.

 _ **Jackie Lynn Thomas-Quirk: Water Manipulation. Able to alter H20 on a molecular level, Jackie can create water, steam or ice at a moment's notice. However, this requires immense concentration and often gets Jackie sick. She does not like getting sick.**_

Ice spread over the plain, crawling closer and closer to Moon's feet in hopes of entrapping the heroine.

Moon clicked her tongue disappointingly as she jumped away from the icy clutches of Jackie's attack and countered with one of her arm wraps.

"What?" Jackie stood up, backing away in surprise but it was too late: The wrap wound itself tightly around her wrist and went taut "What the what?"

Moon pulled with all her strength and sent Jackie helplessly sliding down her own icy field.

"Capture tape" Moon explained as she flicked the bandage over her arm once again "It's designed to be flexible and durable. It's meant to capture the more uncooperative suspects."

Moon's head snapped at the sound of footsteps crunching against grass.

"Thanks for the distraction Jackie!" Janna smugly shouted as she reached for the headband.

Moon battled away Janna's outstretched arm and counter attacked with a shoulder tackle. Janna let out a pained grunt as she fell to the floor.

"Too obvious" Moon chided.

"Actually" Janna smirked "Just perfect."

Moon eyed Janna's darkly glowing hand warily when she caught the sounds of fibers being ripped and torn apart, a strange rune over her wraps quickly fading into thin air.

Janna jumped to her feet, shooting her teacher the most cocky grin and finger guns she could muster.

 _ **Janna Ordonia- Quirk: Fortune Redirection. After bonding with a person, Janna can use their inherit good or bad luck to affect other beings or objects. While usually the effectiveness of the results often vary, Janna seems to have found a particularly misfortunate person, granting her access to a powerful and consistent source of bad luck.**_

"That's unlucky" Janna mocked while she rushed at Moon again

"Only the foolish and inexperienced rely on luck" Moon replied as she pulled Janna's arm into a twist and sent her facing the other direction.

Janna winced "Whoa, this isn't very heroic you know?"

"You missed the part where I cared" Moon answered before shoving her towards the timid approach of Sabrina.

Sabrina flinched nervously and used her arms to shield herself from the Janna projectile coming the straight for her.

Janna was expecting to run into flesh. What she actually ran into was a thick, rocky surface that promptly sent her reeling onto the ground.

"Sorry..." Sabrina murmured softly

 _ **Sabrina Backintosh- Quirk: Reinforcement. She can harden her skin to a rock-like substance which is useful for the seemingly large amount of bad luck that follows her around. Some wonder if her bad luck and Janna's power are somehow connected.**_

"Sab" Janna dizzily told the petrified girl "You got to get in there...win for...me..."

Sabrina was unconvinced as Janna dramatically fell unconscious.

"...No..."

"Here comes the Ferg!"

Ferguson barreled forward with his hands inflated to at least three times their sizes and while his run was unsteady, there was a hint of confidence as he inched his way closer to Moon but the confident swagger left him when, instead of scaring the pro hero as he hoped, Moon decided to meet him head on, closing the distance between them.

Ferguson pulled his arm back, ready to take a swing at his teacher when Moon lashed out with an open palm directly to his face.

Ferguson stumbled backwards, arms flailing in a panic despite not actually being hit. Moon let out an annoyed sigh as with a muted pop, Ferguson's entire body puffed up and the boy helplessly rolled away.

 _ **Ferguson O'durguson- Quirk: Expansion. By altering muscle mass and fat, Ferguson is able to increase his own body's density. However, when startled, Ferguson's entire body expands at once and while this gives him a powerful defense, it also prevents him from moving normally.**_

Alfonzo stood at the ready, hand outstretched to stop Ferguson.

Ferguson let out a relived sigh as he came to a complete stop thanks to his best friend "Thanks buddy! You always got my back."

"umm yeah of course Ferguson" Alfonzo answered back.

 _ **Alfonzo Dolittle- Quirk: Afterimage. Alfonzo is able to create static, still images of himself at will. The images will vanish if Alfonzo wants them to, sneezes or when he is asleep. He has accidentally scared himself on more than one occasion.**_

Moon shot him a questioning look, taunting him to try his luck against her.

Alfonzo took a step back, waving his hands in surrender.

"That's what I thought" Moon muttered. She almost relaxed now that most of the students had been subdued or frightened when a frustrated yell broke through the tense silence.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" Tom snarled, his hands ablaze as he drew closer for one final attack on the pro hero "GIVE ME THAT HEADBAND!"

Moon paid no to the raging teen despite how much he clearly was trying to catch her attention. Her ears twitched gently as she picked up the soft noise of ice slowly forming amidst the furious crackle of Tom's flames.

Jackie moved as quickly and quietly as she could, crouching low to sneak up on her seemingly preoccupied foe. There was no way she could take on a pro hero in a head to head battle but if her attention remained on the raging demonic hellspawn, she might just have a chance.

Moon took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Tom pulled his arm back, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His body was exhausted due to the constant exposure to his own flames but he was too lost in rage and adrenaline to care. He was consumed by his fury and was beyond reason. He outstretched his hand, reaching the headband one last time.

Moon let out a frustrated sigh. She shifted her body to the left and as if in a hypnotizing stupor, the two teens followed suite, their single minded determination blinding them to the heroine's plan.

At the last possible moment, Moon dove sideways, dropping into a roll before leaping onto her feet. Her body relaxed as flame and ice collided.

Blue and red irises widened in surprise while they dug their heels in an attempt to stop but it was far too late to do anything. Instinctively, Jackie rose her frost covered arm in front of her face while Tom did the same with his burning limb just as the two smacked into one another.

Jackie and Tom were quickly enveloped by a cloud of steam, their figures obscured as they began cough uncontrollably from the sudden stuffy, smothering heat that overwhelmed them without warning.

Moon stood there, among the groaning and silence of the defeated, still and unmoving. If anyone had impressed her these last few minutes, there was no indication or acknowledgment in her face. She simply was, her face as indifferent as stone.

* * *

"See?" Star motioned wildly to emphasize her point "She's barely winded! Nobody here can take on my mom..."

The blonde's face fell, sorrow filling up her sky blue eyes.

"We're going to get kicked out because of me...I..."

"Star"

Star snapped out of her self defeated daze. There was a strange confidence in Marco's tone, one she was certain hadn't been there before. She lifted her gaze to Marco only to find him staring back at her.

"Marco?"

Marco clenched his fist tightly "Star, how fast are you with your wings?"

Star blinked in confusion.

"I...I dunno, pretty fast? I've never really kept track before."

" I was hoping for a specific number" A frown graced Marco's face only for a moment before a self assured grin quickly replaced it "But luckily I've got to experience your speed firsthand."

"Marco?" Star raised an eyebrow but her best friend kept rambling on, muttering to himself about approach and karate lessons "Earth to Maaaaarco. Come in Marco!"

"Huh?" Marco shook away his runaway train of thought "Sorry, I tend to get carried..away...Anyway, I got an idea how to get that headband."

"Marco" Star began dejectedly "Just stop. If my mom doesn't want you to have that flag, nobody is getting that flag."

"Exactly!" Marco beamed

"Wha?"

"Don't you get it Star? No _body_ is going to get the flag."

Star nodded questioningly in agreement "Yes, that's what I just said."

"Which is why we need bodies" Marco replied eagerly.

"Whoa! Marco you're an awesome guy but I'm not killing people for you!"

Marco's face paled "Wait! NO NO NO I mean we need to work together to get that flag! Nobody here can beat your mom on their own but we're not supposed to. If I'm right..."

" _Whoever helps get this off my head will stay at UA."_

"...then it won't matter who gets the headband"

Marco felt all confidence drain out of him when he felt Star's hand gently grip his shoulder.

"Alright, what's the plan?"

Marco hid his burning face from Star, trying his best to keep his voice leveled as he told her the plan "We're going to need Al and Sabrina..."

* * *

Moon checked her watch briefly as Jackie helped the still slumbering Janna to the side while Tom begrudgingly guided Ferguson to a nearby tree.

"4 tired out, 2 frightened away" Moon murmured to herself "now where's Marco and..."

Moon perked up at the sound of crunching grass approaching her slowly.

She slowly tilted her head and found herself staring at group of four students, a mixture of fear and purpose etched deeply on their faces.

"...Star..." Moon whispered as she turned to face the new challengers "I'm getting rather bored of this so this is your last chance unless you wish to face expulsion.

Star clenched her jaw tightly as she stared down her mother.

"Don't worry Mrs. Butterfly" Marco answered with a respectful tone "We're going to give this our best shot."

"Then proceed."

Marco took a step forward and as expected, Moon backed up into a defensive stance.

"Al, NOW!"

Moon blinked in surprise as Alfonzo began running around her in a loose circle.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion: What was Marco planning? If they thought they could distract her so easily, they were sorely mis...

Moon watched carefully as one Alfonzo became two then three then four then eight. Ten, fifteen, twenty Alfonzo's surrounded her, frozen images of him mid-run filling Moon's sight.

"Clever" She spoke loudly "Nice use of cover."

"Thanks!" Marco's voice called from her blind spot on the right.

Moon's instincts kicked and with a graceful motion, she whirled around, leg outstretched to meet Marco's assault.

Except it wasn't Marco rushing to meet her. Instead, stumbling her way uneasily through the battlefield was Sabrina, arms flailing wildly as she tried to steady herself.

Moon was going to follow through with the kick anyway when something caught her eye. The sun didn't reflect off Sabrina's skin properly...it was almost like it was...

Everything click at once but Moon knew it was too late to stop her momentum. However she could still use it to her advantage despite this setback.

Moon hopped off the ground with one foot, leaning into a spinning wheel kick as she narrowly leapt over Sabrina's head.

Sabrina tumbled forward, chin first into the ground but rather than torn skin, it was skin that had torn up dirt and patches of grass as she skidded to a stop across the floor.

'They used her as a projectile' Moon thought to herself as she unsteadily landed on the balls of her feet 'a distraction for another attack.'

Moon snapped into action, gripping Marco's wrist tightly as he reached for the headband on her forehead. If she had been a second too late, he would've...

Marco pulled back on his restrained arm, dragging the unsuspecting Moon forward and further off balance while reaching for the flag with his free hand.

Moon scowled angrily as she was forced to release Marco and intercept the attempted grab with a well place chop but Marco wasn't done yet: Before the pro hero could react, Marco threw right hook towards her unprotected side.

Moon caught his arm with her own and deflected the punch while reaching for his wrist once again. Marco pivoted on his heel before she could close her grasp, pulling backwards while driving his palm into Moon's shoulder blade.

Moon flinched, stumbling back from the force of the attack. Unlike the previous attackers, Marco had some knowledge of martial arts and would not easily be dispatched . However, an ocean of experience separated the two and the advantage Marco had gotten was quickly dwindling.

Moon dug her feet into the ground as Marco chased after her, attempting to keep her further off balance with a series of karate chops but without the element of surprise, Moon was unmovable. Despite his best efforts, Moon casually absorbed or blocked his attacks, refusing to budge a single inch under the onslaught.

Marco pulled back his arm, hoping a solid punch would break through his teacher's defense but Moon was already one step ahead of him: as he moved his arm backwards, Moon planted her feet firmly on the floor and braced her knees.

Marco's eyes widened as she tightly held onto his wrist, twisting her body as she began to drag him forward into a throw. Marco quickly brought his palm against her back and shoved as hard as he could.

Marco's hand slipped free while Moon fell forward, one leg awkwardly bent mid-air while the other tried to keep balance. Marco let out a sigh of relief and blinked.

When he opened his eyes a moment later, the color drain from his face as Moon twisted in his direction, her knee inches away from catching his stomach.

Marco didn't have a plan. Marco couldn't think of anything that could help in this moment and even if he could, he didn't possess the speed or skill to react in time. He felt the cold shiver of failure dripping down his back. Just one more moment. One more second and they would've won...they would've...

Star's downtrodden face flashed into his mind, the sorrow that danced in her eyes tug at his heartstrings painfully.

Marco screamed at himself. He wouldn't let it end this way. He wouldn't let everyone down just because he couldn't use his quirk properly. He wasn't about to lose everything just because he couldn't do one simple job.

He wasn't going to lose.

Marco felt power flow throughout his legs, the low hum of electricity charging filled his ears as his muscles tightened, renew vigor surging through him like a second wind. It was an odd feeling, one he couldn't remember ever noticing before but it had a comforting familiarity to it, one that cleared Marco's mind.

Marco tensed his body, letting the power run through his body freely. He felt invincible, he felt powerful, he felt like he possessed the energy and strength of not one person but several, overlapping together as one.

He felt like how he always imagined All Might would feel.

Marco only meant to push away, clear some distance between himself and his opponent as he leap backwards to avoid the knee.

He didn't have to worry about distant: It was weird how much the sound of crumbling earth sounded so similar to the crunching of cookies once crushed by human hands.

Marco shot backwards like a rocket, his legs flailing useless and broken as a 5 foot crater and violent winds formed from where he once stood.

Moon was nearly knocked off her feet as the fierce wind blinded and deafened her for a moment but a moment was all Star needed.

Star flew past the wall of Al's and sailed straight for her mother, her gaze focused only on one thing.

The ringing in Moon's ears was unbearable and she stumbled uneasily trying regain her balance. Her eyes were dry and her body shook from the sheer power Marco unleashed in that moment.

Moon saw Star coming, her daughter's outstretched hand made it very clear what she was after.

Moon slowly began to raise her arm but paused for a moment.

She gave a little chuckle, suppressing the smile on her face as Star whizzed by, flag clutched tightly in her hand.

* * *

"As your classmate as figured out" Moon tiredly told the students save Marco and Star "You were supposed to work together and technically you all helped in getting the flag so you get to stay at UA."

She scanned over each and everyone of them carefully

"You are future heroes. You will be measured to the standard of those who came before you and you will be the standard for which those who come after you will be compared to. You carry the legacy of us all. Welcome to UA high."

Moon shook her head as the remaining 6 moaned and grumbled about how unfair it all was. They were all tired and they still had the rest of the school day to get through.

Moon watched silently as the class departed.

Marco broke both his legs again due to his quirk and despite Moon's suggestion that he was perfectly fine in the care of Recovery girl, Star refused to leave his side.

"Our daughter" Moon spoke softly to the approaching figure "Takes too much after you. Reckless and crazy."

River nodded as he stood next to his wife "Perhaps but she has your loyalty."

"I don't know if that's a good thing..."

"I'd like to think so" River tugged at his beard anxiously "Moon pie...did I...?"

"Yes" Moon leaned over and gently kissed her husband's cheek "He'll make a fine hero. If his quirk doesn't kill him first."

"He's tough and smarter than I when I first received One for All. He'll get the hang of it."

"Then you have nothing to worry about it."

River stared off into the distance.

"I sure hope so."

 **Things were so much simpler back then...I still wonder if I would've had the courage to kept going if I had knew what lay ahead...**

* * *

a special thanks to SVTFOEkitten: it did kinda give off the whole end of the world vibe like maze runner or something of the sort. haha im glad you liked it. chapter 52: haha i had too much fun with the narrator. chapter 58: haha don't worry, the narrator is perfectly fine. he needed a break is all.

shuthepkia: haha Im glad, i was a little worried about this given it was me making up my own strange au but it came out better than I thought it would.

finn: Cute girls are always trouble haha. i couldn't resist putting that line in.

advait2003: thanks! and thank you for the review!

guest: that's not really lore. that's background fluff. It doesn't explain how Doomfist is a leader of talon, it doesn't explain how he *yes this is from his background online* he killed his mentor and took over the name. None of that is really in there or explained like king's row map, the attacking team is leading an EMP bomb. So much backstory and none of it in game aside from voice lines and a small bio of the character.

fanficoverlord: haha i think Star's reckless enthusiasm and bubbly nature are what most good versions of star define themselves as. and Marco is always gonna be cautious even if he's a master marksman and always the safe kid. haha i will probably come back to this in the future but what will happen then we shall see as i pretend like i know haha. have a good one! good luck!

siren1000: chapter 19: haha all the puns! but take your time, these stories aren't going anywhere. chapter 32: aww sorry *hands you tissues* ugly cry is a high honor and i thank you so much. chapter 59: I am a huge fan of the game and i highly recommend it given that's like 10 bucks on every system. I actually wrote the chapter because i was so happy Psychonauts 2 got funded (I helped so im excited) chapter 62: haha that's funny. I mean if she wants to ship Missy and Connor, she can. I wrote these characters to have excellent chemistry with one another (or tried) though the official missy connor ship name is called Cossy because that's what people came up with haha. chapter 81: yeah, i know it's a cliche plot but i wanted to try my hand at it.

fantazyfangirl13; I'm so glad you think highly of my stories! thank you! and it's the bromance of the century! I know right? I need to write more teen moon and river.

artofbreaking429: I've thought of it but it's somewhere in my vault. Honestly though I have no idea when i'll get to it but one step at a time!

guest chapter 24: thank you so much! and not yet but it will soon. soooon.

Proluxe: I am very tempted to be honest but I don't want to overwhelm myself with many solo stories. I've seen what happens *hides other stories.* there were two things that inspired this. The setting of the story, the lost and the name and style of the aliens came from my favorite tactical turn based game X com 2 because I was impatiently waiting for the dlc to come out and i really like the aliens style and aesthetic in that game. the other half were some post apocalypse Star vs drawings some artist on tumblr made who for the life of me i cannot remember but they were great. i put the two together and here we are.


	109. Butterfly, Star Butterfly (Kingsman AU)

hello everyone, Mr.E here! thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites despite my inactivity. after a seriously long time of not writing full stories i am back. Sorry, life has been pretty chaotic for me and draining. I'm fine but it's been hard to sit down and actually write a story but here I am with my newest au and letting you know despite the fact Halloween is over, I am still going to write a few stories for starcoween (a totally silly event I made up forever ago) After that i might do a part 2 to this, might give out some birthday gifts I owe. Not really sure yet but we shall see.

As usual I do not read much but that's okay. Check out my good friend axis 26's story the masked charro. it's great.

 **Story Prompt of the day:** Star Butterfly is a young woman that works for Disney, a humble yet successful shop located in her hometown of Mewni that sells various merchandise based on their popular retellings of classic fairy tales. At least that's what they want you to think. In truth, they are an agency operating at the highest levels of discretion, protecting the world from any and all threats but this time Mewni's the target and the secret organization is going to need some help.

I absolutely love the film Kingsman. For those who don't know it is a British spy film that's kind of a mix of my fair lady, James Bond and some playful satire of genre. and I couldn't resist making an au of it. that being said, it is a rated R film so don't watch it if you're not supposed to! Seriously just read this story and wait. Oh btw there is some cussing in this story but that's it really I didn't follow the plot of the movie one to one and it's more on a personal level than it was in the film. and Yes I totally poked fun at the codenames and Disney.

terms to remember. Posh-upper class/society. Bobbis- police. Bruv-bro, Cuz-Cousin (a term of familiarity) 6's and 7's (slang for crazy. maybe I could be wrong) darling, love, luv- terms of endearment, usually.

Also, I just saw the new episode today but this story has been finished before that sooooo irony. you'll know when you see it. it's a reverse of what's happened.

that is it for me, my next on the list is either the corpse bride or the monster hunter au with two nova chapters released very closely to each other. have an amazing week, I'll see you when i see you and enjoy!

* * *

"and in other news, Lucitor electronics is proud to present..."

Click. Silence filled the void left behind the radio.

Star Butterfly stared longingly outside the cab window, the soft pitter patter of the rain echoed dully against metal was a soft, relaxing music to the 25 year old.

When was the last time she simply drove for the sake of driving? When did she last roam the streets of her beloved Mewni without the constraint of staring at minutes tick away? When was the last time she wore something she chose of her own free will rather than an obligated, yet admittedly stylish, uniform.

She was wearing her usual outfit for work: black blazer jacket with a white long sleeved collared shirt underneath, an elegant pink tie alongside practical black work pants and matching brogues loafers.

"Miss?" her cabbie driver called to her softly "Miss, you have phone call from your mother."

"Oh!" Star slipped out her self imposed dazed and reach into her jacket pocket "Thank you John, I'll take it..."

Star blinked quizzically upon realizing she was staring at her own reflection who held an equally surprised face: Her driver had already rose the divider between them so she could take the call in private.

"What a considerate bloke" Star murmured to herself, unfolding the thick black rimmed square glasses and slipping them over her eyes "I suppose I should give him a raise."

"Give who a raise dear? The driver?" A familiar yet controlled voice called out to her as a ghostly image appeared in the center of the spacious vehicle.

Even the cartoonish greenish blue tint of her mother's image did nothing to dampen the woman's rather imposing stature: Full black coat, collared shirt, vest and tie. A long business skirt given her old fashion tendencies and unnecessarily high heels. Her periwinkle blue hair wrapped in a practical braid.

"I assure you Agent Rapunzel he is well paid for his services" Moon blinked in confusion, her eyes narrowing at Star's surroundings "You're not at the shop?"

"Well mum..." Star began only to falter when Moon rose a stern finger.

"Names Agent. You never know who could be listening."

Star rolled her eyes, earning her a scowl from her mother.

"Headmistress Aurora, we're on highly secure channels. I highly doubt anyone is currently listening."

Moon shook her head disappointingly "Spoken like a true agent. When you get to be in my position and age, you'll find some caution is wise."

"Yes Mu...Headmistress. I apologize. I'm running late to shop on the count that I took a bit of a nap. Just came in from America you know. Lovely town by the name of Echo Cre..."

"I'm aware where you have been Agent Rapunzel" Moon cut in "I've read your mission report. Excellent work."

"Thank you"

"Try not to be late from now on. Grumpy is a bit on edge lately."

"Lately?" Star rose an eyebrow.

Moon pursued her lips "More than usually. Do not antagonize the poor woman love."

"Swear on my honor she won't hear a word out of me gov."

Moon frowned, torn between chastising her daughter once more or simply leaving it at that.

With a flick, her mother's image vanished from view and Star was left with her once again empty cabbie. Star remained silent, rubbing her eyes tiredly as the rain filled the void with its melody once more.

* * *

Star wasn't too surprised the shop was still fairly busy despite the less than ideal weather conditions. Everyone near and far wanted to buy something from the humble yet widely successful Disney store.

Not that Star could blame them: Stunning outfits, well crafted toys and high quality items based on their fairy tale inspired line of merchandise. It brought in a pretty penny and was a convenient cover for the memory of a single person to blur among the countless people that could be found within on any given day.

Star patted the tired cashier reassuringly on the shoulder as she made her way past into the break room which was empty save a lone, still steaming mug of coffee sitting on the table.

"We need to really cut back the hours" Star muttered to herself, sliding the cup off to the side and gently pressing the underside of the table "Poor dearies are running themselves ragged." A small compartment hidden within frame flipped into existence and began to boot up its programming.

"Please remain still" a smooth, calming robotic voice asked politely while a soft green hue softly basked Star in its glow. Star complied with the machine's request, sitting as unmoving as stone as the sensor began scanning the room with a near invisible beam.

"Identity confirmed" The voice spoke cheerily "Agent Rapunzel, please stand by"

Star rolled her eyes as the entire room slowly descended into further into the earth, the flimsy painted walls of the break room becoming smoothly elegant granite sides.

"This is so bloody unnecessary" Star muttered to herself, waiting patiently for the elevator "Whose bright idea was to turn an entire room into an elevator? A closet would've suffice. Typical spies."

"I know right? It's almost like they were overcompensating for something" a familiar voice jokingly teased "Spies, right?"

"Spies" Star nodded agreement, rising to her feet and enveloping her fellow, similarly dressed agent in a firm hug "How are you Jackie?"

Jackie clicked her tongue "Agent Rapunzel, did you just break protocol?"

"Only if you sell me out Agent Ariel" Star replied with a grin.

Jackie gave a good nature smirk "Like I would Agent Rapunzel. How are you?"

"I'm alright" Star lied "And yourself? How was Japan?"

Jackie gave a noncommittal shrug "You know how it is: No time to see the sights and there on business only."

Star felt the twinge of longing and for a moment, the mask fell.

"Star?" Jackie asked quizzically "Are you okay?"

"Jackie..." Star began slowly "Do...you miss it?"

"It?" Jackie was confused what Star was getting at "I'm not sure I'm following..."

Star let out a defeated sigh "Don't worry about. Just a rouge thought. Shall we pop in and see what's bothering Grumpy?"

Star brushed past Jackie, ignoring her friend's concerned gaze.

* * *

Grumpy was not grumpy at Star's tardiness: She was furious about it.

Margaret Skullnick, codename Grumpy, was an older, trollish woman who never smiled in a day of her life. Unlike the more traditional Headmistress, Grumpy was far more lax with her appearance: overly bright red hair, two golden hoops on her ears, built like a muscular tank and had unnaturally pointed teeth.

"You are late Rapunzel" she glared deeply with growl.

Star rose her hands defensively "Ariel was here, you could've started without me."

Jackie shook her head "Don't drag me into this, I just work here."

"Sit. NOW" Skullnick snarled, barring her teeth viciously.

Star and Jackie practically dropped into their seats.

"We have a problem" Skullnick began, making her way over to the monitor hung over the fireplace.

"Don't we always?" Star jested

Skullnick ignored her "The criminal underworld is murmuring. Loudly I might add."

Jackie and Star shared a worried glance. While both knew what the code-phase meant, neither had ever expected to ever actually hear the word spoken outloud. The two women straightened up in their seats at once

"Murmuring?" Jackie leaned closer "What could possibly cause that?"

"We don't know" Skullnick answered truthfully "But the fact remains that every single mole, sleeper agent and informant has been relying the same information to us is troubling. Someone is preparing for something big and for the first time in recorded history, we haven't the foggiest idea what it could be."

Skullnick tapped at away at the tablet in her hands. Mewni, in all its splendid glory, appeared before them.

"What we do know is many of the murmurs repeat Mewni over and over again. It is more than possible this is the target."

"Home?" Star rose to her feet "We need every available agent on the case! If the underground murmurs, I cannot imagine what horrible plan someone has set in motion."

"That's just it Agent Rapunzel" Skullnick stared directly at Star "I'm looking at all available agents."

Jackie and Star looked at one another.

"No matter how serious the situation is" Skullnick explained "The fact remains we still have other operations that must be done. Threats to national and international security do not just come one at a time you know and all we have are rumors. Until solid proof is obtained, we cannot simply pull agents from actual credible threats."

The girls nodded grimly.

"Go to the ground" Skullnick told them "Use every resource we have available. The informants are scouring the city for clues but so far no luck. If this threat is real, then someone is going to an awfully lot of trouble to ensure no one has all the details. And once you have a lead, no matter how small, contact me. I rather be safe than wrong. Understood?"

"Yes Grumpy" The two spoke in unison

"Dismissed."

* * *

"Mewni under attack?" Star muttered to herself in a daze "That's a lot more terrifying than I'd like to admit."

"Agreed" Jackie nodded "Do you think the threat is real?"

Star pursed her lips "I don't know. I want to believe mother is simply overreacting but I've never been through such a short briefing before. We don't even have leads"

"Admittedly that is highly concerning" Jackie scratched her chin "We better work quickly. The sooner we discover or debunk this, the sooner we can have a strategy ready."

"Alright, I'll head over to the informant's house" Star began as stepped towards the exit "A fresh pair of eyes may be needed in case they missed anything...umm do you remember where they live? I swear they keep changing addresses every other month. It's so..."

Star turned back to her fellow agent only to find Jackie fidgeting uneasily, guilt dancing in her eyes.

"You know" Jackie spoke softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear "Maybe I should go to the informant? I mean I haven't seen them in such a long time and it's pretty rude of me..."

"Jackie..."

Jackie bit her lip as she rubbed her sleeve anxiously.

"I...might know a guy who could help us" she murmured uneasily.

"That's great!" Star felt a wave of relief wash over her "when can you meet up with him darling?"

Jackie remained quiet, her eyes downcast and forlorn.

"Jackie?" Star placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "What is it love? What's the matter?"

Jackie took a deep, calming breath "He's my ex. A bloke by the name Marco Diaz..."

"Oh..." Star muttered dumbly before the familiarity of the name hit her full force "... _oh_..."

Star remembered now where she heard the name before: Marco was Jackie's boyfriend back from a few years ago when the two of them were aspiring Disney trainees. He ran with some troublemakers and did some odd jobs for unsavory people but on the whole meant well and was trying to leave his checkered past behind him. As far as she could tell, Jackie was rather happy with him. If everything had gone according to plan, Jackie might've married him one day...

But fate had other plans in store. Being a Disney agent came with a heavy cost and that cost was a personal life. Marco grew increasingly suspicious of Jackie's absences and trips but telling him the truth was out of the question so Jackie was left with no choice but to break up with him, claiming college was just too overwhelming for her to handle both it and a steady boyfriend.

Jackie used to lament how painful it was to watch his hurt face twist into a stony indifference and while she finally moved on from him, she couldn't shake the guilt she felt about breaking his heart. He hadn't deserved it but Jackie was left with no other choice.

"I can't see him Star" Jackie admitted, tears lightly forming in her eyes "I've done far too much to him already, asked too much of him...I can't put him through anymore..."

"It's alright. I'll speak to him, alright? Do you know where I can find him?"

* * *

Star frowned at the location before her, eying the half cracked windows and the faded brick exterior warily

"Drunkard's Haven" Star read the sign distastefully "I should've hazard a guess it would be a dive. I reckon I'll run into an unruly lot. Wouldn't be the first time."

Star held a firm grip on her umbrella as she took a deep breath in and pushed open the door.

The interior of the bar was dim while a light hazy smoke wafted through the air. The illuminations of various signs promoting drinks, teams and other goods. Empty mugs and half slumped, dazed drunks filled the tables. While certainly not the best pub Star has ever been in, she had seen far worse.

Star strolled up to the counter confidently, ignoring the shuffling of drunken zombies who were slowly taking notice of her disturbance.

"Hello!" Star gave a cheery wave.

The bartender awkwardly returned the greetings.

"I don't usually get your lot around here" the bartender spoke bluntly.

"What, pretty ladies?"

"No, posh folks." he gruffly replied.

"Ah..." Star gracelessly replied "Well your lovely pub is tucked away in some off beaten street, bit hard to come by."

"What will you have miss?"

"Information actually. I'm looking for someone."

It was amazing how a simple sentence could alter one's environment: What was once a relaxed stupor became tense and suspicious as the drunks slowly shook themselves awake.

The bartender's eyes narrowed distrustfully "And why would a pretty thing such as yourself be looking for someone?"

Star beamed "An old friend of mine. Heard he was wondering around these parts. Figured he might fancy a bit of stroll for old times sake."

"And who..." the bartender rose an eyebrow "are you looking for specifically?"

"A bloke named Marco Diaz."

Star fought the instinct to simply strike at the now fully awaken drunks, their eyes wide with anger and greed as they mindlessly shuffled to their feet.

"It seems I've said the magic words" Star mused, glancing over the other occupants of the building carefully "Bit in trouble is he?"

"You could say that." The bartender murmured with a glare "The local patron is not happy with the quality of his services. Mr. Diaz owes him a bit of scratch which is not including the product he was told to deliver. The fact that Mr. Diaz hasn't been returning our boss's phone calls is a bit concerning. They had a previous agreement that your friend has not been honoring."

"Ah" Star gave a strained smile "I can see how that could certainly paint him in such a negative view. Well I rather guess I should be off no? I didn't mean to so rudely awaken all your customers."

"Actually" the bartender spoke with a menacing edge as the others closed in "Do you mind if we have a bit of a chat about your friend Marco?"

Star sighed dramatically as the dull thud of the door's lock being clicked into place echoed through the now quiet pub.

"I rather not" Star grin charmingly

"You don't have a choice love."

Star shook her head disappointingly "Not respecting a lady's decision? Rather brutish of you."

"Sorry darling. We're not much on manners here."

Star clicked her tongue "Manners maketh man. Ever heard that before?"

Silence was their answer.

"Well then" Star cracked her fingers "Let me show you how to be proper gentlemen."

It was satisfying to watch the bartender's face slip from cocky smugness to full blown panic as Star lashed out, gripping the back of his head tightly and smashing it against the counter. Bartender staggered backwards, a river of blood dribbling down his face and staining his clothes as he weakly clutched at his now broken nose.

"Rule the first" Star began, pivoting on the balls of her feet and driving her fist into the nearest unsuspecting throat "Always respect people. It'll get you further in life than if you're an arsehole"

One of the drunks lunged at her but the seasoned agent hooked the handle of her umbrella over his wrist and dragged his fist into another of his comrades and sent them both reeling to the floor.

"Oi what's the matter with you bitch?!" the nearest drunk rambled at her before pulling back his fist.

"A true gentleman never curses at a lady" Star replied with a cocky grin while she dug her knee as far as she could into his stomach "in fact a true gentleman never would need to curse. Much more colorful ways to express your anger and frustration darlings."

Star stepped back, narrowly avoiding the knife that swung into view as she twirled her umbrella upright like a sword.

Her foe stumbled uneasily, brandishing his deadly weapon in a rather unimpressive fashion.

"A true gentleman" Star went on, effortlessly dodging an unfocused stab sent her way

"also carries himself with grace and respect not only for himself but for others as well"

The drunkard's attack were wide and too far to actually threaten the secret agent who playfully batted the blade away with her pseudo-sword. Her opponent growled furiously but Star's laidback defense proved too much for the inebriated man.

Star rolled her eyes before delivering a solid whack to his skull and rendered him unconscious.

"Well then loves" Star said with a smug satisfaction "I best be off. Nothing here but a waste of time and effort."

Star's ear twitched as the dull sound of metal scraping wood filled the air and for the first time since the battle began, her instincts took hold.

Star flung her umbrella wide open, clutching the hilt as tightly as she could while making herself as small of a target as possible. The video feed sprung to life in a strange muted tint. She noticed the bartender lifting something to eye level but Star had little time to hazard a guess when she heard a deep click and a deafening bang.

Star was nearly knocked off her feet as her shield violently shuddered, the image blurred and static for a moment before resuming its live feed of what was occurring in front of the weaponized rain deterrent

The muggy feed showed the bartender giving a condescending smirk her way, pumping the shotgun in his hand for another shot.

Star held on as the metal joints of the umbrella groaned under the next volley, the smooth clothed surface becoming tattered and worn as an empty cartridge hollowly clattered against the floor.

"You" Another shot, the umbrella began to bend inward "Bitch" half the feed froze "You think you could come in here" Star could hear the fabric being ripped to shreds "and just knock us around silly? Well you got another thing..."

Star was saved by the most unlikely of sounds: The gentle rapping of a fist against the bolted pub door.

The bartender jumped, spontaneously aiming toward and pulled the trigger without remembering he hadn't loaded the next shell into the gun. A satisfying hollow click was the most beautiful noise Star could ever imagine.

Star wasted no time: She flung her near useless gadget to the side and made a mad dash directly towards the fumbling bartender, his hands nervously attempting to load more ammo into his useless weapon.

His eyes went wide with fear as Star approached and in a last ditch attempt to protect himself, he held the barrel tightly and howled in agony as he recoiled from the still burning hot metal.

Star tried not to enjoy herself too much as she clobbered him with a solid hook, sending the dazed bartender sprawling into the wall of alcoholic drinks. He, along with his products, tumbled to the floor and remained still.

"That" Star murmured softly, wiping the nonexistent dirt from her suit "concludes today's lesson."

Star blew a strain out of her hair, picking up her discarded umbrella as she strolled towards the door, body tense for whatever lay on the other side.

She undid the bolt slowly and calmly opened the door

"Oi Ralphy, about time you open the door mate, was near freezing my arse out...you're not Ralphy."

Star's heart leapt a little without warning as she found herself face to face with her target.

The police photos did not do the young man before her justice: In his mug shot he wearing plain clothes, his brown hair disheveled as his brown eyes glared angrily at the person photographing him. In person, his brown hair was a little longer and tucked under his black beanie. He wore a white undershirt which was covered by a red hoodie which was further covered by a simple black jacket. Laid back jeans and poorly choice sneakers for the current weather rounded out his attire and while Star was certainly unsure if this was the very same Marco Diaz from the photo, her glasses compared the two images and confirmed a match.

Marco shifted nervously under Star's silent gaze "Umm...sorry luv, I was confusing you for another bloke." he scratched his neck sheepishly "A-are you lost? Because I've never seen any woman willingly come in here before. The environment is a bit toxic and stale of piss ale, misogyny and outdated ideals."

The soft pattering of rain was the only response Marco received

"Listen darling" Marco whispered with a hint of concern in his voice "These aren't exactly good people. I reckon it's best if you move along and pretend you didn't see nuthing."

"Mr. Diaz I assume?" Star asked with a preppy edge.

Marco's jaw twitched anxiously "...maybe...depends on whose looking."

"I would like to have a bit of sit and chat with you. If that's alright."

Marco shook his head, unable to keep the displeasure from his face while he chuckled "Yeah, see about that...Umm I'm a bit unfamiliar with you and you are pretty but you're a bit too posh for my taste. Look, I just need to pop in for a sec and talk to Ralphy about an extension."

"Don't worry Mr. Diaz" Star replied with a matter of fact tone "You have your extension."

Star noticed Marco's frame tense, his jaw locked as Star gently pulled open the door all the way through, gesturing inward in a playful manner.

"Oh that's not fucking good." Marco stared dumbfounded at the bodies that littered the floor, the low pained moans that wailed from within.

Marco locked eyes with Star, completely unnerved by her cheerful smile and relaxed posture.

"Well Marco?" Star gave him a flirty smile "Fancy a bit of a date?"

Marco bit his lip, queasily swaying from side to side before breaking into a run.

* * *

"I'm pretty sure what you did qualified as assault."

Star clicked her tongue disappointingly, her eyes rascally as Marco squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.

"I am hurt you didn't want to take me out Marco" Star's tone was conversational yet amused

"Well you're a bit 6's and 7's" Marco replied in a tense tone, rubbing his sore arm as his eyes darted around for anyone who could help but the cafe's patrons were preoccupied with staying warm and what delicious meal did they want to try next than noticing the hostage situation before them .

"Hi!" Marco nearly jumped out of his skin as the waiter greeted them "What will we be having today?"

"Usual for me" Star grinned happily "and you honey, what would you like?"

Marco looked at Star, glanced at the waiting waiter then back to Star once again.

Was this a trap? A joke? Was the waiter in on whatever this was? Was everyone else? What the hell did he get himself caught up in? Was Ralphy going to blame him for crazy face's actions? How the hell was he supposed to pay off his debt now? He was in some serious sh...

"Sir?" The waiter politely interrupted his train of thoughts "Your order?"

Marco stared blankly at the waiter "The usual...I mean her usual, I don't usually come in to places like this. No offense."

"None taken" The waiter rolled his eyes before disappearing into the kitchen.

"So whose on your payroll?" Marco asked breathlessly, hands clutching the edges of the table tightly "These your people? Gonna bloody kill me without a second thought? I don't what you think I'm caught up in but I didn't mess with no one."

"Really?" Star seemed unmoved by Marco's claims "Because according to your file, you've been arrested several times for assault, trespassing, breaking and entering and disorderly conduct."

Marco pursed his lips "Yous with the bobbies or something? Look, I haven't done anything. Whatever you think I did, I didn't. After the last time, I got the message loud and clear: Stay on the straight and narrow or go to jail and I ain't doing hard time because some crazy got me mixed up for someone else."

Star leaned back into her seat "What did you need extension for?"

Marco's mouth tightened "That's a bit of personal business I'm afraid luv. And if you ain't a cop, I'm not saying a bloody word."

"Marco, I'm trying to help you."

"Help me? By getting a confession out of me?" Marco snarled quietly "I ain't going to jail just because you mixing up crooks and me."

"Marco" Star whispered gently

"..." Marco remained silent, torn between fact and lies.

"Look" Star brushed her hair behind her ear "I'm not a cop. I need help with something but if I can help you out too, I don't mind."

Marco shifted anxiously, his voice low and subdued "Alright. So there's a local...sponsor who likes to trade money for favors...take this here, drop that there, move this across town, just...stuff."

"Mhm" Star nodded but said nothing.

"As you can no doubt tell by my outstanding record" Marco went on "I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with the scratch I need for college. So I figured one...tiny little...delivery wouldn't hurt..."

"Except it never made it, did it Marco?"

Marco gulped fearfully "I tried. I swear I tried but I was running out options. You high and mighty types judge us effortlessly without a care why we do what we do. I just wanted a clean life but evidently it was too much to ask for and now I'm up shit creek without a boat. I owe money I don't have to a person you don't want to be owing to and I got no way to pay it back. And college?"

Marco scoffed dismissively

"That's more of a far off dream than seeing Jackie again."

"Jackie?" Star asked curiously.

Marco's face flushed red "Don't you worry about that. Look, I don't know what you were expecting looking for me but I ain't got anything for you and I doubt you got anything for me."

Star felt a surge of panic as Marco began to rise from his chair, his defeated weary face tugging at Star's heartstrings and before she could help herself, the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

"I can get you the money!"

Star mentally smacked herself for blurting it out but it had done the trick: Marco stood there, a mixture of disbelief yet intrigue etched onto his face.

"You? You don't even know how much I need bruv." Marco scoffed yet remained still

"Take a seat and find out."

Marco bit his cheek, unable to choose between the sweet temptation of the door and the alluring of the pretty stranger.

"Alright" Marco relented as he slowly returned to his seat "let's say I do buy into this whole your my way out of this shitstorm I'm in cuz. If you ain't a cop and you ain't a crook, just what are you?"

"A Disney agent" Star replied with the smuggest of grins.

"A what now?" Marco shook his head out of its stupor "Hang on, you taking a piss? You 're telling me you work at that glorified fairy tale shop what sells those cutesy little knick knacks and thingamajigs to fawning tourists?"

"Yes." Star straightened in her chair "We belong to a secret organization that operates at the highest levels of discretion. Our mission is to ensure the safety and safeguard the well being of international security and stability of our planet."

"You...are...mental" Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly "A'ight I'm done. I don't know what sales pitching you trying to sell or if you're having a bit fun with me but I'm done. I got far bigger problems than a mental polish girl and her make believe..."

"Here Mr. Diaz" Star gently removed her glasses and slid them over to him "Take the red pill. It's a real eye opener"

Marco raised an eyebrow "Really? Outdated jokes luv? You're lucky yous cute or else you wouldn't be getting fa..."

Marco's jaw slackened, his eyes wide as he gazed at the world through Star's lens but he didn't see the beautiful 25 year old woman sitting across from him, knowing smirk and gaze but rather a series of complex codes, phrases, jargon that made no sense to him. In the upper left hand corner was a live video feed of someone narrowly avoiding gunfire and next to that the glasses focused on Star's face, zooming and enhancing as they began to run a facial recognition scan.

"Agent Rapunzel?" Marco murmured dumbfounded before blindly groping the air as Star snatched back her glasses.

"Proof enough Mr. Diaz?"

Marco stared blankly at the secret agent, unable to wrap his mind around what just occurred.

"...why do you need me?" Marco asked bluntly "If you these James Bond types, why you gotta go looking through the gutter for help?"

"Simply put" Star sighed anxiously "Something big is going to happen here on Mewni. Soon but aside the fact we're getting reports indicating Mewni is the intended target, we have nothing else."

"So you need crooks who've got their ear to the ground to help you" Marco nodded in understanding "Why me though? I ain't exactly the most thuggish and my record isn't the worst compared to some other blokes."

Star pursed her lips, conflicted between telling a lie or revealing Jackie had sent her his way.

"Never mind"

Star blinked, unsure what just happened.

"It doesn't matter" Marco told her "Either you did your homework, someone just told you I was the biggest loser in town or you just lucked out...so what do you need from me?"

"Well Marco, heard any big scores coming in?"

"Big scores?" Marco rolled his eyes "You spies are really out of touch with reality. No one calls them that. You might as well be running down the streets screaming how you got your life savings in your pocket! See how long that'll last you."

"Ooookay" Star frowned "Have you heard anything big coming in?"

"Nah uh princess, that's not how this works."

Star frowned "Then how does this work Mr. Diaz?"

"...I want out."

Star stared at Marco, unsure what exactly he meant by that.

"Mean..." Marco coughed hesitantly "I don't want...this..." he gestured to himself pathetically "...Anymore. I...I don't want none of this. I don't want to be looking over my shoulder in case some thugs happen to stumble on me. I miss visiting my parents. You know how hard it is not to drive their street and check up on them outta fear some nasty blokes are casing place, waiting for you to show up?"

Star thought of her mother and how often she was tucked away in some sort of secret location that only she and Miss Skullnick knew. She thought of the last time she actually saw her mother, hugged her, talked to her more beyond the scope of business.

Star gave a short but understanding nod.

"The money I'll figure out" Marco told her gently "This ain't the first time I've had to make up some scratch I ain't got but college...they're ain't going to let me in, not without some recommendation and if you being them cloak and dagger companies."

"Wait a minute" Star cut in immediately "You can't just..."

"Whoa, chill princess" Marco waved his hand "I didn't mean make me one of them types or nothing. Shit, I doubt I'd be kept alive two seconds during your job. But you gotta have some pull right? Ways to make them posh academic types look the other way?"

Star shifted anxiously in her seat: She did in fact have a way to grant Marco's request. However, it wasn't as simple as calling the school of his choice and waving her I'm a secret agent privilege but rather...

"Do we have a deal?"

Star bit her lip. This was the closest lead she was going to get and while she would normally play for the country card, she had a sneaking suspicion Marco wouldn't care if something happened to Mewni. Too many bad memories...

"Well do we have a deal?"

Star took a deep breath "Deal: You help stop whatever is going to happen and I'll help you get a better life."

"I felt like we've done this before" Marco muttered under his breath before offering his hand to Star.

Star stared at the gesture, unsure what exactly Marco wanted from her.

"Handsake? Ever heard of one miss posh?"

"Oh... _oh_ " Star nodded in understanding "Of course I have Mr. Diaz, I was just confused why..."

"I don't want you double crossing me" Marco interrupted hastily with a nervous tinge to his words "Promise me."

"...Marco..."

"Promise me."

Star felt guilt shift uneasily in the pit of her stomach at his plead, the vulnerability in his voice. He was at the end of his rope and he was literally taken a leap of faith on a complete stranger.

The wrong stranger.

"Okay Marco..." Star whispered softly "I promise."

Marco's eyes were no less guarded but his body visibly relaxed upon Star shaking his outstretched hand.

Marco took a deep calming breath "Okay. Rumor is Lucitor Electronics is looking for extra workers."

Star raised a puzzled eyebrow "I'm sorry? I don't quite follow..."

Marco shifted uncomfortably under Star's gaze "Of course not, that's the point. You see luv Lucitor Electronics have been known to...push certain products into the town. If they're looking for extra workers then that's street speak for we need something moved and we'll pay great money for you to keep your moth shut."

"Do you mean...?"

Marco gave a short nod "They're asking for 2 dozen workers. That's the largest amount of 'help' they've asked for in years. Only means one thing."

"Whatever they're moving" Star concluded "It's big and probably dangerous."

"Exactly. Next shipment comes in two weeks. Give me your number and I'll contact you when it comes in."

Star frowned at that idea but quickly scrawled her number on a napkin and gingerly handed it to Marco.

Marco seemed pretty unsure of himself. He rose to his feet quickly, his mouth opening and closing a few times before giving a curt nod and disappearing into the water veil that blanketed Star's beloved Mewni.

Star carefully placed her glasses back onto her face, trying to ignore the sinking of her heart as Grumpy whispered quietly "She's not going to be okay with this you know?"

"I know..."

* * *

a special thank you to Finn- thank you. yeah the longer stories with more part potential tend to take longer to set up and it was easy to do a similar jump off point from the manga than try to introduce everyone to an AU they are not familiar with. i always try to give enough information and setting so people get the idea of what's going on.

Falconpuncher- thanks! admittedly I almost made him a ranger but I like the idea of a stealthy sniper Marco better and it's a personality style i hadn't done with him at the time.

Advait2003: thank you so much! and it's actually been hinted at what WILL be her second quirk :)

guest sorta- TEAMWORK ALWAYS WIN THE DAY! mostly.

gokan123- You are too kind and I am really glad you enjoyed the crossover. some of them just work too perfectly and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

siren1000: haha don't worry i feel you. I did the exactly same thing. just one episode more and before I knew it I'm writing a full AU. haha i get that reaction alot once people catch up. haha it was funny because when i wrote this I totally forgot about the team 7 test that was basically the same thing. and i figured the most promising students would be under more pressure since in MHA a hero's popularity is just as important as their success rate. i hope you enjoy the rest!

thDorkMagnet: I'm glad you enjoyed it and honestly the walkie talkie interactions were too much fun to write. I love post apocalypse stories but i find them to be too serious sometimes. I actually joined a LARP a while ago that's all about surviving after the end of the world and it was a fun change of pace because this is their lives. there's no searching for the old world or anything of the sort. everyone just lived their every day regular lives and the dangers that comes with. You know cook, clean, shoot the zombie that wandered into your yard. that kind of stuff. it's more dark comedy than serious and it was a wonderful look into another side of the post apocalypse. I have actually considered a rwby au. At the moment, I'm still trying to make the two work together without completely copying it because Rwby has a lot of world specific lore, creatures and concepts that i have to explain yet still remain true to the spirit of both shows but yes Ruby is really just like Star. haha don't apologize. my stories are meant to be enjoyed whenever and to be fair i was late with the next chapter haha. I am glad you liked my little experiment. chapter 108: haha Awesome you should totally watch it. it's a great series and really plays with a lot of troupes found in most action manga. as for the references only Marco, River and Moon are really extremely similar to their MHA counterpoints. everyone else is themselves including with their powers i personally came up with for each. I hoped you enjoyed the kingsman au!

svtfoekitten: I know right? Silly Marco, no breaking your legs! and blame all you want! chapter 41: Psst, he really doesn't have any idea.

twinboy1995: thanks for all the reviews I am so glad to hear your thoughts on many of them and that you enjoyed them! it means a lot to me and i hope you like the kingsman au!

guest: Nova really is her parents child. haha *i know it might be you twinboy but just in case it's not.

Staaaaaaarco: haha maybe it's Marco's turn to write Starco

paulvalera2323: haha don't tempt me, do you know how hard it is not to keep writing the my hero academia au? extremely and pirates 3 is actually one of the birthday gifts i owe so it'll be within the next month or two. thank you for the reviews!

guest: hi! This is not over yet and when I do finally retire i will let you all know. whenever that happens. Umm it is a very scary game at least environment wise and my requests are kinda a mix of i owe some and im wandering with my aus so I might do it. it is a cool idea and i will think about it but for now it'll be on the maybe pile. I will reference your review if i ever do do it though so thank you for the idea.


	110. Marco's corpse bride (Corpse Bride au)

Hi everyone! Mr.E here, still alive and really wish life would stop throwing stuff at me! I'M JUST TRYING TO WRITE! Thank you so much for every favorite, follow and review. They really push me to do my best for you all!

Still not really reading too much but my good friend axis26 has some awesome stories up, also check out my friend hains-mae at tumblr for some epic drawings and disney-n-stuff on tumblr whose drawings inspired this au

 **Story prompt of the day** : So it's the corpse bride for starcoween! I mean it's not a one to one. I cut off some parts, rewrote dialogue, added my own stuff and fit as much of Disney-n-stuff's version of the story in here as I could. Also this is not the full version. I purposely left out the ending so you all could fill in how you want to this story to end and I won't be giving this a proper end either. I mean I kinda hinted at an ending where jarco and starco both win but like i said, i wanted you to fill in your own ending.

So that's it aside for a very special thank you to my good friend hains-mae who really did something amazing for this story. She made one epic cover page for this story that is featured tumblr, both mine with the story and hopefully hers (she's taking commissions people *cough cough* just saying) that I am really grateful for. Thanks mae!

That's it for me, I need to go work on the next nova chapter and Monster Hunter au part 1 because life wants to keep distracting me! have an awesome week and I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Marco sighed tiredly, the muffled yet thick twangs of an out of tune piano floated sadly from beyond the door frame yet sleep eluded the young man.

He rose to a sitting position and folded the moth eaten blanket that his hosts so graciously gave him to sleep with. It was faded and worn with the odd hole here and there but Marco was grateful for it all the same. Once upon a time it must've been so elegant, so revered among its owners. Marco's family would've had saved many months to purchase such a treasure but down here it was as unnecessary as it was old.

The dead had no need for such things...

Marco stood, the guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders as he began to pace the room anxiously.

If you had told Marco that in one day's time (Oh lord it had only been a day hasn't it?) he would've been betrothed to his childhood crush without warning, foolishly wandered into the forest as a queasy and rather humiliating mess and subsequently asked the hand of a corpse bride in marriage accidentally only to be whisked away to the land of the dead...well he would've called you a rather loony lot.

Yet that is exactly how the still living young man's day began and has currently ended.

* * *

Marco awoke the same as he did every other day: Cranky, sleepy and cold.

The Diaz's were a simple, humble middle class family. They lived within their means and the trio were content if not comfortable. Marco's father Mr. Diaz worked as the owner of a modest shop in the heart of town and while the larger, more well off family held an iron grip on the market, Rafael still made reasonable profits. Marco's mother Angie was a seamstress and thanks to a vast network of friends and friends of friends, she often patched and sewed for those who were not afraid to part with their money. Marco himself had just turned 18 a few months ago and while his parents hadn't spoken of it, he was expected to seek his fortune and secure his future...by the way of marriage.

Marco felt ill at the idea of marriage. It wasn't that he didn't want to get married. The problem, rather, was he pinning for a specific woman to marry. A woman he had never even spoken to in his entire life: Miss Jackie Lynn Thomas.

Miss Thomas was the daughter of a local fisherman and a baker. She was a few months younger than Marco (Her birthday had been yesterday if he recalled correctly) though her family was marginally better off than Marco's (only by slim margin).

He known of her since childhood and while the two would occasional cross paths within the city and attended the same events, Marco could not bring himself to speak to the lovely Jackie. The few times he attempted such a thing either ended in an awkward, tense silence or him droning and babbling about nonsensical topics that ranged from the differences between a major and minor key to the rather disgusting digestive systems of livestock.

Needless to say Marco's chances with Miss Thomas were looking rather grim and while there were several other wonderful women in town, none carried the spark that lit his cheeks ablaze like she did.

Marco groggily made his way downstairs, the dreary weather of his beloved hometown the same as it had been 95% of the time: Cloudy, cold and bleak.

Marco sensed something was off when he found his parents speaking in tense, hushed voices as he approached the kitchen. When he entered the room, the conversation died at once and their gaze shifted from each other to squarely on him, their smiles well meaning but tight. Bad news it seems and bad news that would directly affect Marco.

"Morning" Marco muttered carefully, eying their uneaten food warily "Is something the matter? You both seem rather...serious."

"Mijo" Rafael began quietly "We have some news to share...with you."

Marco nodded like he understood (he really didn't) "I see. And what news is that?"

"As you know mijo my shop has been getting a lot of new customers."

"Mhm"

"And I thought" Rafael went on sheepishly "It might be wise...to...merge my business...with someone else's..."

Marco blinked in confusion, unsure where this conversation was heading. Initially he was under the impression someone in the family had died but this wildly veering off into a rather surprising turn of events.

"I...see?" he was unable to keep the confusion out of his response.

Rafael fidgeted guiltily though his son was still unsure why. His father was expanding his business, that was good news...right? Then why were his parents acting like they were planning for his funeral?

"What your father is trying to say" Angie spoke up "is that he has found someone who is willing to cooperate and share resources...under...a certain condition."

"What condition?" Marco asked slowly.

* * *

Marco stood before the altar, still awestruck and dazed from the sudden revelation that he was to marry his father's future business partner's daughter.

The church was drafty as always with its muted unassuming gray brick walls and pale brown pews.

Marco was dressed in his Sunday best: an old, elegant black suit once owned by his abuelo and handed down from Diaz to Diaz for special occasions. Marco himself added a pale, faded white collared shirt with a dark red vest and the most valuable of his possessions, a jet black ascot tie tucked perfectly within his outfit.

His parents were more informal in their choice of attire but that was only because today was the rehearsal rather than the actual wedding.

Marco tried to keep his breath steady but his stomach churned unhappily. The ground swayed uneasily under his feet. The walls seemed to close in on him, the air stale and stuffy despite the frigid weather that always blanketed the town as the realization that he was to be married to someone he's never even met! HE WAS GOING TO MARRY SOMONE HE HAS NEVER EVEN LAID EYES UPON!

The old church door creaked as an icy breeze filled the halls for brief moment before slamming closed with a dull thud.

Marco could hear his parents gleefully greet the bride's family, content tones and friendly banter filling the once silent halls.

The unexpected groom tried to will his body to follow his parents example but his nerves were frayed and despite his best attempts, he simply remained frozen in fear as soft, timid footsteps approached him.

He could feel the presence of someone behind where he stood, waiting and watching for his greeting though if it was his future wife or his future in laws the young man couldn't hazard a guess.

Marco gulped down as much air as he could. He breathed slowly, rigidly turning in an attempt to make up for previously rude behavior.

"I am very sorry" Marco apologized, pivoting on his heels with all the effort he could muster "It's a bit drafty you see and I...I...I...I..."

His heart skidded to halt, his cheeks burned with an intensity that matched the glow of the sun as his eyes laid upon the last person he ever expected to see and the one whom he longed for.

Miss Jackie Lynn Thomas stood there, hair wrapped up in a neat yet enchanting bun (her blue streak visible) and a gentle smile danced on her lips. She wore one of the simple dresses she preferred when attending to errands in the city (Evidently it seems Marco was the only one who did not receive the notice that casual wear was allowed for the rehearsal) but to Marco she was as breathtaking up close as she had been from afar.

"Good morning Mr. Diaz" Jackie gave a polite curtsey.

Marco chuckled dumbly in reply "Oh it's just Marco. Mr. Diaz is my father."

Marco mentally flinched upon realizing the words that escaped his lips but his ears only grew red when he heard Jackie giggle in response.

"As you wish...Marco." She answered playfully.

Marco rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his anxiety growing each passing moment "Did you know that owls are often considered an ill omen in many cultures?"

"I did not"

Marco gave another timid laugh "yeah...it's silly really. I mean they're just birds! They go hoot, you know? Hoot hoot!"

Marco died the moment he began flapping his arms. He wish he could slap himself but he was afraid to appear more crazed to his future spouse than he already was.

But Jackie nodded as if it was the most interesting thing she had heard all morning "How fascinating Marco."

"R-really?"

Jackie gave him a soft smile while she nodded in agreement.

"I see everyone is present?" The dull, gravelly voice of the priest snapped everyone out of their respective conversations

"Si" Rafael quickly made his way to the young couple's side " everyone is present."

"Then shall we proceed?" The priest looked thoughtfully towards Marco and Jackie.

"Of course Father" Jackie said respectfully.

"proceed?" Marco questioned "Proceed with what?"

"The rehearsal" The priest replied "You do know the vows, correct?"

"I...umm vows?"

"Yes" The priest continued "The traditional vows that every groom speaks to their brides. The vows that bind you to each other as husband and wife. The vows that are spoken at every wedding. _Those_ vows."

"Riiiiight" Marco chuckled "Of course you meant those vows! I confused myself for a moment, believed you were speaking about some other...umm vows! But yes I do remember the vows. The vows I must speak as to marry Jackie...the vows I shall speak after I...I...I receive the ring! Oh no!" Marco's face fell into mock worry "Darn, I must've left the ring at home! Clumsy me and my forgetfulness. Drat, I suppose we'll have to postpone the rehearsal. Can't practice my vows without a..."

Marco sighed as his father produced a ring from within his vest pocket

"Thanks dad" Marco said with the most deadpan voice he could muster.

"Anything for you mijo."

"Now" the priest loomed over the young man menacingly "The vows."

"R-right..." Marco coughed timidly "The...vows...I...Marco Ubaldo Diaz..."

* * *

The old rotten trees of the forest swayed back and forth as a chilly breeze howled through, the crunching of the dried dead leaves filled the air as Marco angrily and embarrassingly stomped his way deeper into the woods.

"I didn't know the vows" he scolded himself, pulling at his neat hair in frustration "of course I didn't know the vows! How could I know the vows when I barely found out I was getting married 10 minutes before! And dad had a ring?! DAD HAD A RING!? How long had they known about this little arrangement?! Why couldn't they tell me ahead of time?"

Marco let loose his emotions into a powerful yell but hardly a sound was heard as his voice was swallowed whole by dense forest.

"Okay Diaz" Marco told himself, taking a deep breath to relax himself "You're getting married to the girl of your dreams and you are utterly confused by this strange turn of events. That's okay! That's...normal? But you will make the best of it! You messed up the rehearsal but not the wedding! That's...something."

Jackie's smile flashed into his mind.

"Vows..." Marco whispered as he pulled the ring from his coat pocket "Vows...everyone knows them. They are spoken at every wedding..."

Marco closed his eyes, clutching the tiny band tightly in his grasp.

His mind began to fill with thoughts of the wedding, of those who would be attending: His parents and Jackie's would be there because they had to. Ferguson and Al, two of Marco's best friends, would no doubt show though he was certain the promise of free food would lure them, not the actual event itself. Janna may catch wind of Jackie's attempt to marry her favorite target though he suspected she would behave herself for the sake of her best friend. And Jackie...Jackie would be there, looking as lovely as the day Marco first laid eyes on her...she would be waiting by the altar, patiently for him...

the young man took a breath, his nerves calm and steely as the words poured of his mouth.

"With this hand, I will cut off your..." Marco flinched "no no, that's...that's so wrong. Umm with this...candle? Was there a candle? I'm remembering a candle but I do not remember why I am remembering a candle. Why is there a...am I suppose to light her candle with mine? I am almost certain the ceremony involves a...OH! Yes, there is a candle. Umm with this...candle? Candle. Candle! I shall...light...light...light...your mother ablaze? That's more than likely..."

Marco opened his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips. The trees towered over him, swaying back and forth under the gentle yet cold breeze while their shade basked him in darkness.

"With this hand" Marco gestured high into the air "I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine."

Marco strolled confidently over to the nearest tree trunk, bowing respectfully towards it "Mrs. Thomas, you look absolutely lovely this evening"

Marco nudged at another tree with a sly "What's that Mr. Thomas? Call you dad? Well I suppose if you are alright with it."

"With this candle? Candle!" Marco repeated, tearing a branch off to use as a makeshift prop "I will light your way in darkness."

"With this ring" Marco glanced at the simple, plain brand that lay in the palm of his hand "I ask you...to be mine." and in one fluent movement, he slipped the token of his love onto a finger-like branch.

The wind moaned softly yet Marco made no motion to retrieve the accessory, uncertainty and fear swirling about his head: were the vows correct? They must've been because those were the only ones he could remember.

"Okay" he told himself with a nod " That was perfect and all I have to do is perform it the exact same way with Jackie.

Jackie...

Marco let out a terrified whimper

Marco groaned loudly, clutching at his hair tightly "What am I thinking?! I can't do this in front of Jackie!

Marco sighed disappointingly " She's...she's...and I'm...and I...I talked about owls! OWLS! I hooted. Who does that?!"

Marco caught the dull gleam of the ring as it swayed teasingly in the breeze, the solitary cawing of a crow echoed throughout the empty forest.

"And give me back my ring tree branch!" Marco tugged at the ring but the branch refused to let go, its gripped tight and firm.

"I'm losing to a tree" Marco murmured sadly "I am losing to an inanimate object...This can't get much worse..."

A chill ran down Marco's spine as, without warning, the branches curled around his wrist.

"Oh? The branches seem to be grabbing at me." Marco laughed for a moment before the weight of his statement hit him full force "THE BRANCHES ARE GRABBING ME!?"

Marco pulled away but the branches held fast, its grip on the young man growing tighter and tighter with each moment.

"LET ME GO NATURE!" Marco shouted as he frantically tugged at his wrist "I DID NOT MARRY YOU! I WAS JUST PRACTICING annnnd I can't believe I am actually having this conversation..."

The trapped young man planted his feet firmly on the dusty forest floor and prepared to throw his weight backwards in an attempt to free himself when the branches snapped and freed their grip Marco who was thrown back full force.

Marco tumbled to the ground, his suit torn and ripped from the various roots and low branches that littered the forest floor.

"Well that was unexpected." Marco muttered to himself, rubbing the tension out of his neck.

He rose to his feet, wiping the dirt and any leaves that managed to glue themselves onto his clothing. This was absolutely disastrous. There's no way he could...

Marco felt his blood chill as the earth before him cracked open and without warning, a thin, pale blue bruised arm reached upwards, its hand grasping wildly at the air.

"Oh dear..." Marco murmured, his stomach groaning unhappily as a skeleton arm reached out from the depths of the earth itself and planted itself firmly on the dirt covered ground "Yeah, I think it's time I call it a day."

The terrified man broke into a fevered sprint, wincing in pain as he collided with the odd branch and tree trunk in his mad dash to freedom.

"the church" he comforted himself "the church is nearby! If I can make it, surely I'll be safe."

Fear bit at his resolve as the trees seem to elongate before his eyes, towering over him in strange, unnatural angles.

North was West, East was West, South was North. Despite the countless times he had ventured safely into the forest alone, in this moment he had never been so lost and confused. the soft crunching of dry leaves could be barely heard over his heavy breathing as something closed the distance between itself and him.

Marco flailed wildly in surprise as his foot caught a tree root and he suddenly tripped forward, tumbling and skidding across the ground. Everything ached but terror and adrenaline dulled the pain. He scampered to his feet, unsteadily swaying back and forth as he saw the old stone bridge stretched out before him and beyond the lonely church beckoning him in the distance.

Marco hardly crossed the bridge when the soft patter of footsteps filled his ears and despite the fright that enthralled him, curiosity called to him. He paused and turned to gaze upon his purser.

He was unaware of the gasp that escaped his lips as he found himself staring at the figure of a woman no older than he...maybe.

Her long flowing blonde hair was done up in an elegant pun with blue butterfly clips and a wedding veil adorning her head. Her eyes were a pale sky blue that seemed to pierce past his mortal shell and into his very soul. Her outfit of choice was a torn, ripped strapless sleeveless wedding dress with white roses that had seen far better days The skirt split open at the bottom and revealed she was wearing boot-like shoes with heels. At least that's what Marco thought they were. But what had made Marco stop, what made him gasp was not her choice of attire but rather her appearance.

She was deathly thin, her skin a pale blue as if air no longer flowed through her body. One arm was nothing more than bone and while the other still possessed what Marco assumed to be skin, her fingers were long and skeletal. The most curious aspect, however, were the pale pink hearts that covered either cheek upon her face. She was hauntingly beautiful and she was slowly approaching the trapped man.

* * *

Marco wish he could say he did something amazing. He wish he could tell some extraordinary tale of heroism and bravery in the face of danger, that he fended off the ghostly beauty, that he was safe in and sound in the church with nary a fearful thought in his mind.

He wish but he'd be lying...

The truth of the matter was as the unearthly specter cupped his face with her surprisingly soft, warm bony fingers, his ring glimmering in the darkness at him, he fainted. Just up and passed out.

The land of the dead was a rather strange place if Marco was going to be honest. For one, he was still alive in such a location and for something that people talked about with such anxiety and dread, it was a rather lovely location.

It was no different than the local pub within the city though it felt brighter, more joyful than any establishment Marco had been to (not that he would've gone to such places of ill repute of course.)

The varied dead from all walks of life and ages long passed laughed and sung. They drank (which was strange in itself) and they told stories of their former lives, not with a tone of regret and longing but with one of satisfaction and contentment.

Well they did before Marco ran a small Napoleonic character through with a sword and began waving the tiny impaled man as some sort of deterrent.

He was quickly caught up to speed by a rather charming, bowler hat wearing, one eyed, strange jawed skeleton named Bonejangles who sang a delightful yet slightly uneven tune in a style Marco had never heard of before. One that told the story of his undead bride.

Her name in life was Star Butterfly. She was peasant girl who did not have much but always gave what she could. She was set to marry Tom Lucitor, the adoptive son of a local merchant and while the two had not exactly gotten off to the warmest of starts, the two gradually fell in love and made plans for their wedding day. Until Tom's adoptive father Toffee had gotten wind of Star's less than noble background. Father and son argued and Tom had decided he was going to marry Star regardless of what his father wanted even if that meant leaving his fortune behind and running away with his bride.

Toffee did not take that well and his revenge was a cruel as it had been cold. He forged a letter in Tom's name asking Star to meet him deep in the woods where they would elope and as Star waited, alone and unsuspecting, Toffee murdered her.

Her soul did not rest, however, and she waited for the day her greatest wish would come true: To become a bride.

She waited. She waited decades upon decades, through scorching sun and freezing night in her makeshift grave for someone to speak the vows she's always longed to hear.

Which was today it turns out when Marco foolishly recited them and placed his ring upon her finger.

How someone could mange to fit such a large and rather deep lore into a three minute song was pretty impressive and while he wasn't sure how one skeleton could use another as musical instrument, he had to admit that was a sight he would not soon forget.

So Marco's proposal was valid and he was now engaged to lovely corpse of a woman (a statement that really brought rather conflicting emotions to the young groom.) and while he wasn't completely sold, he had to admit Star had this energy that was intoxicating.

Despite her tragic back story, she was vibrant and cheerful. As she readjusted herself to the world of the living (or was it the living dead?) once more, she greeted old and new friends with an eager fever. She asked countless question about everyone was doing, what she had missed as she slept. Laughs, jokes, unnecessary battle cries and fighting stances. It was...nice. For someone so dead, Star breathed life.

And since things were going so well, naturally Marco had to mess it all up.

* * *

It was a tiny lie. A tiny, harmless white lie that shouldn't have hurt anyone...except it had and the person he'd hurt was his new wife.

He hadn't actually expected Star to readily agree to his casual comment about visiting Jackie and letting her know about the new situation he found himself. Of course she meant it as informing his friends and family about their future wedding while Marco saw it as a chance to find a way to escape the Land of the dead and figure out how to break his oath to the undead bride.

In retrospect, barging into Jackie's home, rambling in a panicked, stuttering mess was probably not the best idea especially given the current circumstances and once the weight of his choice began to dawning on him, his voice slowed, words ceased to flow out of his lips and the crippling shyness began to grip him tightly. What was once a fantastical story about how he married a tree branch and found himself being serenaded by a deep voice skeleton became a murmur about how it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be before finally drifting into an awkward silence once he realized he was currently alone with his fiance.

She was as beautiful as ever but the reality began to creep up on the awestruck groom as he realized she was dressed in a wedding gown. A wedding gown she was supposed to use for _their_ wedding.

It was traditional as most outfits but Jackie was absolutely angelic in it: A modest yet well kept wedding veil tied to her bun. The fabric that covered her neck and shoulders held simple ruffles, the sleeves were long enough to cover her bare arms but Marco could see her exposed fingers reaching out for him in concern. The bottom of the attire was bell shaped with layers upon layers of cloth cascading downwards like waves upon the ocean and like Marco, Jackie had decided to wear her most prized possession for their union: a small belt hugged her waist composed of fine string and beads that held her beloved sea shell in the center of the dress.

"Marco?" she asked softly, approaching the shell shocked groom slowly "Marco, I don't understand...what are you talking about? You speak of the dead and corpses singing and marrying trees? And you seem pale...paler than usual."

"Oh!" Marco snapped out of his stupor "No no no. I didn't marry a tree, I married a corpse that was buried in the ground whose fingers resembled tree branches. I-it's...ah...very, very easy thing to mistake...or...not believe..."

"I...I'm not sure I follow."

Marco and Jackie jumped as, without warning, the door flew open and in walked Star, her pleasant, polite smile melting into shock and anger.

Looking back, Marco could only fathom how bad it had seemed at the time: Here he was, a groom Star had been waiting for all of her dead life for and he was talking to another woman dressed in a wedding attire.

And instead of trying to clear up the situation when Star revealed that she was in fact Marco's bride, he had dug his grave (so to speak). It turns out the dead are not fond of people reminding them they are no longer among the living or that there were other women that he was supposed to marry.

And for someone who hadn't been alive in such a long time, Star was rather strong. She effortlessly dragged him away from the home and as Marco called to Jackie one last time, a swarm of crows blinded his sight.

* * *

The following scolding was no doubt the worst moment in his life: Star was nearly in hysterics, alternating between anger and sorrow as it all came forth: his lies, his broken promises, his real intentions and if he truly cared for his corpse bride.

He said nothing. Courage had left him and in its void, shame filled its place. Guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders as he realized Star had feelings and he hurt her in ways far worse than her death had.

Star finally stopped and sent him away, too distraught to continue the conversation further and thus we are where we began: A human consumed by his guilt and his bride, pained by his actions.

Marco sat up in his bed. He hadn't meant for all this to turn out this way and hadn't the slightest idea how to fix it all. Star was far more fun and wonderful than he'd expected and his moment of deceit cost something he was unaware he valued.

The once lively, cheery tune of the untuned piano was now somber and melancholy and while Marco knew it was simply a song composed in a minor key, he couldn't help but feel sadness at each note held.

Marco took a deep, calming breath. He needed to fix this. He wasn't acting out of malice but fear wasn't an excuse either.

He made his way out of the bedroom and peeked fearfully into the next room.

The Ball and Socket pub was empty save two occupants: Bonejangles, leaning lazily on his stool and Star, head laid against the aged wood of the piano, her skeletal fingers dancing across the ivory keys.

"Star?"

She made no indication she heard him as she continued to play the same note over and over again while she refused to meet his gaze.

"Look..." Marco began slowly "I...I know you're mad at me..."

"No kidding" She muttered sarcastically "I let my fiancee go invite people to our wedding and I find you with another woman."

"Well...I mean..."

"SHE WAS WEARING A WEDDING DRESS MARCO!" Star glared "Why was she wearing a wedding dress?"

"Umm..." Marco awkwardly paused "Well..."

"Were you planning on marrying her? After you proposed to me?"

"...that's not quite..."

Star let out a defeated sigh "Look Marco, that hurt. A lot."

"...I know..."

"I mean..." Star uneasily said "I get it. She's alive, she's cute, you obviously have history with her.."

"I do?" Marco rose a confused eyebrow "I mean I-I do! If you count staring creepily at her from afar..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Star sat up though she still refused to look his way.

Marco inched his way closer under the watchful eye of Bonejangles and took a seat neat to Star.

The air was thick with an awkward silence that Star refused to break and Marco was unsure how to. This situation had wildly span out of his control and for once, the safe kid had no idea how to get out of it. Jackie still made his heart skip but...Star was slowly doing the same...

Marco sighed, halfheartedly pressing a random key over and over when an idea formed in his mind.

Carefully keeping one eye one Star and the other on the keys, Marco slowly began to play an upbeat duet his parents would often perform at home. His fingers effortlessly ran up and down the upper register of the instrument, the upbeat song filling the air before Marco paused, glancing towards Star in hopes she continue the call and response aspect of the piece.

She did not.

Marco bit his lip nervously, deciding to go on with his next part of the musical piece. He'd never played this particular song before and was rather surprised how naturally it came to him: E to F, F to D with an E sharp chord coming up next measure. Each note rang with a longing twang as he poured his apologizes, his guilt, his heart into this song.

Star did not respond.

Marco felt dejected. His best effort was not enough and no matter how hard he tried, it seems he could never heal the pain he caused Star.

His masterfully playing devolved into playing the same lonesome note over and over as Star once had. He saw why she'd done it: It was oddly therapeutic in a way. An endless repetitive action that numbed the mind and the regret.

Marco blinked as his single note was joined by another and another. Note after note filled the air as Star's skeletal fingers played.

Marco smiled softly as their individual parts forming into a beautiful symphony. When she rose, he followed. When he played a chord, she filled it. And each note brought the two closer into their own world and before they knew it, what had been a few minutes had stretched into hours as Star's hand escaped her wrist and began running across the keys wildly.

"Whoops" she nervously chuckled while Marco caught the escaping appendage "Must've been a bit too enthusiastic."

"That's okay" Marco muttered, his warm hand in hers as he reattached it to the wrist "I like your enthusiasm. It's fun"

The two shared a small grin

"It's late" Star stood up "I don't need to sleep but you are still alive so off to bed."

"I don't know how to feel about getting curfews from my wife" Marco snickered as he made his way past.

Star could feel her cold dead heart thump loudly in her ears, a pale blue blush warming her cheeks as she realized what he had said but as she whirled around to speak, Marco had vanished beyond the door frame and a moment later, darkness plunged his room.

She stood, dumbfounded as shame began to pour into her undead body.

"So" croaked Bonejangles "getting cold feet?"

Star scoffed "All of me is cold Bones."

"That's not what I mean princess."

"I know..." she frowned thoughtfully "I...I've waited so long...and he's just so..." The pale blush worsen "But I'm stealing him from the living and he's already got fiancee waiting for him...Can I really just...?"

Bonejangles leapt off the stool "You can't marry the living darling and he ain't dead. That's gotta change."

Star remained silent.

"Besides" Bonejangles shrugged casually "Most marriage vows break when death does them part."

Star was unsure what he was getting at "Bones, I don't understand..."

"Just saying" he waved her away "Who says he can't remarry when he gets down here?"

Star pursed her lips as the skeleton's song filled the air, her longing and guilt pulling at her resolve.

* * *

a special thanks to finn: thanks for your reviews and your support, they mean a lot to me!

Sam the king of hell: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it even if you're not a fan of one of the source materials. I had a lot of fun putting this one together.

starcofan09: awesome! bet you weren't expecting to see them in the same story huh? neither was i.

Nicki Plauge: haha well it is a rated R film sooo heads up but I am glad you enjoyed it and no, i don't think it'll get better for him. enjoy the next chapter!

Thdorkmagnet: haha thank you for your concern. These long breaks in between are pretty unusual for me and I hate they're starting to get so we'll see how well I can pull that au off. haha I had way too much fun writing that Manners maketh man scene. Way too much fun and it was one of the rare times the subject matter was really meant for mature audiences and I am aware of the age groups that read my stories so I felt it was my responsibility to warn about the rating of the source. haha yeah I actually try to write who i feel best captures the character in terms of background, personality, story and who would be a better fit for the au equivalents. like Star is a royal and I feel she would be more burned out from all the spy work than Marco would've been. It's easy to forget that Star is actually the main protagonist rather than both her and Marco. yes! it is the first time British Star has met British Marco (directly from steampunk au) haha I didn't realize how awesome it was for them to interact haha. British Star is too cute. British STARCO!

twinboy1995: haha thanks! I do my best to really capture the original source while trying to do more original stuff in it.

guest sorta; well i mean if you can. it is rated R film. Just saying. I mean I can't actually stop you but still can warn you.

fantazyfangirl13: aww thank you so much for your review and I am glad to hear you enjoy them so much!and sorry! I like writing aus! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADDICTIONS YOU DEVELOP FROM THESE STORIES! I'm just a guy that likes to write and practices it. really details and vocab really helps. glad you liked it!

Thundermist: Hi! Hope your match cali went well *sorry I haven't updated nova yet soooo yeah sorry* no homework woo! no worries, these stories aren't going anywhere! teamwork and friendship always save the day! ooo confetti! haha more kingsmen. got it! dunno about an encore though cuz then I'd just be posting the same story haha. yay warm and appreciated! Hope you like the next chapter and thanks for the review!

artgirllullaby: hahah really? that's okay! you know where to find my story. yes all the suffering bwahaha. haha I mean who would think spies use disney codenames and you don't know, maybe she does wear Mickey Ears on Missions haha moon will be moon and there will be no plushies! Yeah i wanted to write more jackie and i love putting doubt into Star's willingness to make choices on her own. clearly Glossy would be dopey and Ponyhead is happy haha jk. *HUGS!


	111. The Hunter (starcoween Monster hunter 1)

Hi everyone! Mr.E here with my next starcoween chapter, hoping you are all doing great. Thank you for every favorite, follow and review. It means everything to me and really helps me stay focus and write the best i can for you all! Still not really reading much but my friend axis26 has some new chapters out. go ahead and give them a look! they're great, promise.

 **Story prompt of the day:** Marco Diaz is a fledgling monster hunter. While on his latest contract, he stumbles into trouble and needs help to fend off another monster. However, is he willing to accept it from what lurks deep in the woods?

I love me my gothic horror. I love me my Castlevania, the witcher and van helsing, Dracula, old movie monsters and of course the curse of strahd dnd campaign I'm doing. So what better for starcoween, my totally made up holiday i missed anyway? write my own version. This is based on a few things. Dnd, van helsing, castlevania etc etc (the big bad is actually a reference to the curse of strahd) so there's not really one source in here. Also it is darker than my usual stuff but i did still add comedic because that's what I like. Our duo is roughly in their mid 20s

So that's it for me. I hope you all enjoy this. Also this second part will be a little late because I have birthday gifts to give out. So the next story I'll do is spatz pirates au part 3 (after the next nova chapter). Also, let me know whatcha think of a certain character I have written for the first time. have a great week everyone!

* * *

"I am here to witness your passing" the young man said, kneeing before the loose circle of candles that flickered back and forth with a hypnotic sway.

He was strangely dressed for these neck of the woods: A elegant black coat with a well kept red vest and white collared shirt. A black ascot tie wrapped snugly around his neck and a simple brown riding cloak draped over his shoulders. His boots were caked with mud from his travels though he carried a strange assortment of baggage: Two sheathed blades hung on his back, a bag slung around his shoulder with random pouches sewed onto his belt.

"I beseech you: Move on from this world and lay your grudges to rest"

The crackling of the flames were the only response he received.

"Your spirit is weary, your anger is great." Marco murmured gently under his breath, clutching the small doll in his hands carefully "I will put you to rest."

He stood to full height, the icy breeze playfully tugging at his ponytail as he held his lantern close. With one swift movement, the doll caught ablaze and was flung directly into circle.

Marco's face remained stony and indifferent as an inhuman shriek broke the quiet of the night. A blackish, oily smoke rose from the burning toy yet instead of rising to the sky, it remained, growing in size while humanoid shapes formed within. Hands clasping at empty air, long dark hair billowing through the haze, faces shifting between unparalleled joy and furious anger.

"Do not resist" Marco calmly spoke to the entity "I know it's scary but you must let go or you will harm many."

The shriek grew and grew, echoing through the darkened forest. The smoke began to form into a ghostly shade: a young woman with dark hair and tatter clothing. Her eyes gleamed with an ailing yellow glow, her skin was cracked and sickly, her teeth were sharp and curved like fangs. Her fingers shifted between human and beastly talons.

She focused on the lone man, hissing angrily under her breath but Marco remained unmoved by her threat. He patiently kept his gaze, refusing to break contact with the specter.

Without warning, she lashed out. Raising her arms, she lunged forward, hands tensed to wrap themselves against an unsuspecting throat.

The flames from the candles burned orange for a moment before blazing a righteous blue and as the ghostly shade approached Marco, a fiery torrent rose. Her hands scraped at the fire but it stung far worse than any flame she had ever known in life. White smoke curled off her body as the flames shrank but still glowed a pale blue.

"Sorry" Marco gave an unapologetic shrug "Holy candles and a magic circle tends to do that. Because you're corrupted and all."

The shade glanced downwards realizing she had been tricked. Beneath the burning doll was a circular chalk outline of complex runes and symbols that glimmered with the faint trace of magic now that they held a wayward spirit.

The ghostly woman thrashed but each time she drew closer to the candles, the fires rose, towering above her in warning. She tried smothering the flames that burnt her childhood treasure but nothing could halt the fire as it consumed the toy slowly.

Marco remained still until the doll was burnt to ash and a gentle wind scattered the remains.

The ghost began to gleam with a pure white light. Her skin cleared, her eyes now a pleasant green, fangs retracted until they became human once more. The clothing mended itself until it was pristine and elegant.

A woman no older than Marco replaced the vicious shade and looked gratefully upon him. He gave a polite, understanding nod as the woman vanished into dozens of tiny lights that quickly ascend into the night sky. The flames went out at once, the candles now waxy puddles as the magic circle's glow faded.

Marco fished out a scroll from one of the pouches. What once contained unreadable magical runes he could never hope to decipher or read was now blank, its surface empty and bare.

"Another successful contract" Marco sighed appreciatively.

Marco had been training to be a hunter all his life and while his natural talent had gotten him far, he still was new to this line of work. Up to now, all he had really done was help rest some wayward spirits and stopped the occasional zombie horde. The wraith was the first real threat the Guild entrusted to him and while he was happy another soul was now at peace, he did not feel accomplished at his task.

"Hunters do not seek fame and glory" Marco recited the Guild's manta "but it really does help getting jobs."

Marco sighed while he began cleaning up the site, brushing the chalk away with his gloved hands and covering the dried wax with dirt when a scream rang out from the darkness. Not a ghastly haunted one but a very real, very helpless living cry for help.

Marco raced through the thickets and foliage of the forest, adrenaline surging into his tired body.

He broke through the bushes and nearly fell off a previously unseen hill in his haste. He flailed wildly, shifting his weight back and forth while trying to regain his balance.

"Okay!" Marco scolded himself "Don't go running blindly through the forest, it might be a bad idea..."

His voice trailed off when he finally noticed the burning village below, battle cries, crackling flames and terrified screams filled the night in a macabre symphony.

"well shit that's not good!" Marco cried as he raced forward, one hand reaching for his blade, the other grasping the air in an attempt to steady his footing making his way down to the hill.

He was roughly halfway through his heroic charge when his foot caught a grass clump and took a less than refined spill downhill. He tumbled for a moment or two before being flung through the air straight into a thick fuzzy body and knocking them both onto the scratchy dirt floor.

Marco groaned unhappily, covering his mouth as his stomach churned nauseously.

"Ugh, I hate motion sickness." Marco gave an ungentlemanly burp before turning to the poor soul he crashed into "You okay?"

A chill ran down his spine as a deep, hungry growl responded to his question. What he mistook for hay was actually dark bluish gray fur that smelt of blood. He gulped nervously as the figure dug their sharp nails into effortlessly the earth. The face was not one of a friend or even human but a wolf's with murder singing in its red eyes.

"Werewolf" Marco said matter of fact before snapping into action. With one fluent motion, he unsheathed his blade and swung for the beast's neck.

Marco flinched as the blade bounced harmlessly off the creature. He glanced at his weapon and let out a frustrated moan upon realizing his mistake

"I grabbed the wrong one!" He scolded himself but there was no time to smack himself. The werewolf took advantage of the novice mistake and swiped angrily at the hunter. Marco caught the attack with the flat of his blade but the beast's strength knocked him back onto the balls of his feet. The creature's eyes narrowed in excitement as it prepared for one final lunge.

That was its mistake. Marco reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his hand crossbow and sent its payload into the charging werewolf. It howled in pain, the slivered arrow head piercing its thick hide and burying itself deep into its body. It feebly tried to pull the bolt free but the sliver burned, intensifying the pain that coursed through its body.

Marco sheathed the steel blade he accidentally pulled and drew out the sliver one he meant to. The werewolf's gaze fell upon the weapon, its polished blade gleaming in the moonlight.

For a moment, the world ceased to exist as the two combatants stared the other down, waiting for the moment to strike.

The werewolf broke the stalemate, dropping onto all fours and attempting to blindside Marco with its speed.

Marco scoffed as he brought down his sword into the creature, whispering a prayer as it fell dead at his feet.

Marco wiped the sweat off his brow when the world came crashing back in. What he thought was the werewolf's primal animistic snarls thundering in his ears were actually echoing all around him.

"It's a pack" Marco realized "A pack of werewolves."

Marco pulled the bolt from the dead werewolf and broke into a run, a fearful thought nestling into his mind. He had never fight a werewolf before and this village was at the mercy of a bloodthirsty pack of them. He hadn't the slightest idea how many were running around or if the town's guard were ready to deal with such a threat.

Marco felt his desperation rising as he ran through city streets blindly. Fallen bodies, buildings ransacked or destroyed, the living scattered while the hungry howls of wolves came from all directions.

"A hunter out in public? Strange to see one not lurking in the shadows. Perhaps you've all grown a backbone."

Marco skidded to a stop. His skin crawled as a thick, seductive magic blanketed the icy night and weighed heavily on his body.

The young hunter gripped his sliver blade tightly, searching for the owner of the voice but none could be found.

"Here hunter. Above your squishy mortal coil."

Marco's eyes hardened at the sight of the man perched lazily on a nearby rooftop: He was hardly much older than Marco with a handsomeness that was too perfect to be human. His raven hair short yet well kept. His pale red eyes glimmered with a dangerous charisma. He wore fine clothing, the kind Marco had only seen nobles or kings flaunt carelessly. His lean frame was draped in black cape with blood red lining that looked like it was dripping free of the fabric.

"Tell me hunter." the man said with a conversational tone as he slid across the roof tiling "Are you a brave man? Or simply foolish?"

Marco resisted the urge to take a step back: whatever this man was, he was a threat and one that could not be taken lightly.

"Based on your reaction to my presence" The man sneered playfully "You were not sent to hunt me, were you?"

Marco remained silent.

"Hmm" The man stroked his chin thoughtfully "Interesting. I am Count Rictavio von Zarovich, local lord of the area. You can see my castle in the distance."

Marco glanced where the man gestured and sure enough he could see a small piece of a tower peeking above the treeline.

"I was under the impression the castle had long since been abandoned" Marco replied. He thought frantically of ways to shift the situation in his favor but if he was facing what he thought he was facing, he would be lucky to escape unharmed.

"Ah mortals" Rictavio's voice took on a longing tone "Your memory is so small."

"Well" Marco shrugged, eyes locked with von Zarovich "We all can't be vampires, can we?"

"No" the Count smirked as two long pointed fangs slid down "We can't."

Marco's body tensed as he tried urgently to recall all he could remember about the vampiric undead but before he could gather his thoughts, a howl scattered his thoughts.

He reached madly dove into his pouches, his hands agitated in a mad search for the one item that could protect him.

Another howl screeched even closer than before and out of the corner of his eye, Marco could see large shadows quickly darting out of the forest menacingly.

"Come on" Marco muttered to himself "Come on!"

Rictavio smiled joyfully which Marco wasn't sure was a good or bad thing.

Marco didn't stop even as impossibly large black wolves slowly drew closer, their red eyes alive with an unceasing hunger towards the hunter.

Marco nearly sobbed with relief as he pulled free the old, nearly destroyed scroll. He held it triumphantly and with a calm voice, Marco spoke the ancient language written on the paper. it crumbled in his hands while the magic it held took effect.

A shining translucent bubble formed all around him at once, shielding him from the pack and their vampire lord.

One wolf tried biting at the encased hunter but pulled away as a holy energy burnt at its jaw. The other wolves snarled and began circling him once more.

Rictavio looked amused "I have never seen such a shoddy protection spell before. You hunters are so uneducated."

Marco twitched anxiously. Rictavio was spouting out knowledge about hunters like it was the weather. Most hunters didn't have a drop of magic in them and magical scrolls and items tended to be rare personal possessions.

What made Marco nervous, however, was how the vampire knew how helpless he truly was: Head to head fights were often ill advised. Monsters and creatures were physically superior to even the fittest hunter. That's why most usually study their prey, setting up ambushes and waiting for when the situation favored them. Even a hunter's toolkit was prepared for battling a specific creature which is how Rictavio knew Marco was no threat to him. He was here for a wraith, not a vampire and his pet werewolves.

"The night is young" The Count spoke with an air of confidence "and that spell won't last forever. This, my dear hunter, is where you die."

"Well" Marco tried to muster a tone of assurance "You should probably keep count of how many wolves I'm going to kill. I got one earlier so the current count is one. Obviously"

"Humor is all your have now."

"No" Marco disagreed "I got denial too. Really helps keep the edge off."

"Your jokes are as terrible as your hunting."

"Why don't you come closer and find out?"

Rictavio made a motion to sneer again when, without warning, a warm gentle light basked the area in its illumination.

Marco was fine aside from his eyes readjusting for a moment from the sudden shift in lighting.

His foes were not so lucky.

Steam rolled off the wolves as they writhed in pain, their forms switching between their four legged and their heinous werebeast shapes. Whatever what was going was not what they signed up for and in droves they bolted and escaped into the darkness of the forest.

Rictavio lasted a few moments longer: His skin bruised and flaked under what felt like sunlight but he seemed unconcerned by the new development.

"Run hunter" he mocked with a toothy grin "and let's see what remains when you return."

And flourish of his cape, the vampire had vanished and in his place was a gigantic, monstrous bat escaping into the night.

The sphere of protection cracked and broke a few seconds later. The crackling of flames, sobs of sorrow and shouts for help were all that remained of the monsters.

Marco glanced where the strange light came from and found a cloaked figure standing near some trees, her hand outstretched still.

"Who are you?" Marco called, turning to face his savior.

The figure straightened up at once, her hand slipping under her riding cloak as she looked around.

"Who, me?" the figure gestured to herself.

"Umm...yeah" Marco nodded in confirmation "you're the only one there. Who else would I be talking to?"

"That's not true" the figure countered childishly "This tree is here. You should really apologize to mister tree."

"I'm sorry mister tree."

"Thank you!"

"Now, how did you do that?"

"Oh, you hear that?" the figure nudged the fallen corpse that lay near her feet "He's talking to you. You should answer. Welp, it looks like you're having a rather serious conversation so I'll just get going. Okaythanksbye!"

and just like that, the figure ran, swallowed whole by the looming forest.

Marco frowned: part of him wanted to chase after her not only to properly thank her but also perhaps work out a deal about creating a new protection scroll. She was clearly a powerful spellcaster and her timing was perfect.

But he couldn't just leave yet, not with the village so devastated. He needed to help the best he could and in any way possible. Guilt bit at him as his failure to repel the attack weighed heavily on his mind.

* * *

The damage wasn't as bad as he initially feared but that didn't lessen the horrors remained. 12 villagers had died during the attack, a few were bitten but it was unclear if the lycanthropy curse had been passed on to them and some were missing, currently thought to have been carried off by the pack. Many buildings were severely damaged to the point of near collapse and those that weren't still needed desperate repairs.

"Things look grim" the captain bluntly told Marco "the guard consists of twenty people and we can't be everywhere at once. We don't even have enough slivered weapons to properly fight off the pack and we still have the vamprye to content with."

Marco scratched his chin thoughtfully "It is rather strange a vampire would be able to gain the loyalty of a pack of werewolves."

"Is it? Such an alliance would be beneficial to both parties" The captain replied "The vamprye gets blood and the wolves meat..."

"How long ago did he appear? Current rumors stated the castle was abandoned centuries ago."

"About a month now." the captain rubbed his eyes tiredly "He appeared without warning but at first it was simply that undead fiend. In his weakened state, he was far easier to fend off. But the next week he came with the wolves. It was a smaller pack then but we were unprepared. Since then, he has come once every week, terrorizing our simple village though I suspect he will return sooner than later."

"My guild is three days away" Marco said thoughtfully "even if I leave now, I would still have to convince them to pool the resources together to fight this threat and travel back. At a very minimum I return in a week but why do you believe he will attack soon?"

"You, my dear hunter, are a toy to him" The captain spoke simply "He is a cruel and manipulative creature. He would slaughter us to draw you to his castle and quicken your return."

"I should've never came" Marco murmured guiltily

The captain placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder "You did not know. You cannot fault yourself for such a thing. We can only do what we must."

"Is there anyone who can assist me? I wasn't exactly prepared to fight a vampire lord."

"My guard are strong, brave warriors but we cannot leave the town undefended and I doubt the villagers would be so eager to wield weapons against the dead."

The silence was thick, thoughts swirled in Marco's head. A vampire count would be an undertaking of its own but a pack of werewolves...

"Are you prepared to sell your soul hunter?"

Marco stared quizzically at the captain

The captain shifted uneasily "...There are two... _women_...in the forest that may be able to assist you...for a price."

Marco caught the subtle contempt laced in the man's voice "Not a fan I take it?"

"Witches" the captain said straight to the point "They live deep in the forest. Unholy beings with unnatural magic. We avoid them at all costs but if you wish to rid this place of the vampyre, they may be your only hope."

"I've worked with stranger" Marco admitted "and I take it since everyone avoids these witches, everyone knows where to find them?"

The captain clenched his fist tightly.

* * *

"That is more homey than I'd expected" Marco told himself as he stood in front of the witches hut.

It was a simple hut made of wood and straw. A cozy light slipped out of the door frame as strange charms hung from the roof, swaying gently in the breeze.

As the young hunter made his way closer, the door swung open invitingly almost like it knew he was coming.

"Well...that's not foreboding at all" Macro shook his head while he made his way inside "not in the slightest."

"It wasn't meant to be dearie but you've had a long night." A friendly older voice called out to him.

"One you seem to be well aware of." Marco answered as he finally entered the abode.

The interior of the hut was small but loving. A fire place in the corner, kitchen opposite side. A desk with several blank scrolls and books, strange, foreign plants and materials kept away in small drawers near a large cauldron and through the cracked door leading to another room, Marco spotted two humble beds.

The woman sat by the roaring fire place, a leather bound book sitting in her lap as she peered at Marco through her reading glasses.

She was a tiny woman, shorter than he to be sure. Her eyes were grayish purple color that gleamed kindly. Her skin was pale and her long poofy teal hair ran down her back. Two red spades graced her cheeks (witch marks Marco remembered). She wore a long purple dress with gray gloves and simple black footwear with purple socks. She looked more like someone's mother than a powerful spell caster but Marco was not fooled.

"Take a seat." The woman gestured to the chair across from her.

"Thank you" Marco nodded amicably as he dropped into the chair ungracefully

"Would you fancy a bit of tea? Or perhaps some coffee?"

Marco shook his head "I rather not."

"Wary I see."

"offended?"

The woman chuckled "not at all! It is expected when one wanders the forest. Dark, dangerous things live out here."

"Since you know all about me, why don't you introduce yourself?"

"of course. My name is Eclipsa." the woman revealed "I am humble witch and nothing more Mr. Diaz."

"How long have you been watching me?" Marco asked politely.

"Since you entered the forest of course." Eclipsa gave a friendly smile "Can't have strange man wandering about especially a hunter. Thank for you easing Nora. She was a good woman."

"I was doing my job. Nothing more, nothing less."

"So your words say yet your heart speaks otherwise. Helping a village is rather sweet of you."

"It was foolhardy" Marco replied bitterly.

"Nevertheless sweet." Eclipsa pressed "One does not cancel the other. Actions can be a multitude of things."

Marco glanced about the home "The villagers don't like or trust you."

Eclipsa gasped mockingly "I would've never guessed such a thing! I kid of course. I am well aware of the villagers hatred of me but I wouldn't harm them. Not like that vampiric friend of yours."

"I'm surprised he hasn't paid you a visit."

"He tried." the witch sipped her tea "But he quickly found out that was a very unwise choice. He's avoided me since though I suspect he's planning his revenge."

Marco opened his mouth to continued when the door opened once again and a cheerful voice called out "Granny, I'm back!"

In walked the cloaked figure from before, a basket of colorful flowers hanging from her arm as she pulled back her hood. A long, flowing blonde braided mane tumbled free and Marco was momentarily awestruck by the young woman.

Her eyes were a sky blue with childish and rather endearing skulls as her witchmarks. She wore a black short sleeve blouse with pink trim and long flowing black skirt that stopped at her ankles. She wore practical mud covered work boots and the typical witches hat with a conical crown and wide brim. Hanging off the tip of her headgear was a home made stitched heart that gave her a rather adorable quality.

She took one step in, took notice of their guest (he knew she recognized him based on how wide her eyes had gotten) but never skipped a step as she nervously greeted Marco.

"Hello stranger I've never seen before!" Star gave a tense bow "W-what brings you to our humble..."

"Star" Eclipsa cut in "I know you went to the village."

"Whaaaaaat?" the woman replied in a deadpanned, not so convincing tone "Me? The village? Nooookay I'm sorry but there was a fire. Screams! And they weren't directed at us for once"

"Star, we've talked about this."

"I know but..."

Eclipsa sighed "I know you want to go but it's safer for you here. Now, we have a guest."

"Right...oh. _Oh!_ " Star pivoted on her heels and faced the hunter "May I offer you some food? Perhaps a drink?"

"No thanks" Marco softly waved his hand "Your grandmother offered me but thank you all the same."

"You are welcome."

"And thank you for saving my life."

Star's cheeks took on a pink hue as she gave a casual smirk "It was my pleasure. I mean I couldn't just let them eat you! Well I guess I could've but it didn't seem right."

"Admittedly it wouldn't have been a good day for me. Not fond of being a chew toy." Marco chuckled.

Star giggled cutely "I don't think anyone is."

The two shared a small smile before a cough knocked them out of their stupor.

"Mr. Diaz." Eclipsa gave a knowing grin at Marco's reddened cheeks "I am aware why you have come and I am afraid I cannot assist you."

Marco's shoulders sagged in defeat "Without your help, I won't be able to kill the vampire."

"Perhaps but I am not a fan of needless conflict. I am just an old woman who wishes to live in peace."

Marco sighed tiredly.

"Star, on the other hand, will be more than eager to join your quest."

"Yeah!" Star nodded in agreement "I totally would." She paused, finally processing what was said "Wait, I would? I mean yeah but you never..."

"I never let you go unsupervised my dear" Eclipsa explained "You are quite reckless."

"For the last time that sprite startled me! The fire was not my fault." Star quickly chimed in.

"Regardless how a fire did or did not spontaneously burst into existence matters not." The older witch ignored Star's comments "You will guide Marco and assist in his quest. You were planning on doing so anyway."

The younger witch said nothing

"I know you dislike Rictavio far more than I but you cannot simply just attack a vampire. They are not like other creatures and to recklessly assault one will not end well. So better to send you with a trained hunter than have you unwisely sneak off on your own and get yourself killed or worse, turned."

"Me? Killed? Turned?" Star scoffed at the idea "C'mon granny, I can handle myself."

"Your grandmother is right." Marco spoke up as he rose to his feet "Vampires are not to be trifled with so casually."

"Actually she is my ninth great granddaughter" Eclipsa corrected Marco "It's simply easier to call me Granny Eclipsa."

Marco stared in disbelief "Just rolls off the tongue huh?"

Eclipsa let out a small laugh "You say great nine times and see how eager you are to do so again. So Mr. Hunter, I shall allow my Star to guide you. In exchange, you must ensure her safe return to me."

"You have my promise."

"Don't you want to hear an or else? For dramatic effect?" Eclipsa rose an eyebrow.

"You are a powerful and educated witch. I am well aware what will happen if I do not fulfill my promise."

Eclipsa gave a joyful smile "It is so refreshing to talk in such a straight forward manner. I do hope you survive. Such a nice lad. Well off with you two."

Marco and Star looked at one another "What?"

* * *

Marco and Star stood outside with the same shell shock expression on their faces as the hut door closed behind them.

"So...is this what getting kicked out of a house is like?" Star joked.

"It feels familiar" Marco admitted "though most of the time I'm being tossed out a window. It's nice to go through the door for once."

"I don't think that's what windows are for..."

Marco shrugged "I would like to point out I never said I went willingly."

"Why would you?" Star nudged him playfully "That's way too much work."

Marco tried to suppress a smile but it ended up spilling onto his face anyway.

"So, ready to take down a vampire?" Star asked curiously

"Not really but lead on witchy woman."

"Okay but only because you would get so loooooost."

* * *

Marco and Star stumbled out of the bushes. Marco wildly slashed and thrust his blade into whatever was chasing them as Star let out a frantic battle cry, flames pouring out of her palms.

The creature snarled in annoyance, taking one last swipe at the witch.

"Watch out!" Marco cried, pushing Star out of the way just in time for a large scaly claw to narrowly miss her head.

"Back! BACK I SAY!" Star yelled, arcane energy crackling between her fingers.

The creature knew better than to pursue. It snorted before retreating into the thicket.

Marco and Star laid on the ground, her head on his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her frame.

"I told you it was a dragon." Marco scolded gently.

"Nah" Star shook her head "its got to be a salamander. Those things get huuuuge out here."

"It breathed fire!"

"And your point is?"

"It wasn't _on_ fire. Fire salamanders always set themselves on fire!"

"What? No, that's not how they work"

"I studied them! I fought one! I know how they work."

"Psst, clearly your books are wrong."

"Clearly you can't tell a salamander from a dragon!"

"Aren't they in the same family?"

Marco opened his mouth before stopping dead in his tracks "I...don't know actually."

"We should find out." Star jumped to her feet and offered a hand to Marco.

He shook his head as he gripped it tightly and allowed his partner to lift him to his feet.

"So this is the castle..." Marco whispered "Well fuck."

The castle stood high above their heads surrounded by cliffs. While it towered in the distance when Marco first saw it, now it loomed over them, impossibly large. Time ravaged banners fluttered helplessly in the winds, the ancient stone still sturdy and well built and a lonely road spiraled around the mountain was the only visible path. Any hopes of catching the count unaware were an impossibility.

"...Looks like we're going to have to walk up" Marco murmured to himself, still lost in his thoughts. There must've been a way to some how reach the castle unnoticed.

"Well duh" Star rolled her eyes "It leads to the front door! How else are we supposed to get in? A window? Psst, those are waaaay too high up."

"I was kinda hoping to get in unseen" Marco said "I don't like the idea of Rictavio having time to set up for us. Can't you fly us up or something?"

"I am a witch, not a bird. Besides the spell would only last ten minutes if I use it on the both of us and there's no way we're going all the way up there in that time. Come on, just take the path before you. The sooner we kick this vampire's ass, the sooner everyone is safe."

"Star" Marco shook his head "I don't think you're understanding the problem here. Vampires are powerful creatures. Even magic would have a hard time piercing their unearthly nature. We can't just walk up to him and go 'hey we're here to kill you! Stand still please.'"

"Sure we can" Star waved off Marco's comment "I'll just sunbeam him and that'll be that."

"We need to be more discreet" Marco argued

"We need to launch an all out attack!" Star countered

"Recklessly charging is going to get us killed!"

"Recklessly charging has always worked for me!"

"How?!"

"I'm a witch!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"You don't make any sense!"

"Star, that _literally_ makes no sense."

"Well" Star turned on her heel and faced Marco directly "Make sense then!"

"Fine!" Marco shouted "Duck now!"

Star blinked in confusion "Wait, what?"

Marco dropped low to the ground, pulling Star downwards with him as a massive wolf leapt at them from the shadows, his jaw biting into thin air.

Marco drew his sliver sword but Star was faster on the uptake. She gestured to the wolf, her skulls glowing with magical energy.

The wolf struggled against some unseen force, muscles stiffening as they were frozen in place by Star's spell.

Marco quietly stabbed the still, silent creature, holding his blade until it fell limp before him.

"Whew. Good acting Star." Marco gave a grateful smile.

"Umm..." Star looked back and forth uneasily "yeah...was totally aware he was there."

"Hey, you didn't tell me you could restrain monsters."

"Well you didn't tell me...umm...yeah!"

Marco shook his head as his eyes fell upon the wolf's corpse, began forming in his mind.

"Hey Star...can you make disguises?"

* * *

a special thanks to starcofan09: hahah yeah i come up with the weirdest ideas. umm kingsmen will be updated after i give out birthday gifts i owe but ironically the next story I am writing for this is pirates 3 (which is a birthday gift i owe)! so yay! and i'm glad you enjoyed the story!

Finn: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I personally came up with my own ending but I dunno i think it might mean more if i leave it open ended for everyone to come up with their own endings to this story. You know just a what do you think happened kinda thing.

guest: it is a very well written movie and it was clear that the bride was a much more important figure than Victoria because she is the title character a lot of animated movies really do drop the ball with certain minor or secondary characters that are supposed to important but just never really get that depth.

princessXgilex: haha it has been a while. haha that's okay the movie did come out a while ago and i did change quite a bit of things so it's not exactly the same and i like leaving room in case i ever decide to come back to *ignores all the other unfinished parts i haven't done.* I really couldn't resist making Disney related codenames. it was just too good. You know me, i love a great fight scene. Not so much writing one but reading one i think it came out alright though. Yeah sometimes you try your hardest and it still won't work out but you need to keep trying and never give up! I know right? should i give into the temptation? bwahaha I'm really glad you liked it!

guest; I was thinking of it but it's really... big. Like i love the MCU but its size makes it a little tough to work with so many different origins and i would have to spend some time showing the difference between my 'marvel' version that i wrote and an actually marvel version. Imean I might later it could be fun to have spider-marco meet up with actual tony and actual steve but it will be something I need to sit down and figure out. and you know it's always worth a shot. Every writer has to start somewhere, even I did.


End file.
